Vol. 193 No. 5
I move:
That pursuant to subsection 2° of section 2 of Article 25 of the Constitution, Seanad Éireann concurs with the Government in a request to the President to sign the Anglo Irish Bank Corporation Bill 2009 on a date which is earlier than the fifth day after the date on which the Bill shall have been presented to her.
Is the motion agreed?
No.
I ask Members to resume their seats. The question is "That the motion be agreed to" and on that question a division has been challenged.
We called a division on the actual Bill itself on numerous occasions. It came from both sides.
Tellers: Tá, Senator Diarmuid Wilson and Senator Camillus Glynn; Níl, Senator Maurice Cummins and Senator Paschal Donohoe.
It is bad enough to be stifling debate in this House rather than displaying this type of an attitude, too, a Chathaorligh.
The time allowed for voting is one minute and the time starts now.
This is absolutely undemocratic.
It is not.
I heard Senator Norris clearly call for a vote. It will take a number of minutes to have a vote on this Bill. All of us on this side of the House want to vote on this Bill, and a vote was called — we can check the transcripts.
No vote was called. I did not hear it.
On a point of order, I suggest we adjourn the House and that a recording is listened to.
There is no point of order. The question has been put.
The record will clearly show that several Members called for a vote. If we adjourn the House——
There is no point of order.
——for ten minutes, this can probably be clarified.
I would like a manual vote.
We want a walk through vote.
The vote will now proceed.
When is it proposed to sit again?
I would like to raise what I believe is a point of order.
At 2.30 p.m. on Tuesday, 27 January 2009.
The House——
I would like to raise what I believe is a point of order.
What is the point of order? I cannot hear the Senator.
That is precisely the problem.
What is the point of order?
The point of order is this - I say it with no disrespect and no intention to comment adversely upon your performance as Cathaoirleach - it seems that the responsibilities of the Chair include ensuring that the debate is audible and that comments are heard. The minute this row started I very clearly started shouting "Vótáil, vótáil, vótáil". I have been heard at the back of a 3,000 seater auditorium and I cannot understand——
So did I.
I also did the same.
I am quite clear in my mind as Cathaoirleach, and I want to be fair to everyone, that I did not hear anyone call "vótáil"——
I accept that.
——-when I went through that particular section at the end, but when I called the early signature motion, I heard a number of people call "vótáil" on that.
I quite understand that you might have had difficulty hearing it because there was a hubbub and discussion and ruaille buaille going on, but in those circumstances, the House should have been adjourned so that people like myself who very clearly called for a vote on this important Bill could be heard. All my colleagues over here have supported me. They all heard me shouting it.
Hear, hear.
I have made my decision on that. The business is completed and the House stands adjourned until 2.30 p.m. next Tuesday.
