Joe O'Toole (Independent)

I agree completely with the points made by Senator Fitzgerald. There is a sense of déjÀ vu for me and some of my colleagues. I recall that previously there was a special sitting of the House to bail out Goodman. On this occasion the House has been recalled to bail out the banks. I want to be absolutely clear about the reason I oppose the allocation of time. I am not politicking here. The Bill is the legislation, and we shall deal with it. However, the reality is that people are talking about a national approach to the problem, some type of consensual approach within adversarial politics. It is believed that people should pull together to move forward matters. It is appalling that this is the third initiative that has been taken without any serious consultation with the Opposition parties, quite apart from the Independents. I find it disturbing that people such as Deputies Joan Burton, Richard Bruton and other parliamentarians have not been consulted. They have offered serious views on this and are not trying to damage the Government or the economy but rather to engage with it.

It is for that reason I oppose the allocation of time. Members of the public are asking how we as politicians do our business. The Government is rushing this legislation through the Oireachtas, intent on processing it in a couple of hours. No attempt is being made to allow people to engage, buy in, be part of and share a decision making process. It is not good business or politics. It is not good for the country and neither is it good for the political process. Whatever the Bill's worth — we shall discuss that later — this is an extraordinarily bad beginning. I said the same here on 30 September, and no lessons have been learned. Matters have been dumped on people. I said the same again two months later with the launch of the national plan. I said it was appalling that the Houses of the Oireachtas were not being presented with the national programme that was being spelt out to society by the Government on a particular afternoon, with nothing happening in either House.

If someone can explain where this is leading and why it is a good way to do business, I am prepared to listen. The Leader will know that I have not been slow to co-operate on issues when that is needed. If there is a national need to get something done, there will be plenty of co-operation. What we are doing here gives a really bad impression to the outside world. It is contemptuous of the political process, gives offence to the people who elected us and is a very poor way to begin dealing with an extraordinarily difficult crisis, at a time when the world is watching Ireland, among other places, to see how we do our business. At a time when we are trying to inspire confidence, all the Government is giving us are reasons to oppose and fight a civil war among ourselves. It does not work this way and neither should it. There is no need to conduct business in this way and the restriction on time does not help matters.

I would support the Government if people started to speak out of line, took pot shots and made political points and one-liners for the sake of media coverage. Senator Frances Fitzgerald is correct. I know the Cathaoirleach cannot involve himself in this debate and that it is up to ourselves to do it. We have communicated our views in an informal manner to the Leader of the House. It is important to say on the record that many of us here would like to be part of the decision, good or bad, that the Government is taking. We would like to make known our views, be able to amend the Government's proposals and take the good or bad that arises later. We are ready to take the decision and to stand by it. It will be good for people who sometimes play adverserial politics and argue against everything, while taking responsibility for nothing. To put it another way, people should be made get involved in the decision, to buy into the outcome and to take the fallout afterwards. When people ask what the Government is doing, I cannot say who is making the plans within the Administration. It is fine having civil servants drawing up the legislation, but who is actually planning for the politics of Government? I do not understand it.