The Order of Business today shall be as follows: No. 8, the Appropriation Bill, 2000, Order for Second Stage and Second and Subsequent Stages; No. 45, Financial Motions by the Minister for Finance, 2000 – motion 4, resumed; No. 46, the National Stud (Amendment) Bill, 2000, Order for Report and Report and Final Stages; No. 46a, the National Training Fund Bill, 2000, Order for Report and Report and Final Stages; No. 2 Insurance Bill, 1999, Amendments from the Seanad and No. 47, Statements on the outcome of the European Council, Nice to be taken not later than immediately following the announcement of matters on the Adjournment under Standing Order 21 and the order shall resume thereafter.
It is proposed, notwithstanding anything in Standing Orders, that: (1) the Dáil shall sit later than 8.30 p.m. tonight and business shall be interrupted not later than 10 p.m.; (2) the Second and Subsequent Stages of No. 8 shall be taken today and shall be decided without debate by one question which shall be put from the Chair, which shall, in relation to amendments, include only those set down or accepted by the Minister for Finance; (3) notwithstanding the order of the Dáil of Thursday, 7 December 2000, the following arrangements shall apply in relation to No. 45 today; the speech of the Taoiseach and of the Leader of the Fine Gael Party and the Labour Party, who shall be called upon in that order, shall not exceed 30 minutes in each case, and the arrangements established by the order of the Dáil of Thursday, 7 December 2000, shall resume thereafter and the proceedings shall be adjourned after 90 minutes; (4) the Report and Final Stages of No. 46 shall be taken today and the proceedings thereon, if not previously concluded, shall be brought to a conclusion after 30 minutes by one question which shall be put from the Chair and which shall, in relation to amendments, include only those set down or accepted by the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Rural Development; (5) the Report and Final Stages of No. 46a shall be taken today and the proceedings thereon, if not previously concluded, shall be brought to a conclusion at 7 p.m. by one question which shall be put from the Chair and which shall, in relation to amendments, include only those set down or accepted by the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment; (6) the proceedings on No. 2, if not previously concluded, shall be brought to a conclusion at 10 p.m. and any amendments from the Seanad not disposed of shall be decided by one question which shall be put from the Chair; (7) the proceedings on No. 47, if not previously concluded, shall be brought to a conclusion after 70 minutes and statements shall be confined to the following Members, who shall be called upon in the following sequence, and the following arrangements shall apply; (i) the statements of the Taoiseach and of the main spokespersons for the Fine Gael Party and the Labour Party, shall not exceed 20 minutes in each case and (ii) a Minister or Minister of State shall be called upon to make a statement in reply which shall not exceed ten minutes. Private Members' business shall be No. 112 – motion re BSE (resumed) to conclude at 8.30 p.m. tonight.