Dáil debates

Thursday, 15 December 2016

8:15 pm

Photo of Regina DohertyRegina Doherty (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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It is proposed, notwithstanding anything in the order of the Dáil today, that Second Stage of the Health (Pricing and Supply of Medical Goods) (Amendment) Bill 2016 shall not be taken tomorrow.

Photo of Pat GallagherPat Gallagher (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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Is that agreed?

Photo of Ruth CoppingerRuth Coppinger (Dublin West, Anti-Austerity Alliance)
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Will questions to the Minister proceed?

Photo of Pat GallagherPat Gallagher (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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Yes, at 10 a.m.

Photo of Ruth CoppingerRuth Coppinger (Dublin West, Anti-Austerity Alliance)
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May I comment on that? There is no way that this Bill will be passed tomorrow because the Minister made a huge mistake of putting a whole load of planning measures in with rental measures. We will be here until 3 a.m. on Saturday if we want to give this Bill serious consideration. He should not have done that. There should have been two separate Bills.

Photo of Pat GallagherPat Gallagher (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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We can only deal with what we have now. Is that agreed?

Photo of Ruth CoppingerRuth Coppinger (Dublin West, Anti-Austerity Alliance)
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The Minister should take the rental aspect out of the Bill.

Photo of Brendan HowlinBrendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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Can I suggest that we need to have the maximum possible time? I do not know if the Minister will have time between now and whatever time we start tomorrow to have a debate with his officials but the sooner we begin the debate in the morning, the better. If not 10 a.m., can we agree to sit at 11 a.m to give us time to make as much progress on the Bill as possible?

Photo of Richard Boyd BarrettRichard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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We would have to agree to drop the Topical Issue debate.

Photo of Brendan HowlinBrendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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Let that happen. If there is a consensus that because there is a fear that landlords might avail of a vacuum and that we need to have this done before the Dáil rises, then we need to use every available minute we have. Can we agree to put other business aside to do this tomorrow?

Photo of Pat GallagherPat Gallagher (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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Before I call the Chief Whip, tomorrow morning we will meet at 10 o'clock. From 10 a.m. to 11.30 a.m. we will have questions to the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality.

Photo of Brendan HowlinBrendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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We can drop those.

Photo of Pat GallagherPat Gallagher (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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From 11.30 a.m. to 12.18 p.m. we will have the Topical Issue debate.

Photo of Brendan HowlinBrendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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We can drop that too.

Photo of Jan O'SullivanJan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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Why are they more important?

Photo of Regina DohertyRegina Doherty (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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It is not that they are more important than what we are discussing now. It was agreed at the Business Committee that we would keep parliamentary questions to the Tánaiste and the Topical Issue debate. Members are within their rights to change the Order of Business now. If they want to propose that we drop the questions to the Tánaiste and postpone Topical Issues they can do that-----

Photo of Brendan HowlinBrendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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Can we explore that?

Photo of Regina DohertyRegina Doherty (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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-----but only with the support of the House, and we did not have that support at the Business Committee.

Photo of Pat GallagherPat Gallagher (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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Is that a proposal?

Photo of Richard Boyd BarrettRichard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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Can I comment briefly on that?

Photo of Pat GallagherPat Gallagher (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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Strictly on that.

Photo of Richard Boyd BarrettRichard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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The problem, and I am sympathetic of the proposal, is that it is a little unfair to the people who may not be here who have tabled either a Topical Issue or questions to the Minister because neither of those will be taken before the Christmas break.

Photo of Brendan HowlinBrendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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This is really urgent.

Photo of Pat GallagherPat Gallagher (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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On this, because we are out of time.

Photo of Dessie EllisDessie Ellis (Dublin North West, Sinn Fein)
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As someone who has tabled a Topical Issue matter for tomorrow, I believe we should consider this legislation in a more comprehensive way. We cannot squeeze it in tomorrow morning. We need more time.

I also want to ask about the Members who are on the list. Is that the rotation we will follow from here?

8:25 pm

Photo of Pat GallagherPat Gallagher (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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My proposal is that when we go back to Report Stage whoever is in the Chair will have this list and will be starting with Deputy Pat Casey. We have completed the list down to Deputy Bríd Smith. We have to decide now.

Photo of Richard Boyd BarrettRichard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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Will we be taking Committee Stage first?

Photo of Pat GallagherPat Gallagher (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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We will be completing the recommittal. We are still in recommittal. There is a proposal-----

Photo of Tom NevilleTom Neville (Limerick County, Fine Gael)
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I have a Topical Issue tomorrow and in the interests of the House, I have no problem having it postponed.

Photo of Brendan HowlinBrendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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There are two with Topical Issues.

Photo of Pat GallagherPat Gallagher (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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Has the Chief Whip an amendment?

Photo of Richard Boyd BarrettRichard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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I have a Topical Issue and I think we are willing to agree as well.

Photo of Brendan HowlinBrendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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So there is-----

(Interruptions).

Photo of Pat GallagherPat Gallagher (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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Deputies, please.

Photo of Brendan HowlinBrendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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That is quite helpful.

(Interruptions).

Photo of Pat GallagherPat Gallagher (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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Hold on, Deputies. It has now been suggested that Topical Issues be withdrawn.

Photo of Pat GallagherPat Gallagher (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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It is a matter for the Chief Whip to make a proposal and put it to the House. Is it also being suggested that there should be no questions to the Minister tomorrow?

(Interruptions).

Photo of Ruth CoppingerRuth Coppinger (Dublin West, Anti-Austerity Alliance)
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I have a question down.

Photo of Pat GallagherPat Gallagher (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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Hold on, Deputy Coppinger. I call the Chief Whip.

Photo of Regina DohertyRegina Doherty (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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I was only going to say I am at the mercy of the House. If the House wants to postpone the Minister's questions to the first day that we come back and everything else then just gets moved back a day, that is game ball by me.

Photo of Pat GallagherPat Gallagher (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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Is the proposal-----

(Interruptions).

Photo of Pat GallagherPat Gallagher (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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No, one second. I am trying to interpret what everyone is saying.

Photo of Regina DohertyRegina Doherty (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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I propose that we leave the questions to the Minister for Justice and Equality. They will be done by 11.30 a.m., we will let the Topical Issues fall and they can be taken on 17 January. We will start the legislation at that stage.

Photo of Pat GallagherPat Gallagher (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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Is that a compromise? Is that agreed? Agreed.