Dáil debates

Tuesday, 11 December 2018

3:00 pm

Photo of Clare DalyClare Daly (Dublin Fingal, Independent)
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Unfortunately, it will be a long and messy week.

Today's business shall be No. a15, motion re fifth programme of law reform, referral to committee; No. 15, Financial Resolution re Health Insurance (Amendment) Bill 2018; No. 35, Irish Film Board (Amendment) Bill 2018 - Committee and Remaining Stages; No. 36, Finance (African Development (Bank and Fund) and Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2018 changed fromAfrican Development (Bank and Fund) Bill 2018 - Order for Report, Report and Final Stages; and No. 1, Health and Social Care Professionals (Amendment) Bill 2018 [Seanad] Second Stage. Private Members' business shall be No. 60, Statute of Limitations (Amendment) Bill 2018 - Second Stage, selected by Fianna Fáil.

Wednesday’s business shall be No. 1, Health and Social Care Professionals (Amendment) Bill 2018 [Seanad] - Second Stage, resumed, if not previously concluded; expressions of sympathy on the deaths of former Members, Paddy Harte and Monica Barnes; No. 16, Supplementary Estimates, back from committee; No. 37, statements on pre-European Council meeting of 13 and 14 December, pursuant to Standing Order 111; No. 10, Aircraft Noise (Dublin Airport) Bill 2018 - Order for Second Stage and Second Stage; No. 35, Committee and Remaining Stages, resumed, if not previously concluded; No. 36, Report and Final Stages, resumed, if not previously concluded; and No. 1, Second Stage, resumed, if not previously concluded. The business to be taken in the first Private Members’ business slot shall be Second Stage of No. 61, Anti-Evictions Bill 2018 selected by Solidarity-People Before Profit, and the business to be taken in the second Private Members’ business slot shall be Second Stage of No. 62, Consumer Credit (Amendment) Bill 2018 selected by Sinn Féin.

Thursday’s business shall be: No. 10a, Houses of the Oireachtas Commission (Amendment) Bill 2018 - All Stages; No. 38, statements on the 100th anniversary of the 1918 general election; No. 39, Local Government Bill 2018 - Order for Report, Report and Final Stages; No. 40, Wildlife (Amendment) Bill 2016 - Order for Report, Report and Final Stages; and No. 10, Second Stage, resumed, if not previously concluded.

I refer Members to the first revised report of the Business Committee, dated 10 December 2018. In relation to today’s business, it is proposed that:

(1) the Dáil shall sit later than 10 p.m. and adjourn not later than 11.30 p.m.;

(2) Nos. a15 and 15 shall be taken without debate and any divisions demanded thereon shall be taken immediately;

(3) Report and Final Stages of No. 35 shall be taken immediately on the conclusion of Committee Stage; and

(4) Second Stage of No. 60 shall conclude within two hours.

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

(1) the Dáil shall sit at 9.30 a.m. to take Second Stage of No. 1, if not previously concluded. In the event that the proceedings have already concluded, the Dáil shall sit at 10.30 a.m. In the event that the proceedings conclude before 10.30 a.m., the Dáil shall suspend until 10.30 a.m. The Dáil shall sit later than 10 p.m. and adjourn on conclusion of Sinn Féin’s Private Members’ business;

(2) the expressions of sympathy shall be taken after Leaders’ Questions for a period not exceeding 15 minutes each and shall be followed by Questions on Promised Legislation and contributions shall not exceed two minutes each;

(3) No. 16 shall be moved together, taken without debate and decided by one question and any division demanded thereon shall be taken immediately;(4) No. 37 shall commence immediately after Taoiseach’s Questions and be followed by the suspension of sitting under Standing Order 25(1) for one hour and shall be brought to a conclusion after 85 minutes.Statements shall be confined to a Minister or Minister of State and the main spokespersons for parties or groups, or a Member nominated in their stead, not to exceed ten minutes each with a five minute response from the Minister or Minister of State and all members may share time;

(5) Private Members’ business under Standing Order 143F which had not been taken on 5 December shall be taken following Topical Issues to conclude within two hours, and the rota shall continue unchanged; and

(6) Second Stage of No. 62 shall be taken not later than 9.30 p.m. and shall conclude within two hours.

