The Order of Business today shall be as follows: No. 12a, Motion re Referral to Joint Committee of the Criminal Justice (Drug Trafficking) Act, 1996; No. 26 – Criminal Justice (Public Order) Bill, 2002 – Second Stage (resumed); No. 12b– Budget Statements, and the Financial Motions by the Minister for Finance [2002] shall be taken on the conclusion of Questions to Members of the Government.
It is proposed, notwithstanding anything in Standing Orders, that: (1) the Dáil shall sit later than 8.30 p.m. tonight and the motion for the General Financial Resolution shall be moved not later than 12 midnight whereupon business shall then be interrupted and the Dáil shall adjourn forthwith; (2) No. 12a shall be decided without debate; (3) following the Budget Statement of the Minister for Finance, the following arrangements shall apply in relation to the proceedings on No. 12b: (i) the statements shall be confined to the main spokespersons for the Fine Gael Party, the Labour Party and the Technical Group, who shall be called upon in that order, and shall not exceed 45 minutes in each case. The spokespersons for the Technical Group shall be confined to a spokesperson for the Green Party, Sinn Féin and the Independents and shall not exceed 15 minutes in each case; (ii) following the statements the sitting shall be suspended for 30 minutes; (4) all divisions demanded on No. 12b shall be taken manually.
Private Members' Business shall be No. 37 Motion re Community Employment Schemes (resumed) – to be taken at 12 noon and to conclude after 90 minutes.