Michael Kitt (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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We will now move to the next business, statements on the Government's priorities for the year ahead.

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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On a point of order, a Leas-Cheann Comhairle, I wish to protest in the strongest possible terms-----

Jerry Buttimer (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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That is not a point of order.

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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-----the suppression of the Order of Business. Most Members came to the House thinking there would be an Order of Business this week-----

Jerry Buttimer (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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The Deputies agreed that last Thursday.

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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No; the Government forced it through the House last Thursday in a very undemocratic manner. What we are having today is basically a series of set-piece speeches-----

Jerry Buttimer (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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That is not a point of order.

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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-----to spin this and that. It has nothing to do with substantive policy.

Michael Kitt (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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Deputy Martin-----

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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Two weeks ago we agreed to have substantive statements on housing policy-----

Michael Kitt (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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Deputy Martin-----

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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-----and the Government agreed to that debate-----

Michael Kitt (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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Deputy Martin, I am on my feet.

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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There was supposed to be a discussion on housing two weeks ago.

Michael Kitt (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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Deputy Martin, I will have to suspend the House.

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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We would like to raise some legislative items with the Government. I seek an explanation as to why the Government has ordered the business of the House in such a way that we cannot even have an Order of Business this week, or discuss or raise issues to do with legislation. There is not a single legislative measure before the House this week from the Government, although there is from the Opposition.

Michael Kitt (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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Please, Deputy Martin.

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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It is a disgrace. It is the usurpation of the Parliament by the Executive for its own purposes and nothing else. It is absolutely cynical and disgraceful.

Eric Byrne (Dublin South Central, Labour)
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Would the Deputy prefer we were talking about Ivor Callely?

Michael Kitt (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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Can we have some order? There was a discussion on this last Thursday when the Order of Business was decided. The Taoiseach might have another proposal on this. I call the Taoiseach.

Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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This matter was decided last Thursday.

Barry Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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It was railroaded through.

Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Last week, without even being asked for it, the Government gave Members not only a debate and statements but also questions and answers. It is a measure of how generous we can be but, of course, the Deputy will not mention that.

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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What is the Taoiseach talking about? There are no questions and answers.

Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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It is proposed, notwithstanding Standing Orders-----

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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I just raised a point of order. The Chief Whip did not know, as late as this morning, how the speeches would be organised. He did not even know how the blocks of speakers would be organised. There was complete disagreement all morning between the Whips.

Michael Kitt (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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Let us hear from the Taoiseach.

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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It was completely disorganised. The Government did not know what way it wished to organise this. It is absolutely disgraceful.

Michael Kitt (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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I call on the Taoiseach to announce the statements.

Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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It is proposed, notwithstanding anything in Standing Orders or the order of Dáil of 27 February regarding the arrangements for the statements on the Government's priorities for the year ahead, that the statements of each other Member called upon after the opening statements shall not exceed 30 minutes in each case.

Timmy Dooley (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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Where are the questions and answers?

Finian McGrath (Dublin North Central, Independent)
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Accountability? Dream on.

Emmet Stagg (Kildare North, Labour)
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Send any requests to the Opposition Whips.

Michael Kitt (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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The Taoiseach has announced that for the second round of speakers the Member called shall not exceed 30 minutes in each case. Is that agreed?

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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Not agreed.

Barry Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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He proposed questions and answers as well.

Patrick O'Donovan (Limerick, Fine Gael)
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The Deputy was not here last week and neither was his Whip.

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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The reason this has been proposed is to get over a difficulty and problem which emerged this morning, and the lack of preparation by the Government side for this debate is evident-----

Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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On the contrary.

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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-----in the way it wants to organise this block by block, in other words to dilute the capacity of each Opposition party-----

Jerry Buttimer (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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Deputy Martin was not here for half of last week.

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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-----to have its 20 minutes-----

Jerry Buttimer (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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The Opposition missed half a debate last week.

Emmet Stagg (Kildare North, Labour)
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Everything Fianna Fáil asked for was granted.

