Ivana Bacik (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I propose an amendment to the Order of Business that No. 1, the motion proposed by the Deputy Leader for the sitting of the House on Monday, be taken with debate. I opposed the idea that we would sit in this way to deal with the Committee Stage of the Judicial Appointments Commission Bill at the leaders' meeting, as did other group leaders. We oppose the motion because the entire purpose for the sitting on Monday and the early sitting on Tuesday is to ensure the Judicial Appointments Commission Bill be rammed through Committee Stage and then go straight into Report Stage with a view to finalising it in the Seanad by next Wednesday so that it can be rubber-stamped in the Dáil on Thursday. As Senator McDowell has said, this is an utterly unacceptable way to do business on such a contentious and important Bill.

We now know that RTÉ has the GRECO report, which is all the more reason that Members should have it by now to enable us to debate Committee Stage of the Bill. I hope we will all have it by Monday, if indeed the House supports the motion. I think it is unacceptable, given the very strong critiques that were expressed in the GRECO report, that we do not have it. The Minister's description of the report was bizarre. He had not read it when we started the debate on Committee Stage. He said there was nothing shocking in it, that there was no earthquake in it, and then he told us yesterday that he had read it but that we, the Members, could not get it. I endorse the sentiments expressed by Senator Noone yesterday that she would only be voting for this with a heavy heart. I think we all know the reason. Clearly the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport is driving this Bill through. It is a one man show. It is unfortunate to see the craven way in which the rest of the Fine Gael Party and others are supporting him on it.

Is it proposed to take Senator Frances Black's important Bill, the Control of Economic Activity (Occupied Territories) Bill 2018next week? We were also to have a debate on Palestine. I welcome that and I hope that in all the rush to get the Judicial Appointments Commission Bill through with such unseemly haste and without any real urgency that we will not lose sight of that debate and that there will be time to have it on Wednesday.