Joe O'Reilly (Fine Gael)

I support Senator Fitzgerald's call that we reject the Order of Business in its proposed form. I join in the appeal to the Leader to reconsider at this stage the proposal that we debate this issue to show the relevance of this House to the public and to ourselves. We are talking about a crisis and of a whole policy position having come unstuck over a number of months. We are now back to the drawing board. We on this side of the House will be constructive as always, but this issue merits debating. We have made specific proposals but the entire issue merits debating and there should be a reporting procedure to the Seanad. It would be very bad for the dual chamber concept if we do not achieve that before this evening. I appeal to the Leader to provide for that.