Seanad debates

Wednesday, 11 December 2019

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business

 

10:30 am

Photo of Michael McDowellMichael McDowell (Independent) | Oireachtas source

On the proposal to use the guillotine in this House, it is notable that it appears to come in the wake of events last night where, unfortunately, due to the absence of Government Senators, certain amendments that the Minister wished to oppose were made and amendments that he wished to make were not made. It is more serious than that. This Bill is not desired to be passed by the great majority of Members of the Oireachtas in both Houses.There is a huge majority and newspapers have done polls among Fine Gael Members of the Oireachtas and they discovered this Bill is close to being held in contempt by most members of the Fine Gael Party in the Seanad and Dáil. Today that party is proposing the debate should be terminated at this Stage in order that it would be passed back to the Dáil for further consideration there.

I want to make a few points. In recent times the Football Association of Ireland has been the subject of great controversy. What went wrong there is that the whole organisation was captured by one man. It is a great irony the Minister on whose watch this has happened is the man who has captured the entire Government and the Fine Gael Party on this issue and is forcing them to behave in a manner in which they do not wish to behave. It is shameful in many respects. I would say to the Fine Gael Senators that I know what the party Whip is all about. I have been in a party with a Whip. I have relied as a Minister on Whips.

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