Hildegarde Naughton (Galway West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Tuesday's business shall be:

- Motion re Appointment of Chief Commissioner of the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission (without debate)

- Motion re Referral to Joint Committee of proposed approval by Dáil Éireann of the Trade Marks (Madrid Protocol) (Amendment) Regulations 2024 (without debate)

- Motion re Ministerial Rota for Parliamentary Questions (without debate)

- Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2024 (Second Stage) (to conclude after first round and any division claimed to be taken immediately prior to Committee Stage on Wednesday)

Tuesday's private members' business shall be the Motion re Spending of Public Funds by Government, selected by Sinn Féin.

Wednesday's business shall be:

- Electricity Costs (Emergency Measures) Domestic Accounts Bill 2024 (Second Stage) (to conclude within 1 hr and 57 mins and any division claimed to be taken immediately prior to Committee Stage on Wednesday)

- Motion re Opt-in to legislative proposal on strengthening the security of identity cards of Union citizens and of residence documents issued to Union citizens and their family members exercising their right of free movement (to conclude within 57 minutes)

- Electricity Costs (Emergency Measures) Domestic Accounts Bill 2024 (Committee and remaining Stages) (to commence no earlier than 4 p.m. and to conclude within 60 minutes)

- Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2024 (Committee and remaining Stages) (to conclude within 60 minutes)

- Planning and Development Bill 2023 (Amendments from the Seanad) (to conclude within 3 hours)

- Agriculture Appeals (Amendment) Bill 2024 (Report and Final Stages) (to adjourn either at 11 p.m. or after 1 hour, whichever is the later)

Wednesday's private members' business shall be Second Stage of the Planning and Development (An Taisce) Bill 2024, selected by the Rural Independent Group.

Thursday's business shall be:

- Motion re Proposed approval by Dáil Éireann of the Trade Marks (Madrid Protocol) (Amendment) Regulations 2024 (back from Committee, without debate)

- Motion re Proposed approval by Dáil Éireann of the South Coast Designated Maritime Area Plan for Offshore Renewable Energy (to conclude within 1 hr 52 mins)

- Statements to mark World Mental Health Day: Making Mental Health a Priority for Everyone (not to exceed 2 hrs 27 mins)

Thursday evening business shall be the Motion re Report entitled “Report on Energy Poverty 2024”.

Proposed Arrangements for this week’s business:

In relation to Tuesday’s business, it is proposed that:

1. the ordinary routine of business as contained in Schedule 3 to Standing Orders shall be modified to the following extent:

(i) oral Parliamentary Questions to the Taoiseach pursuant to Standing Order 46(1) shall not be taken, with consequential effect of the commencement time of Government business; and

(ii) the time allotted to Government business shall be in accordance with the arrangements for Second Stage of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2024, with consequential effect on the commencement times for the items following in the ordinary routine of business, namely, private members’ business, Parliamentary Questions to the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, and topical issues;

2. the proceedings on the Motion re Appointment of Chief Commissioner of the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission shall be taken without debate;

3. the proceedings on the Motion re Referral to Joint Committee of proposed approval by Dáil Éireann of the Trade Marks (Madrid Protocol) (Amendment) Regulations 2024 shall be taken without debate;

4. the proceedings on the Motion re Ministerial Rota for Parliamentary Questions shall be taken without debate; and

5. the following arrangements shall apply in relation to the proceedings on Second Stage of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2024:

(i) on the conclusion of the first speaking round in accordance with the arrangements agreed by Order of the Dáil of 30th July, 2020, for Second Stage and the Resolution of the Dáil of 20th September, 2023, providing for two minutes for non-aligned members, a Minister or Minister of State shall be called upon to make a speech in reply, which shall not exceed 10 minutes, whereupon proceedings shall be brought to a conclusion; and

(ii) any division claimed on the proceedings shall be taken immediately prior to Committee Stage of the Bill on Wednesday.

In relation to Wednesday's business, it is proposed that:

1. the ordinary routine of business as contained in Schedule 3 to Standing Orders shall be modified to the following extent:

(i) the Dáil may sit later than 9.30 p.m. and shall adjourn on the conclusion of the weekly division time which may be taken later than 8.45 p.m. and shall in any event be taken on the adjournment of proceedings on Report and Final Stages of the Agriculture Appeals (Amendment) Bill 2024, or where those proceedings conclude within the allocated time, on the conclusion thereof; and

(ii) oral Parliamentary Questions to the Taoiseach pursuant to Standing Order 46(1) shall not be taken, and the SOS pursuant to Standing Order 25(1) shall take place at the time when oral Parliamentary Questions to the Taoiseach would normally be taken, with consequential effect on the commencement time for Government business;

2. notwithstanding anything in Standing Order 170(2), the proceedings on Second Stage of the Planning and Development (An Taisce) Bill 2024 shall, if not previously concluded, be brought to a conclusion after 2 hours and 2 minutes;

