Dáil debates

Wednesday, 15 September 2021

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business

 

2:55 pm

Photo of Micheál MartinMicheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I will first make a point regarding the Order of Business. The Government wants to co-operate and engage with the House. I am very interested in seeing a balance that involves getting laws passed in the House rather than Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday being simply about general debates, general statements and Ministers coming before the House to discuss this, that and the other. We have Oireachtas committees. The Minister for Health has no problem coming before anybody to discuss long Covid. Our Order of Business session has not started yet. The Business Committee is meant to order the House and decide what is discussed on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday but we now see a new parliamentary ruse every week. Members say that they do not want the Order of Business, which they have just agreed a short while ago at the Business Committee, to proceed because they want X, Y and X to happen. If X, Y and X are to happen, we will have no time to do anything. Then there will be the genuine issue of rushing legislation at the end of the year. I worry about the balance of time between dealing with legislation and taking legitimate questions to ensure accountability. Do not get me wrong but our timeline is an issue. That is a general point.

Deputy Cian O'Callaghan raised a point. The Minister, Deputy Darragh O'Brien, has been very accountable to the House in respect of all issues pertaining to housing and legislation. Deputy Doherty said the affordability Act was a flawed measure. It is interesting that he did not oppose it. The Opposition party did not oppose the Affordable Housing Act 2021, which included the shared equity scheme. It huffed and puffed but did not oppose it. That is a fact. My point is that it was well debated in the House. I will talk to the Minister. If the Deputy wants the Minister to come before the House, I will talk to him about that-----

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