It is proposed to take No. 6, motion re leave to introduce Supplementary Estimate [Vote 25]; No. 7, motion re referral of Supplementary Estimate [Vote 25] to select committee; and No. 36, Budget Statement and the financial motions by the Minister for Finance to be taken today at 3.45 p.m. It is proposed, notwithstanding anything in Standing Orders, that 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 be interrupted and the Dáil shall adjourn forthwith; No. 6 and, subject to the agreement of No. 6, No. 7, referral to select committee, shall be decided without debate and any divisions demanded on Nos. 6 and 7 shall be taken forthwith; following the Budget Statement of the Minister for Finance, the following arrangements shall apply in relation to the proceedings on No. 36: the statements of the main spokespersons for the Fine Gael Party, the Labour Party and Sinn Féin shall not exceed 40 minutes, and following the statements the sitting shall be suspended for 30 minutes; all divisions demanded on No. 36 shall be taken manually; the business to be transacted tomorrow shall be as follows: Leaders' Questions to be taken at 10.30 a.m., No. 36, financial motions by the Minister for Finance (resumed), on which the speech of the Taoiseach and of the leaders of the Fine Gael Party, the Labour Party, the Green Party and Sinn Féin, or a person nominated in his stead who shall be called upon in that order, shall not exceed 40 minutes in each case, following the leaders' speeches, the sitting shall be suspended for 60 minutes, and the speech of each other Member called upon, who may share time, shall not exceed 30 minutes in each case; and Social Welfare Bill 2010, Order for Second Stage and Second Stage, to be taken not later than 6.30 p.m.
Order of Business
There are five proposals to be put to the House. Is the proposal that the Dáil shall sit later than 8.30 p.m. and the motion for the General Financial Resolution shall be moved not later than 12 midnight, whereupon business shall be interrupted and the Dáil shall adjourn forthwith, agreed to?
The Sinn Féin Deputies will not agree to this Order of Business. We contend this Government has neither a moral nor a democratic right to impose a budget on the people today.
Deputy, it is inappropriate to get into this discussion on the Order of Business.
No, it is not. I am challenging the Order of Business.
I know, yes.
Very clearly, this will be a budget based on the IMF-EU sell-out deal and on a four year plan that seeks to tie the Irish people to an economic strategy which is doomed from the outset. Clearly, the situation is that the Taoiseach's Government is on a life support machine, courtesy of Deputies Healy-Rae and Lowry. When will the Taoiseach declare the detail of any agreement made with these Deputies, who are present today to save his hide and to impose——
The Deputy will be aware there are severe time constraints today.
We are here today to vote for a budget the country needs.
No, I beg the Ceann Comahirle's pardon——
The Budget Statement is at 3.45 p.m., I have five proposals to dispose of and that is why——
I object to this at the outset. As I indicated in the House last week, it is clear this Government has no right to proceed with the introduction of a budget based on an IMF-EU deal which it has not yet put before the Members of this Dáil for a vote——
All those points can be made during the budget debate——
——as required under Article 29 of the Constitution.
——and I am sure the Deputy will make them. I ask him to resume his seat.
The Government is acting unconstitutionally.
Deputy, resume your seat, please.
Will you allow me to finish?
You are out of order on the Order of Business.
Deputies
Out of order.
I am not out of order, a Cheann Comhairle. What is out of order is the Government' s action——
We have five proposals to dispose of and the Budget Statement will commence at 3.45 p.m.
——and we——
We are running into different tangents that are not relevant to the issue being discussed.
I was not aware a guillotine applies. Is a guillotine being applied to an objection to the Order of Business?
Yes.
Is that the case? Where is the guillotine?
The Chair must be conscious of time constraints. I ask the Members of the House to co-operate.
I will conclude with this point. The Government's proposals are absolutely unacceptable. I reiterate the Government has no moral or democratic right to proceed with the imposition of a budget that will lead to more poverty, unemployment and social misery across this land. The thing to do now is for the Taoiseach to go to the Park and allow the people have their chance to pass judgment.
Deputy, resume your seat.
That is the only way to proceed.
I am now putting the question: "That the proposal for dealing with No. 1 — that 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 midnight whereupon business shall then be interrupted and the Dáil shall adjourn forthwith — be agreed to."
Deputies
Vótáil.
Will the Deputies claiming a division please rise?
