Brian Hayes (Fine Gael)

I congratulate the Leader on the manner in which she so speedily arranged a debate on stem cell research. I thank her for placing it on the Order Paper today. Will she check if it is possible for the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment to take questions on the matter? While statements are a very important means of enabling people to state their positions, it would be useful if questions were allowed. There is a facility for that, as the Cathaoirleach is aware. We are in a situation where the Government intends to support the proposal for stem cell research on 27 November despite the fact that, on two separate occasions, a committee has urged the Government not to take that position. Are we left in a legal limbo, where various positions taken by our Government would not have the support of a plenary session of either House of the Oireachtas or a committee? We need to clarify that before the Tánaiste contributes to that very important debate.

When does the Leader intend to arrange a full debate on the proposed Book of Estimates produced by the Government last week? It is now clear that the least well-off in our society will pay for the economic blundering of the Government. For some months, we on this side of the House have argued that if the benchmarking award is paid, the least well-off will have to pay for it. That has now come to pass. Those in the trade union movement, particularly SIPTU which, last Friday, launched another spate of bellyaching over the current round of cuts, must share some of the responsibility in this regard. If €1.6 billion is to be spent next year on pay awards, it is inevitable there will be less money for health and education. There is a collective responsibility for the cutbacks which are now being foisted by the Government on the people. Those who argue for benchmarking should share responsibility for the cuts.