The business for today is provided for in the Dáil order of 27 June 2002, namely, Second Stage of the Twenty-Sixth Amendment of the Constitution Bill, 2002.
Business of Dáil.
On a point of order, I draw the attention of the House to motion 38 in the name of myself and all the Fine Gael Party Members. Last May the Government was re-elected on a platform of deception. The people were conned.
It is not appropriate to raise matters at this stage.
The House should sit on Friday to discuss the cutbacks which are happening left, right and centre.
Did the Deputy hear the Chair? I understand the Government has circulated a motion which will come before the House tomorrow. At that stage I will allow him to make a very brief comment.
Does the motion relate to the economy and its worsening state?
No, it is a motion related to the business before the House today.
Will that motion allow for the taking of a motion on the economy?
A Cheann Comhairle, I appreciate that you are confined – correctly – to operate within the decisions of this House. The decision of the House was that we would reconvene today. Is it possible to change the orders made at the end of June at some stage between today and tomorrow in order that other matters which were not considered then, including the massive cutbacks which were clearly planned at that time, can be debated in an orderly manner? I seek your guidance as to when—
That is not a matter for the Chair.
I am aware it is not a matter for the Chair who is very lucky he is not sitting on the Government benches.
In more ways than one.
I ask the Chair, with all due respect, when it will be in order to raise this matter. When will leaders of Opposition parties have the opportunity to raise with the Government, however deferentially, the possibility—
It is not appropriate to continue to discuss the matter now.
That is not the question.
I know it is not appropriate to discuss it now.
I will allow the Deputy to make a brief comment tomorrow when there is a motion before the House.
I know it is not appropriate now—
That is correct.
–and I am not trying to raise it now, but I am trying to ask, with due respect to order, when it will be appropriate to raise it.
That is a matter for the Whips. It is not a matter for the Chair.
It is a matter for—
It is not a matter for the Chair. Deputy Quinn is out of order.
If it is a matter for the Whips—
Deputy Quinn, I am not having a debate on it now.
If it is a matter for the—
We cannot have a debate on it now.
I do not want a debate on it now.
I will allow the Deputy to make a brief comment tomorrow morning when there is a motion before the House. It is out of order to raise the matter now.
If it is a matter for the Whips, will the Minister for Foreign Affairs indicate whether the Whips will meet now to discuss—
There is no provision for that on the Order of Business agreed for today. We have the business before us and I am calling the Minister for Foreign Affairs.
On the Order of Business—
Is it related to the business before the House today?
On a point of order, we agreed to this debate and we are glad it is taking place. That agreement, however, was merely a general one and the detail of how the debate is to be conducted was not laid out. I ask the Chair to take account of matters that have arisen since the agreement was reached, including something that happened as recently as today.
That does not arise. I have already ruled Deputies Kenny and Quinn out of order and I intend to call the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Deputy Cowen.
There was an incident at a US air base and, as a result, peace activists are languishing in a cell.
Deputy Cowen.
On a point of order—
I am not taking any more questions.
On a point of order, a Cheann Comhairle—
Deputy Kenny.
I wish to speak about the changes to tomorrow's business that have been mentioned by the Chair. Will the changes mean I will be allowed to raise the question of the motion in my name on today's Order Paper?
I will allow a brief comment on the matter from the Deputy tomorrow.
On a brief point of order—
The people are talking about cutbacks left, right and centre.
I call Deputy Stagg.
Arising from the Chair's remarks to Deputy Quinn, when he said it was a matter for the Whips, I ask the Government to indicate when the Whips will discuss the matter.
There is no provision for indicating anything at this stage. The only business before the House is the Second Stage of the Twenty-Sixth Amendment of the Constitution Bill, 2002.
Perhaps the Minister for Foreign Affairs will indicate when the Whips will meet.