Mark Daly (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Will the Leader consider scheduling sittings of the House next week given that we are back only four weeks? A newspaper in his native Cork pointed out yesterday that in the first three weeks we were back, we had 33 hours and 30 minutes of statements.Much of that was on Brexit, which is being dealt with by a number of committees and in the Dáil, but we have only spent eight hours and 15 minutes in total debating legislation. The Labour Party, the Civil Engagement group and other groups have Bills on the Order Paper that could be moved next week. In light of the fact that work on so much legislation needs to be done and that very little has been done because so much time was taken up at the start of the year with the formation of Government and we are only now in a position to do legislative work, which is what this House and the other House are designed to do, we should consider getting some legislation moving through the Houses to ensure we do our job here. On average, only 50 Bills are passed by the Dáil and the Seanad in a calendar year. By the time we get to the end of this year we will have done perhaps one third or one quarter of what should normally be done by the Houses of the Oireachtas. Much was made about the issue of scrutiny of EU legislation and directives. Under Standing Orders, there is a requirement to set up a committee on EU legislation. I ask the Leader when that committee will be established, the way it will be structured and, importantly for the Members, how it will be resourced to ensure that legislation is not simply rammed through the House. EU directives account for 90% of the laws that come into effect in this country, many of which are needed but some of which may have a detrimental effect here. They are not getting the scrutiny they should get and that is required under Standing Orders. I ask the Leader to consider the sitting of the House next week in light of the fact that since the summer, and as of this week, we are only back four weeks.