Joe O'Toole (Independent)

I also raise the question of the reason the House did not sit yesterday. While I acknowledge the Leader comes under pressure from the Government, all Members were under the impression that the Seanad would sit three days a week from the outset of this session last week. It is embarrassing, gives snowballs to those who are critical of the House to throw at Members and completely unacceptable. The Government should be ashamed of itself for not bringing forward legislation. I recognise that the economy correctly is taking up 99% of the Government's time. However, does this mean there are departmental draftsmen doing nothing? Members are waiting for legislation to be presented. To be helpful to the Leader, I remind him that there are 12 Private Members' Bills, including some produced by one of the Government parties, on the Order Paper. Some of the aforementioned legislation was withdrawn on the basis that the Government would make progress on the issues involved. I refer, for instance, to the Credit Union Savings Protection Bill which I introduced, Senator Bacik's Climate Protection Bill and the Construction Contracts Bill produced by my colleague, Senator Quinn, among others. The Members concerned await replies on issues that were meant to be dealt with at departmental level. I suggest to the Leader that Members should begin to make progress on some of this legislation to show the world that this House can operate, legislate and deal with issues of importance to ordinary people, even if the other House is in a legislative stasis.

Last week, in common with three or four other speakers, I raised with the Leader the importance of having a debate on the Croke Park agreement. Over the weekend I noticed that some Departments of State still had not brought forward their cost cutting and savings proposals for implementation.