Shane Ross (Independent)

The Leader just stood up and said he proposed we adjourn until 11 p.m. Why? Why in the name of God can we not consider this Bill properly when we meet tomorrow morning, or we could meet earlier tomorrow, or on Friday or Saturday? To ask us to go away for five hours for no reason and to come back and debate this Bill, when it probably will not be ready in any event, is utterly unreasonable.

I wonder what is going on behind the scenes. I wonder is a bank in trouble? What is happening? Must this Bill be put through before tomorrow morning because the European Commission is kicking up an awful fuss and it will have us in the courts in the morning? We need a reason for this. This is very important and the Leader knows perfectly well that the Bill will not be properly considered, with due consideration, at 11 p.m. We will not table the amendments required and we will not be fit enough to consider it properly, but we would be tomorrow and the Bill may not even be ready by then.

We are being asked to adjourn for five hours and to sit late. This is emergency legislation and it was postponed until this morning. Why it cannot be considered properly by the Dáil and then considered by us, I do not know. I demand that we be given a reason for this. We will divide the House on this. We may divide the House on every amendment and section of the Bill if the Leader behaves like this. Two people can play this game. We deserve the respect we have earned in this House, if we are to give this proper consideration.