Denis O'Donovan (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The Minister of State has a maximum of 15 minutes. The timing is an issue that will probably be resolved at the Committee on Procedure and Privileges, CPP. What is happening currently in this new arrangement is that there are two thirds of the Seanad with 50% of speaking time. In my view that cannot stand so something will have to be done, and it will have to be resolved by the CPP. I cannot resolve that. It is a pressure point.For the past five years the mover of a motion got ten minutes and the seconder got six minutes and now it is 12 minutes and eight minutes, respectively. Fewer people are allowed to speak and the make-up of the Seanad whereby two thirds of the Seanad has only 50% of the speaking time will have to be addressed either by extending the time or by some other means but the current situation is unfair. I did not create the system but the pressure is coming on me. The matter will have to be brought up at the CPP.