Hildegarde Naughton (Galway West, Fine Gael)
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I move:

Tuesday's business shall be: - Motion re Ministerial Rota for Parliamentary Questions (without debate)

- Motion re Consideration of Estimates by Committee (without debate)

- Planning and Development Bill 2023 (Report and Final Stages) (to commence no earlier than 3.04 p.m. and to adjourn after 4 hrs 15 mins) Tuesday's private members' business shall be the Motion re Special Education, selected by Sinn Féin.

Wednesday's business shall be: - Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2024 - Motion for a Financial Resolution (without debate)

- Defence (Amendment) Bill 2024 (Report and Final Stages) (to commence no earlier than 2.49 p.m.)

- Planning and Development Bill 2023 (Report and Final Stages, resumed) (f not previously concluded, to conclude at midnight) Wednesday's private members' business shall be the Motion re Nature Restoration Law, selected by the Regional Group.

Thursday's business shall be the Second Stage of the Motor Insurance Insolvency Compensation Bill 2024 (if not previously concluded, to adjourn at 5.30 p.m.).

Thursday evening business shall be the Second Stage of the Protection of Accident Victims from Non-Consensual Recording of Images Bill 2022.

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) the Dáil may sit later than 10.32 p.m.; (ii) Parliamentary Questions to the Taoiseach pursuant to Standing Order 46(1) shall not be taken, with consequential effect on the commencement time for Government business;

(iii) the time allocated to Government business shall be extended in accordance with the arrangements for the Planning and Development Bill 2023; and

(iv) private members’ business may be taken later than 6.12 p.m. and shall in any event be taken on the adjournment of proceedings on the Planning and Development Bill 2023, with consequential effect on the commencement times for Parliamentary Questions to the Minister for Social Protection, and topical issues;

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

3. the proceedings on the Motion re Consideration of Estimates by Committee shall be taken without debate; and

4. the proceedings on Report and Final Stages of the Planning and Development Bill 2023 shall commence no earlier than 3.04 p.m. and shall, if not previously concluded, be interrupted and stand adjourned after 4 hours and 15 minutes, and shall not be resumed on Tuesday.

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.;

(ii) if the time at which the Dáil suspends pursuant to Standing Order 25(1) is earlier than 1.49 p.m., the House shall stand suspended until 2.49 p.m.; and

(iii) the weekly division time may be taken later than 8.45 p.m., and shall in any event be taken as the last item of business; 2. the proceedings on the Motion for a Financial Resolution for the Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2024 shall be taken without debate; and

3. the resumed proceedings on Report and Final Stages of the Planning and Development Bill 2023 shall, if not previously concluded, be brought to a conclusion at midnight 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.

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 may be taken earlier than 7.24 p.m. and shall in any event be taken on the adjournment of proceedings on Second Stage of the Motor Insurance Insolvency Compensation Bill 2024, or where Second Stage of that Bill concludes within the allocated time, on the conclusion thereof; and

(ii) Thursday evening business, i.e., Second Stage of the Protection of Accident Victims from Non-Consensual Recording of Images Bill 2022, may be taken earlier than 8.12 p.m., with consequential effect on the time for the adjournment of the Dáil; and 2. the proceedings on Second Stage of the Motor Insurance Insolvency Compensation Bill 2024 shall, if not previously concluded, be interrupted and stand adjourned at 5.30 p.m. and shall not be resumed on Thursday.

Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Ceann Comhairle)
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Is that agreed?

Deputies:

Not agreed.

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (Donegal, Sinn Fein)
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When the schedule was presented at the Business Committee, there were serious concerns across the Opposition regarding the time allocated to the Planning and Development Bill. As the Taoiseach knows, there are a massive number of amendments, including amendments from the Minister. This is a very important Bill. I urge him not to guillotine it at midnight on Wednesday but, rather, let it run its course over the next number of weeks to give the necessary time to the Bill. There are serious repercussions. It is one of the largest Bills in the history of the State. There is a huge need to listen, engage, and make changes where necessary. I ask for no guillotine on Wednesday on that issue.

