Maurice Cummins (Fine Gael)
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I wish to amend the Order of Business again and propose that we deal with Water Services Bill 2013 at 5.45 p.m. I apologise to the Bills Office, in particular, whose staff are having difficulty keeping pace due to so many amendments being submitted. It is an unacceptable situation, which I must say even as a Government representative. The Bills Office has been given little or no time to turn around Bills. We will suspend until 5.45 p.m. in order to allow time for more amendments to be printed for the water services legislation.

Diarmuid Wilson (Fianna Fail)
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I accept what the Leader has said. The Report and Final Stages of the Water Services (No. 2) Bill were supposed to be taken nearly an hour ago yet the amendments are not available for us to examine. We are expected to come in here, at the drop of a hat, to realistically debate the issue which is totally unacceptable. I appreciate that the Bills Office may be under pressure but Senators, as public representatives, are under pressure to balance everything. It is unacceptable to suspend for another ten minutes only to come in here and be handed a photocopy of amendments, try to juggle everything around and participate in a sensible debates.

Darragh O'Brien (Fianna Fail)
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Hear, hear.

Diarmuid Wilson (Fianna Fail)
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I do not blame the Leader for the situation.

David Cullinane (Sinn Fein)
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I wish to add to the Senator's comments. I have just received a copy of the Report Stage amendments from the Bills Office. Senators had no choice but to table amendments late because the House sat late last night. The difficulty is that the Government is trying to ram through seven or eight Bills this week. It wants to guillotine the Bill and not give anybody, ranging from the staff, the Bills Office and Senators, enough time to table amendments and scrutinise legislation. The fault does not lie with the Bills Office, the Leader or Senators. For a number of weeks over the past number of months we did not sit for a number of days and no legislation came through. In the last week of the session the Government wants to ram through all of the legislation because it suits. That is not good enough. I want the Minister to convey the message that it is not fair to treat the Seanad, the staff of the Bills Office and Seanad, and Senators in this way. It is appalling.

Ivana Bacik (Independent)
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I support the comments made by Senators Cullinane, Wilson and Cummins. I ask the Minister to report back to his Cabinet colleagues that it is unacceptable to have a frenzy of legislation in the last week of the session. It has put undue pressure on the Bills Office, in particular, and on the staff of the Houses. It is not a good way to legislate. I accept, as I think we all do, that some legislation has a particular time pressure. Unless there is a clear and objective time pressure then there should be no reason to legislate in a rushed fashion. We will have time in January, as we are all aware, because there will be more space in the schedule. We will be able to give the Bills the due consideration that they deserve. I ask the Minister to convey my message.

Maurice Cummins (Fine Gael)
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In view of what the House has stated I wish to amend the Order of Business again. I propose that we adjourn Report Stage of the Water Services (No. 2) Bill 2013 at 7.30 p.m., rather than conclude it.

Ivana Bacik (Independent)
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Hear, hear.

Paddy Burke (Fine Gael)
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The Leader has made two proposals.

Maurice Cummins (Fine Gael)
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I have.

Paddy Burke (Fine Gael)
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The first proposal was to adjourn the House at 5.45 p.m. Is that correct?

Maurice Cummins (Fine Gael)
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Yes.

Paddy Burke (Fine Gael)
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Is it agreed that we suspend the House until 5.45 p.m.? Agreed.

Maurice Cummins (Fine Gael)
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My second proposal was to adjourn Report Stage of the Water Services (No. 2) 2013 at 7.30 p.m.

Paddy Burke (Fine Gael)
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Is that agreed? Agreed. Is the Leader rescinding the Order of Business that was agreed this morning?

Maurice Cummins (Fine Gael)
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I am.

Paddy Burke (Fine Gael)
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Is the proposal that we adjourn the debate, if not concluded, at 7.30 p.m.?

Maurice Cummins (Fine Gael)
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Yes.

Paddy Burke (Fine Gael)
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Is that agreed? Agreed.