3. in relation to proceedings on Second Stage of the Electricity Costs (Emergency Measures) Domestic Accounts Bill 2024, the following arrangements shall apply:

(i) the first speaking round shall be in accordance with the arrangements agreed by— (a) the Order of the Dáil of 30th July, 2020, for Second Stage, save that the times shall be halved in each case, and

(b) the Resolution of the Dáil of 20th September, 2023, in relation to 2 minutes for non-aligned members; and (ii) on the conclusion of the first speaking round, a Minister or Minister of State shall be called upon to make a speech in reply, which shall not exceed 10 minutes, whereupon proceedings shall be brought to a conclusion: Provided that any division claimed on the Second Stage proceedings shall be taken immediately prior to Committee Stage of the Bill on Wednesday;

4. the proceedings on the Motion re Opt-in to legislative proposal on strengthening the security of identity cards of Union citizens and of residence documents issued to Union citizens and their family members exercising their right of free movement shall, if not previously concluded, be brought to a conclusion after 57 minutes, and the following arrangements shall apply thereto:

(i) the order of speaking and allocation of time shall be as follows:- - opening speech by a Minister or Minister of State - 10 minutes;

- speech by representative of Sinn Féin - 10 minutes;

- speeches by representatives of the Labour Party, Social Democrats, People-Before-Profit-Solidarity, the Regional Group, the Rural Independent Group and the Independent Group - 5 minutes per party or group;

- speeches by non-aligned members – 2 minutes; and

- a speech in response by the Minister – 5 minutes; and (ii) members may share time;

5. the proceedings on Committee and remaining Stages of the Electricity Costs (Emergency Measures) Domestic Accounts Bill 2024 shall be taken no earlier than 4 p.m. and shall, if not previously concluded, be brought to a conclusion after one hour by one question which shall be put from the Chair, and which shall, in relation to amendments, include only those set down or accepted by the Minister for Environment, Climate and Communications;

6. the proceedings on Committee and remaining Stages of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2024 shall, if not previously concluded, be brought to a conclusion after one hour by one question which shall be put from the Chair, and which shall, in relation to amendments, include only those set down or accepted by the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage;

7. the proceedings on the amendments from the Seanad to the Planning and Development Bill 2023 shall, if not previously concluded, be brought to a conclusion after three hours and any amendments from the Seanad not disposed of shall be decided by one question which shall be put from the Chair, and which shall, in relation to amendments to the Seanad amendments, include only those set down or accepted by the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage; and

8. the proceedings on Report and Final Stages of the Agriculture Appeals (Amendment) Bill 2024 shall, if not previously concluded, be interrupted and stand adjourned either at 11.00 p.m. or after 1 hour, whichever is the later.

In relation to Thursday's business, it is proposed that:

1. the ordinary routine of business as contained in Schedule 3 to Standing Orders shall be modified to the following extent:

(i) topical issues pursuant to Standing Order 37 may be taken earlier than 7.24 p.m. and shall in any event be taken on the conclusion of Government business; and

(ii) the proceedings on the Motion re Report entitled “Report on Energy Poverty 2024” may be taken earlier than 8.12 p.m., and shall in any event be taken on the conclusion of topical issues, with consequential effect on the time for the adjournment of the Dáil;

2. the proceedings on the Motion re Proposed approval by Dáil Éireann of the Trade Marks (Madrid Protocol) (Amendment) Regulations 2024 shall be taken without debate;

3. the proceedings on the Motion re Proposed approval by Dáil Éireann of the South Coast Designated Maritime Area Plan for Offshore Renewable Energy shall, if not previously concluded, be brought to a conclusion after 1 hours and 52 minutes and the following arrangements shall apply thereto:

(i) the arrangements for the speeches, not including the Ministerial response, shall be in accordance with the arrangements agreed by Order of the Dáil of 30th July, 2020, for 1 hour and 40 minutes, and the Resolution of the Dáil of 20th September, 2023, providing for two minutes for non-aligned members;

(ii) following the speeches, a Minister or Minister of State shall be called upon to make a speech in reply which shall not exceed 10 minutes; and

(iii) members may share time; and

4. the Statements to mark World Mental Health Day: Making Mental Health a Priority for Everyone shall commence no earlier than 2.30 p.m. and shall not exceed 2 hours and 27 minutes and the following arrangements shall apply thereto:

(i) the arrangements for the statements, not including the Ministerial response, shall be in accordance with the arrangements agreed by Order of the Dáil of 30th July, 2020, for 2 hours and 15 minutes, and the Resolution of the Dáil of 20th September, 2023, providing for two minutes for non-aligned members;

(ii) following the statements, a Minister or Minister of State shall be called upon to make a statement in reply which shall not exceed 10 minutes; and

(iii) members may share time.

A Cheann Comhairle, considering the issue of child abuse committed by a member of Sinn Féin, the furnishing of character references for that person by Sinn Féin staff, and the Sinn Féin leadership team's continued involvement with that person, it would be only right that we would convene a meeting of the Business Committee with immediate effect to organise statements in the Dáil.

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