Ivana Bacik (Dublin Bay South, Labour)
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I support that call. I do not believe the Planning and Development Bill should be guillotined tomorrow night. It is a really important Bill. We have seen great concern about it. There are over 800 amendments down on Report Stage. The Minister has put down an amendment based on an amendment Labour put down on Committee Stage that will require a good deal of debate. It is an amendment to criminalise abuse of the planning process. We are seeing this amendment from the Minister for the first time on Report Stage. The Minister has put down extensive amendments on Report Stage and we believe that it is not appropriate for these to be rushed through with the debate guillotined at midnight tomorrow night.

Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Social Democrats)
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I strongly support the call for a guillotine not to be imposed on this very substantial Bill but I want to go back to the issue of carers, which was raised earlier. In reply to Deputy Cairns, the Taoiseach quoted a lot of figures but made no reference to the level of need. Here are some more figures. Some 72% of family carers get no respite at all. Only one in four family carers get the carer's allowance. Some 50% of family carers have no choice but to pay privately for therapies, while the other 50% go on long waiting lists. Will the Taoiseach make time available this week for us to have a debate on how the enormous needs of carers can be met within a reasonable timescale?

Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, RISE)
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I also call for there to be no guillotine on the Planning and Development Bill. It is obviously extremely important as regards how our planning process will work in the years ahead. There were weeks of Committee Stage debate but that will now all be condensed into eight hours or so with a guillotine on Report Stage. It is clear that we need to give this Bill as long as it needs for debate.

Mattie McGrath (Tipperary, Independent)
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On behalf of the Rural Independent Group, I too oppose this proposal, as I did at the meeting of the Business Committee last Thursday week. This is very substantial legislation that will have significant ramifications from all angles. Months were spent on the Bill on Committee Stage, where there were hours and hours of debate. A great many amendments, including amendments from the Minister, are now to be condensed into a very short debate. It is crazy to think that such mammoth legislation, which has been in gestation for a couple of years, could be guillotined. It needs ample time for discussion. To have only eight hours of debate before a guillotine is imposed is outrageous. We need more time. This cannot happen.

Thomas Pringle (Donegal, Independent)
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I echo and support the calls for more time to be given for the Planning and Development Bill because it is vitally important. For legislation that will be of such importance right across the country to be guillotined like this is wrong.

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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In case people at home will think this has been in any way rushed, this Bill had 120 hours of debate on Committee Stage. It also went through pre-legislative scrutiny. When Deputy Peter Burke was the Minister of State with responsibility for planning, many meetings were held with various stakeholders. At some point, we need to get on and pass a law that is going to reform our planning laws. Only a few weeks ago, the Deputies were all shouting at me about the importance of the Housing Commission, which talked about the need to overhaul our planning system. This place needs to do its job and pass the law. There is a housing emergency and crisis.

Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, RISE)
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Is our job just to pass laws or to debate them?

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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We need to roll up the sleeves and get the job done. We are doing four and a half hours today and eight hours tomorrow. People need homes. We need our planning system to be reformed. This Government is going to actually make progress on housing, while some in the Opposition are trying to obstruct that progress.

Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Social Democrats)
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Will the Taoiseach address the question on carers?

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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On carers, I am happy for that to be discussed at the Business Committee. There is no time this week for the reasons we have just outlined.

Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Social Democrats)
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What about next week then?

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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The Deputy can raise that at the Business Committee. I have no difficulty with a debate being held.

Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Social Democrats)
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Is the Taoiseach agreeable to a debate taking place next week?

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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I am not sure I am on the Business Committee but the Deputy can raise it there.

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (Donegal, Sinn Fein)
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The Taoiseach is the decision-maker on the schedule.

Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Ceann Comhairle)
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Are the proposed arrangements for the week's business agreed to?

Mattie McGrath (Tipperary, Independent)
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Not agreed.