David Cullinane (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I am questioning the entire process because it is not fair on anybody. What I see happening is that the permanent government is preventing us as legislators from having a debate on amendments. It is telling us which amendments are in order or out of order. We are putting ourselves in a straitjacket and preventing ourselves from having a proper debate and scrutinising Bills. The debacle with Irish Water is an example of what happens when we do not have proper scrutiny. The Minister has failed to answer even simple questions about the issue. He is dodging questions. It is simply not good politics. This is the only opportunity I have to do so and I strongly put on record my opposition to again railroading through an important Bill, ruling out of order amendments which are in order and should be debated and discussed. It is a sad day for the Oireachtas and the Seanad that this has happened again. It has happened to so many Bills and here we are again carrying on with the same sort of nonsense.

In the context of the Minister telling us that this Bill is about improving democracy and adding value to existing democracy, we have the charade of not being able to debate many of the provisions in the Bill or not being able to amend them. Even if the Government disagreed with them the Minister could at least listen to us and have the courtesy to allow us to table an amendment and have a debate on the issues. The Government is not even prepared to allow that to happen.