Deputies Pearse Doherty, Martin Ferris, Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin, Aengus Ó Snodaigh and Arthur Morgan rose.
As fewer than ten Members have risen I declare the question carried. In accordance with Standing Order 70, the names of the Deputies dissenting will be recorded in the Journal of the Proceedings of the Dáil.
Is the proposal for dealing with Nos. 6 and 7 without debate agreed to? Agreed. Is the proposal for dealing with No. 36 agreed to? Agreed. Is the proposal that all divisions demanded on No. 36 be taken manually agreed to? Agreed. Is the proposal for the business of the Dáil tomorrow agreed to?
It is not agreed to.
With regard to the business to be transacted tomorrow, I have no difficulty with No. 36 in respect of the financial motions. However, as the Taoiseach will be aware, we have been consistent in objecting to Bills being guillotined. I understand it is proposed to guillotine the Social Welfare Bill. This Bill concerns great numbers of people around the country, be they pensioners, people on various schemes or the unemployed. From that point of view, given these exceptional circumstances, it is a matter on which many Deputies will want to make a contribution. I object to it on the basis of a guillotine being proposed by the Government.
This proposal relates to the way in which the social welfare Bill will be introduced. The Government intends to move and complete two Bills this week — the social welfare Bill and the financial emergency measures in the public interest (No. 2) Bill——
We want to be able to do it before Christmas. The Deputy cannot have it both ways. He gives out——
——neither of which anybody in this House has seen. Yet the Government is proposing that the social welfare Bill will be introduced tomorrow evening. It is proposed that it will be guillotined at 4.45 p.m. on Thursday. The financial emergency measures Bill will be introduced then and that will be guillotined and completed by 1 p.m. on Friday. That is not an acceptable way to deal with what are likely to be substantial measures contained in these Bills. We do not know yet what those measures will be because the Bills have not been circulated. It is unacceptable that business would be dealt with in this way.
I object to the Order of Business regarding proposal No. 5 because first and foremost the Taoiseach is guillotining the opportunity for Members of this House to participate in the statements on the financial motions introduced by the Minister for Finance for 6.30 p.m. tomorrow evening and the introduction of the social welfare Bill at that time. The indicators again are that the guillotine will apply to the social welfare Bill on Thursday through all Stages. We then have the financial emergency measures in the public interest No. 2 Bill, which is scheduled to be forced through the House on Friday, with votes on Friday; I find it difficult to recall the last time that took place. What is the financial emergency measures in the public interest (No. 2) Bill addressing? Is that the Bill to facilitate a cut to the minimum wage?
The whole approach by the Government is to force through the maximum pain on the greatest number of our citizens over the remaining dying days of this Government. As I said earlier, it has neither a moral nor a democratic right to introduce——
Deputy, will you resume your seat or I will ask you to leave the House?
——any such measures.
Deputy Ó Caoláin has some gall to talk about——
Why will the Taoiseach not——
The Deputy is broadening the discussion, as he does all the time. Resume your seat.
We are objecting.
Regarding the matters which have been raised, these matters arise out of the budget announcement which will take place very shortly and will be dealt with this week. It is important that they are dealt with and disposed of because they are issues which will have to be brought into——
It is very important they are dealt with before the lads go home for the weekend.
It is very important that they would be dealt with one way or the other. We have a serious situation in this country that needs to be addressed. We brought forward a four year plan. We now have an agreement with the European Union and the International Monetary Fund, IMF, and we now have a budget to put through. Many are watching from outside as to the determination of this House to do what is necessary in the national interest during the course of financial resolutions to be taken this evening.
If Deputy Ó Caoláin does not mind I will take a pass on a lecture on morals from that quarter.
The Taoiseach will learn a lot more when he faces the people in January.
Tá
- Ahern, Bertie.
- Ahern, Dermot.
- Ahern, Michael.
- Ahern, Noel.
- Andrews, Barry.
- Andrews, Chris.
- Ardagh, Seán.
- Aylward, Bobby.
- Behan, Joe.
- Blaney, Niall.
- Brady, Áine.
- Brady, Cyprian.
- Brady, Johnny.
- Browne, John.
- Byrne, Thomas.
- Calleary, Dara.
- Carey, Pat.
- Collins, Niall.
- Conlon, Margaret.
- Connick, Seán.
- Coughlan, Mary.
- Cowen, Brian.
- Cregan, John.
- Cuffe, Ciarán.