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

(1) the Dáil shall sit later than 7.48 p.m. and shall adjourn on the conclusion of Topical Issues;

(2) the Dáil shall sit at 9.30 a.m. to take All Stages of No. 10a. In the event that the proceedings conclude before 10.30 a.m., the Dáil shall suspend until 10.30 a.m. The proceedings on Second Stage shall, if not previously concluded, be brought to a conclusion after 40 minutes and any division demanded on the conclusion of Second Stage shall be taken immediately. Speeches on Second Stage shall be confined to single around for a Minister or a Minister of State and the main spokespersons for parties or groups, or a Member nominated in their stead, which shall not exceed five minutes each; all Members may share time. Proceedings on Committee and Remaining Stages shall, if not previously concluded, be brought to a conclusion after 20 minutes by one question, which shall, in relation to amendments, include only those set down or accepted by the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform. If a division is in progress at 10.30 a.m., any time which elapses in order to take such division shall be deducted from the time allocated to parliamentary questions;

(3) No. 38 shall commence after Questions on Promised Legislation and shall be followed by the weekly divisions. The statements shall conclude within 40 minutes, if not previously concluded. Statements shall be confined to a single round for a Minister or Minister of State and the group or party leaders-main spokespersons for parties and groups, or a Member nominated in their stead, not to exceed five minutes each and all Members may share time;

(4) Report Stage of No. 40 shall adjourn, if not previously concluded, after 60 minutes;

(5) Topical Issues shall be taken on the conclusion of Government business or at 9 p.m., whichever is the earlier; and

(6) notwithstanding Standing Order 140(2), neither a Private Members’ Bill nor a committee report shall be taken.

3:05 pm

Photo of Seán Ó FearghaílSeán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Ceann Comhairle)
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That was a marathon report. I thank Deputy Daly.

There are three proposals to put to the House today. Is the proposal for dealing with today's business agreed to? Agreed. Is the proposal for dealing with Wednesday's business agreed?

Photo of Micheál MartinMicheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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I seek additional time for statements on the pre-European Council given the enormity of what happened yesterday and the implications for Brexit. The proposal is for ten minutes per leader. That should be extended to 20 minutes-----

Photo of Seán Ó FearghaílSeán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Ceann Comhairle)
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The Deputy is talking about Wednesday.

Photo of Micheál MartinMicheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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Yes. It is a reasonable request.

Photo of Seán Ó FearghaílSeán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Ceann Comhairle)
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We are already sitting on Wednesday until 11.30 p.m.

Photo of Micheál MartinMicheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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I know but I have made this point before on these types of debate being restricted to ten minutes per leader. Could it be extended even to 15 minutes given what happened yesterday?

Photo of Seán Ó FearghaílSeán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Ceann Comhairle)
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The Business Committee can consult and see-----

Photo of Leo VaradkarLeo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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I have no objection to that, a Cheann Comhairle. The Business Committee would have to-----

Photo of Seán Ó FearghaílSeán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Ceann Comhairle)
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It will have to consult. I call Deputy Daly.

Photo of Clare DalyClare Daly (Dublin Fingal, Independent)
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In fairness, Deputy Ó Snodaigh flagged that this might be a possibility. However, I want to put on the record that quite a number of residents intend to come here to hear the debate on the Aircraft (Dublin Airport) Noise Regulation Bill 2018 which is due to commence at 7.30 p.m and to go on until 9.30 p.m. Anything that would alter that would be very disenfranchising to them.

Photo of Seán Ó FearghaílSeán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Ceann Comhairle)
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We will make sure that does not happen.

Photo of Micheál MartinMicheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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I do not want to be unfair but I lead a party of 44 Deputies. We have been very facilitative. We do not have a d'Hondt system. I have raised the point on a number of occasions that ten minutes for 44 Deputies in a debate like this is not adequate. I have done so consistently. There has been an attempt made to accommodate it. I am saying reasonably that I do not want my party disenfranchised to that extent. I have no difficulty with the facilitation of any other debate but this is a reasonable request given the enormity of what happened yesterday and its impact.

Photo of Leo VaradkarLeo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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To be helpful and to facilitate Deputies Clare Daly and Micheál Martin, we could set side Taoiseach's Questions, not Leaders' Questions. I answer the same questions for two hours each week. Maybe we could set them aside.

3:10 pm

Photo of Micheál MartinMicheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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The only difficulty with that is we never get answers to those type of questions, but I will set them aside.

Photo of Timmy DooleyTimmy Dooley (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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We are unlikely to get them tomorrow either.

Photo of Seán Ó FearghaílSeán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Ceann Comhairle)
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That might have something to do with the fact that-----

Photo of Leo VaradkarLeo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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-----in which case we are in full agreement.

Photo of Timmy DooleyTimmy Dooley (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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I was hoping in the spirit of Christmas that the Taoiseach might.

Photo of Micheál MartinMicheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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I would be willing to facilitate that.

Photo of Seán Ó FearghaílSeán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Ceann Comhairle)
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With a view to being helpful, we can cancel Taoiseach's Questions. The Business Committee will consult.

Photo of Timmy DooleyTimmy Dooley (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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The cut-and-paste department can have a break.

Photo of Seán Ó FearghaílSeán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Ceann Comhairle)
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Is the proposal for dealing with Thursday's business agreed to ? Agreed.