Eugene Murphy (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

This is important. Some 12,000 jobs are under attack. Small businesses have lobbied us because their businesses will be gone before Christmas. Ordinary families will not have a wage packet for Christmas. I am not saying that any Senators do not have the right to tease this out but something strange has been happening in this Chamber over the past hour and it concerns me. I do not want to say too much at this point.

If Senators believe in rights for everybody on this island, then please take into account why we are here late on a Friday evening doing this. It is emergency legislation to save the jobs of many people. As Senators Dolan and Carrigy have said, we must stick to the amendments and debate them. I accept that. I am not against that. I have not interrupted anybody in terms of discussing those amendments but there is another side to this story. This is emergency legislation.