Maurice Cummins (Fine Gael)

The Order of Business is No. 1, Thirtieth Amendment of the Constitution (Treaty on Stability, Coordination and Governance in the Economic and Monetary Union) Bill 2012 – Second Stage, to be taken at the conclusion of the Order of Business, with the contributions of group spokespersons not to exceed eight minutes and those of all other Senators not to exceed five minutes and the Minister to be given ten minutes to reply at the end of the debate. The content of No. 2 on the Order Paper may be discussed during the debate on Second Stage of No. 1.

The Seanad will not sit on Thursday next, 26 April, but will sit on Friday, 27 April, to deal with Second and Committee Stages of the Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2012 and complete our consideration of the Protection of Employees (Temporary Agency Workers) Bill 2011. We will complete the Social Welfare and Pensions Bill on Monday, 30 April. I am proposing that there not be an Order of Business on both days and will bring a motion to this effect before the House on Wednesday morning. The reason for the change to the schedule is that the Minister has informed me that the Social Welfare and Pensions Bill which had been scheduled to be brought before the House on Thursday will not be completed in the other House until then and will, therefore, not be ready for our consideration until Friday.