Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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It is proposed to take No. 6, motion re Horse and Greyhound Racing Fund Regulations 2009; No. 7, motion re referral to joint committee of proposed approval by Dáil Éireann of the Horse and Greyhound Racing Fund Regulations 2009; and No. 12, Budget Statements and the Financial Motions by the Minister for Finance shall be taken today at 3.45 p.m.

It is proposed, notwithstanding anything in Standing Orders, that: (1) the Dáil shall sit later than 8.30 p.m. tonight and the motion for the General Financial Resolution shall be moved not later than midnight whereupon business shall then be interrupted and the Dáil shall adjourn forthwith; (2) Nos. 6 and 7 shall be decided without debate; (3) following the budget statement of the Minister for Finance, the following arrangements shall apply in regard to the proceedings on No. 12: (i) the statements of the main spokespersons for the Fine Gael Party, the Labour Party and Sinn Féin shall not exceed 45 minutes; and (ii) following the statements the sitting shall be suspended for 30 minutes; (4) Private Members' business this week, which shall be No. 54, motion re Cystic Fibrosis, shall be taken on Thursday, 9 April 2009, after the Order of Business and shall be brought to a conclusion after three hours on that day, if not previously concluded; (5) all divisions demanded on No. 12 shall be taken manually; and (6) there shall be no Order of Business (i.e. within the meaning of Standing Order 26) tomorrow and the business to be transacted shall be No. 12, Financial Motions by the Minister for Finance (Motion 11, resumed) and the following arrangements shall apply: (i) the speech of the Taoiseach and of the main spokespersons, or a Member nominated in his or her stead, for the Fine Gael Party, the Labour Party and Sinn Féin, who shall be called upon in that order, shall not exceed 40 minutes in each case; (ii) the suspension of sitting under Standing Order 23(1) shall take place at 1.30 p.m., or on the conclusion of the speeches specified in (6)(i), whichever is the later, until 2.30 p.m.; and (iii) the speech of each other Member called upon, who may share their time, shall not exceed 30 minutes in each case.

John O'Donoghue (Kerry South, Ceann Comhairle)
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There are six proposals to be put to the House. Is it agreed that the Dáil shall sit later than 8.30 p.m. tonight and the motion for the General Financial Resolution shall be moved not later than midnight, whereupon business shall then be interrupted and the Dáil shall adjourn forthwith? Agreed. Is the proposal for dealing with Nos. 6 and 7 without debate agreed? Agreed. Is the proposal for dealing with No. 12 agreed? Agreed. Is the proposal for dealing with Private Members' business agreed? Agreed. Is the proposal that all divisions be taken manually agreed? Agreed. Is the proposal that there shall be no Order of Business tomorrow and for dealing with No. 12 agreed? Agreed.

I call Deputy Kenny on the Order of Business.

Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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The Dáil will not sit next week and is due to sit the following week. Arising from today's budgetary proposals, is it proposed to introduce a Finance Bill and when is it likely to be published? This is supposed to be a supplementary budget but it is much more complex than that. Has the Government decided it will be necessary, arising from the budgetary proposals, to introduce a Finance Bill in part to give effect to the budgetary proposals? When is it likely to be published and taken in the House?

Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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It is anticipated that there will be a Finance Bill and that it will be published as soon as possible after the budget has been debated and, hopefully, passed. Obviously, the Finance Bill will come forward when we return and will be taken as quickly as possible.

Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Does the Taoiseach envisage the Finance Bill being published next week and debated the following week? Has the Taoiseach fixed a timescale for this?

Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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I will have to come back to the Deputy on that.

Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Taoiseach.

Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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I have two questions. Will the Government publish a revised Book of Estimates? When will it be published or will it be incorporated in the Budget Statement we are to get later today?

In an earlier reply the Taoiseach said the House would have an opportunity to vote on the budget. I know we will have opportunities to vote on particular issues that may arise in the budget during some of the financial motions later today but when will we have the opportunity to vote on the budget in its totality? As I understand the order that has just been passed, the motion for the General Financial Resolution will be moved at some stage before midnight and a debate on it will start tomorrow which will continue for some time. The motion for the general financial resolution will be moved at some stage before midnight and a debate on it will start tomorrow, which will continue for some time. I presume the financial resolutions the Taoiseach is talking about are covered by No. 12 on the Order Paper. I also noticed No. 22 concerns a resumed debate on the financial resolutions for the 2008 budget on which the House has never voted. No. 25 regards the financial resolutions from the 2007 budget, on which, again, the House never voted.

Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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That is a good try by the Deputy.

Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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In the past two years, the House has not voted on the budget. I suppose the 2007 budget is of academic and historical interest now. It is a bit of a work of fiction considering all that has happened since. When does the Taoiseach envisage the actual vote on the general financial resolution will be brought to the House?

Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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I congratulate Deputy Gilmore on the innovativeness of his argumentation. The general financial resolution well be put to the House before midnight. That will enable the debate on the budget to take place. The financial resolutions are the important decisions that must be taken tonight. The Finance Bill provides other opportunities for votes on various issues. The Deputy is long enough around the House to know that the general financial resolution is not taken as a concluding motion.

Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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What about Nos. 22 and 25 on the Order Paper?

Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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The Deputy can ask his Whip behind him who will brief him on what all these mean. I congratulate the Deputy on an innovative effort to open up a debate beyond what is normal on the Order of Business.

The Revised Estimates will be published next week.

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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The Government announced on 26 March an embargo on the filling of positions in the public health service and it is expected to make a decision not to renew contracts for 1,400 workers-----

John O'Donoghue (Kerry South, Ceann Comhairle)
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The Deputy will have to ask a question that is in order.

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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-----in the Health Service Executive. Is the Government anticipating a further revised service plan by the Health Service Executive?

John O'Donoghue (Kerry South, Ceann Comhairle)
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I cannot go into a revised service plan, proposed or otherwise, now.

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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In the context of the pending crisis in the health services-----

John O'Donoghue (Kerry South, Ceann Comhairle)
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The Deputy must have a question that is in order.

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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-----will the Government accommodate a full debate on all health services?

John O'Donoghue (Kerry South, Ceann Comhairle)
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I cannot allow that question on the Order of Business.

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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Will the Taoiseach answer the question on accommodating a full debate on the health services in this Chamber?

John O'Donoghue (Kerry South, Ceann Comhairle)
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The question the Deputy asks must relate to promised legislation. I presume any question of a debate is a matter for the Whips, Taoiseach.

Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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Yes, it is.