Vol. 662 No. 1
I move:
That the sitting shall be suspended until 7.30 p.m. and that Private Members' business, which shall be No. 50, motion re energy poverty, shall take place tomorrow at 5.30 p.m. and be brought to a conclusion after three hours, if not previously concluded.
I do not object to what the Chief Whip is proposing but I express concern over what is happening. When we met earlier today, we were given an initial timetable for the day's proceedings, which involved Question Time at 2.30 p.m. and Leaders' Questions at 3.30 p.m. We were given to understand that the Bill from the Minister for Finance to underpin the guarantee he is giving to the banks would be available to us at approximately 4 p.m. We were told then it would be available at 5.45 p.m. and that it was intended to postpone our sitting until approximately 7 p.m. We have not yet had sight of the Bill, nor have we been presented with the heads or an explanatory memorandum.
I appreciate and accept that the decision was made last night and that staff working on the legislation are working to a tight timeframe. It is a very major decision and the consequences and sums of money involved are huge. We therefore need time to consider it but we have not yet seen the Bill. My colleague, Deputy Joan Burton, has colleagues and advisers on stand-by to examine the Bill when we receive it such that we can consider it before its being debated in the House.
Will the Chief Whip state when it is expected that the Bill will be published and available to us? In the event that the Bill is not published by 6.30 p.m., the latest publication time I was given, which only gives us an hour to consider it, what are the Chief Whip's intentions with regard to sitting arrangements thereafter?
I concur with the leader of the Labour Party, Deputy Eamon Gilmore. It has been promised on many occasions today that the Bill would come before the House, yet we have not seen a White Paper, the heads or an explanatory memorandum. It is probably one of the most important Bills we will consider in the House this session and which we have considered in recent years. The Opposition has been very accommodating all day, namely, during Question Time with the Minister for Health and Children at 2.30 p.m. and Leaders' Questions at 3.30 p.m. We were promised we would be given some explanation at 4 p.m. and 4.45 p.m., and then at 5.45 p.m. It is now 6.05 p.m. but we still have no word of what is happening.
I have heard the Bill might have to go through the Houses by midnight tonight. It makes no sense if this important legislation has to go through the Dáil and Seanad before midnight without any of the major Opposition spokespersons having had a chance to examine it properly. This is not how the House should be run. The Government knew about this from late last night or early this morning. It has had every opportunity to have this important legislation prepared to come before the House. I do not accept any excuse whatsoever. The way the House is being run today is shambolic. The Government is going around in a tailspin wondering what is happening.
At some point this evening we are likely to be presented with what I believe will probably be one of the most significant Bills ever presented in this Dáil or any previous Dáil. The matters to be addressed by the legislation yet to present are of the gravest concern to all citizens. This morning, the Minister for Finance made the claim on "Morning Ireland" that briefings had taken place with all the Opposition parties, but again, not for the first time, there has been no briefing of the Sinn Féin Members in this House. Despite repeated contact throughout the day, we have still received no briefing.
I say to the Chief Whip that this is an absolute disgrace. It is imperative that every Deputy is fully apprised of the import, outworking and intended impact of the legislation to be presented to this House. It is of huge importance and, as I said, is likely to be one of the most significant pieces of legislation to be presented to the Dáil in its history. We have a situation where not only do we not have sight of the legislation concerned or the detail in any shape or form, but the Minister's claims on the national airwaves of having briefed all the Opposition voices are not true. This is a huge deficiency.
I have heard colleagues from other parties speak about the impossible position they find themselves in, but it is an even more impossible position we find ourselves in. We take our responsibilities seriously and we must address this matter in the serious way that it deserves and calls for. We cannot do this in a total vacuum of information, where insult is heaped upon insult without even the return of calls placed throughout this day. This is not the way to do business. It is not the way to carry on a relationship with Opposition voices when we collectively, Government and Opposition, have a serious financial crisis to address. We all have a role and a responsibility in addressing same.
I ask the Chief Whip to convey my grave annoyance at this failure to communicate and the false claim of the Minister that there has been a briefing with all the Opposition parties, which is clearly not the case. We have much to say and many questions to ask, but we are prepared to address this matter constructively and responsibly in the face of the crisis that currently presents. I ask the Government to ensure that the necessary information is shared with all voices in this House and that the legislation is presented in adequate time to address it over whatever number of hours ahead. Is it indeed the case that there is a deadline to conclude this business by midnight? Will the Minister of State please advise the House and give us clarity on that point at least?
The Government appreciates fully the co-operation we have been receiving from all the parties in the House. I have been engaged in discussions, both formal and informal, with the Whips of the various parties for the past number of hours. We are extremely anxious that this very complex legislation be brought to the House as soon as it is ready. I give a commitment that this will happen. I am making no attempt to railroad the legislation through. Unless there is a legal imperative that cannot be overcome, it is the wish of the Government to devote as much time as is necessary to having the Bill debated in full. I give that firm commitment to everybody in the House.
As soon as the legislation is available, it will be given to the Opposition spokespersons and the Whips. It is in this context that I ask that the House adjourn until 7.30 p.m. so that we can expedite matters as best we can, fully recognising the complexity of the situation and the complexity and importance of the legislation.
I will convey Deputy Ó Caoláin's request to the relevant officials who have been briefing other parties.