- Curran, John.
- Dempsey, Noel.
- Devins, Jimmy.
- Dooley, Timmy.
- Fahey, Frank.
- Finneran, Michael.
- Fitzpatrick, Michael.
- Fleming, Seán.
- Flynn, Beverley.
- Gogarty, Paul.
- Gormley, John.
- Hanafin, Mary.
- Harney, Mary.
- Haughey, Seán.
- Healy-Rae, Jackie.
- Kelleher, Billy.
- Kelly, Peter.
- Kenneally, Brendan.
- Kennedy, Michael.
- Kitt, Michael P.
- Kitt, Tom.
- Lenihan, Conor.
- Lowry, Michael.
- McEllistrim, Thomas.
- McGrath, Mattie.
- McGrath, Michael.
- McGuinness, John.
- Mansergh, Martin.
- Martin, Micheál.
- Moloney, John.
- Moynihan, Michael.
- Mulcahy, Michael.
- Nolan, M. J.
- Ó Cuív, Éamon.
- Ó Fearghaíl, Seán.
- O’Brien, Darragh.
- O’Connor, Charlie.
- O’Dea, Willie.
- O’Donoghue, John.
- O’Flynn, Noel.
- O’Hanlon, Rory.
- O’Keeffe, Batt.
- O’Keeffe, Edward.
- O’Rourke, Mary.
- O’Sullivan, Christy.
- Power, Peter.
- Power, Seán.
- Roche, Dick.
- Sargent, Trevor.
- Scanlon, Eamon.
- Smith, Brendan.
- Treacy, Noel.
- Wallace, Mary.
- White, Mary Alexandra.
Níl
- Allen, Bernard.
- Bannon, James.
- Barrett, Seán.
- Breen, Pat.
- Broughan, Thomas P.
- Burke, Ulick.
- Burton, Joan.
- Byrne, Catherine.
- Carey, Joe.
- Clune, Deirdre.
- Connaughton, Paul.
- Coonan, Noel J.
- Costello, Joe.
- Coveney, Simon.
- Crawford, Seymour.
- Creighton, Lucinda.
- D’Arcy, Michael.
- Deasy, John.
- Deenihan, Jimmy.
- Doherty, Pearse.
- Doyle, Andrew.
- Durkan, Bernard J.
- English, Damien.
- Enright, Olwyn.
- Feighan, Frank.
- Ferris, Martin.
- Flanagan, Charles.
- Gilmore, Eamon.
- Grealish, Noel.
- Hayes, Brian.
- Hayes, Tom.
- Higgins, Michael D.
- Hogan, Phil.
- Howlin, Brendan.
- Kehoe, Paul.
- Kenny, Enda.
- Lynch, Kathleen.
- McCormack, Pádraic.
- McEntee, Shane.
- McGinley, Dinny.
- McGrath, Finian.
- McManus, Liz.
- Mitchell, Olivia.
- Morgan, Arthur.
- Naughten, Denis.
- Neville, Dan.
- Ó Caoláin, Caoimhghín.
- Ó Snodaigh, Aengus.
- O’Donnell, Kieran.
- O’Dowd, Fergus.
- O’Keeffe, Jim.
- O’Shea, Brian.
- O’Sullivan, Jan.
- O’Sullivan, Maureen.
- Penrose, Willie.
- Perry, John.
- Quinn, Ruairí.
- Rabbitte, Pat.
- Reilly, James.
- Ring, Michael.
- Shatter, Alan.
- Sheahan, Tom.
- Sheehan, P. J.
- Sherlock, Seán.
- Shortall, Róisín.
- Stagg, Emmet.
- Stanton, David.
- Timmins, Billy.
- Tuffy, Joanna.
- Upton, Mary.
- Wall, Jack.
Perhaps we could at this point suspend proceedings until the Budget Statement at 3.45 p.m. Gabh mo leithscéal, Deputy Kenny.
It is only appropriate that we should ask a number of questions on the Order of Business, as is traditional and is right and proper.
There are a number of motions to be agreed before the Budget Statement.
Do you want to put them?
If we could deal with them, it would be good. With co-operation, we could dispose of them quickly.
Are these motions you have there?
Yes, the leave to introduce the Supplementary Estimate.
May I ask a couple of questions after that on the Order of Business?
Yes, briefly.
Can I do that?
Right.
Do you want to put the motions now?