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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No it was not.

Michael Kitt (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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Please.

Emmet Stagg (Kildare North, Labour)
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Everything Fianna Fáil asked for was granted.

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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Deputy Stagg was not even party to it but he is such a merciful person.

Emmet Stagg (Kildare North, Labour)
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Deputy Martin is trying to think of something else now he is on his feet.

Michael Kitt (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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Deputy Stagg please.

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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He is all mercy and generosity. We all know about it.

All I want to say is there were issues about speaking slots all morning. The Government side did not know how to order the state of affairs. I know the Ceann Comhairle's office had its views on the options for former members of Fine Gael with regard to speaking priorities and each party getting a block of time to respond.

Patrick O'Donovan (Limerick, Fine Gael)
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What about Finian?

Jerry Buttimer (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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What about Mattie?

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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In essence what the Government proposed was a fragmented position for the Opposition whereby each speaker from the various parties would have seven minutes. It was very unacceptable from our perspective.

The whole week is a farce. The idea the Dáil should have to spend three days backslapping the Government is a farce and ridiculous.

Ray Butler (Meath West, Fine Gael)
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It would not have happened in Deputy Martin's time.

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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The Government does not have legislation to bring forward so we could have the normal week everybody would want, which would allow for Order of Business and questions to the Taoiseach.

Emmet Stagg (Kildare North, Labour)
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Is this meant to be a brief contribution?

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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Why do we not have questions to the Taoiseach today? The Taoiseach decided not to have them.

Emmet Stagg (Kildare North, Labour)
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Deputy Martin will have nothing left to say.

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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This is a jackboot approach to Parliament. The Government wants to dictate the debate the way the Executive wants to dictate it, with no input from the Opposition whatsoever in terms of the form or order of the schedule.

Emmet Stagg (Kildare North, Labour)
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Deputy Sean Ó Fearghaíl had an input.

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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The Government's approach is very anti-democratic. With regard to all of the proposals made on Dáil reform and so forth, this is the absolute antithesis of such proclamations by the Taoiseach in the past.

Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Neither true nor fair.

Michael Kitt (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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Does Deputy Adams wish to comment?

Gerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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No, I have become used to the way the Government does its business. I would rather go into a review of the programme for Government.

Billy Kelleher (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail)
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Is that a white flag?

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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I do not want to delay proceedings further, but I ask the Taoiseach to clarify whether there will be time for questions and answers after each Minister's contribution, which is what was suggested earlier.

Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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This matter was agreed to yesterday over the telephone with Deputies Seán Ó Fearghaíl and Aengus Ó Snodaigh. Then Fianna Fáil wanted to change the arrangement again, which is why I read out a revised Order of Business today in order that Opposition spokespersons could come in directly after Ministers. That is why it was changed, despite the fact that it had been agreed to by the Fianna Fáil Whip yesterday over the telephone.

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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In fairness, that is not happening in the case of the Ministers for Health, the Environment, Community and Local Government and Children and Youth Affairs. Our spokespersons will not come in on the issues of health, the environment and children, mainly because of the availability of Ministers and so forth. That will not actually happen, even though the Taoiseach mentioned that there would be questions and answers.

Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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This was agreed to yesterday. Then the Deputy wanted it to be changed and I have changed it for him.

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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Yes, but the Taoiseach mentioned that there would be questions and answers. I take it that-----

Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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No. We are now going to have statements.

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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Just statements.

Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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There will be plenty of time to ask plenty of questions.

Barry Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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We cannot ask questions.

Michael Kitt (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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I received no notice of any of this. I am now going to go ahead.

Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Deputy Barry Cowen should calm down.

Barry Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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Of course, we cannot question the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government. He is bringing in water charges, about which we cannot ask questions.

Michael Kitt (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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Order, please.

Barry Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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The Government doesn't want to be reminded of that matter.

James Bannon (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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The Deputy should go back to his brother.

Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Deputy Cowen was one of the good ones.