Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 1 Dec 2011

Vol. 748 No. 3

Order of Business

The Tánaiste

It is proposed to take No. a11c, motion re sittings and business of the Dáil; No. 11c, motion re leave to introduce Supplementary Estimates [Votes 19, 20 and 22]; No. 11d, motion re referral of Supplementary Estimates [Votes 19, 20 and 22] to select committee; No. 12, motion re proposed approval by Dáil Éireann of the terms of the draft scheme entitled Credit Institutions (Eligible Liabilities Guarantee) (Amendment) Scheme 2011; and No. 5, Health Insurance (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2011 — Second Stage (resumed) and Subsequent Stages.

It is proposed, notwithstanding anything in Standing Orders, that the Dáil shall sit later than 5.45 p.m. tonight and shall adjourn on the conclusion of Oral Questions and the Topical Issue Debate shall be considered on the conclusion of No. 5 or at 3.42 p.m. whichever is the later, and Oral Questions shall take place on the conclusion of the Topical Issue Debate; Nos. a11c, 11c and, subject to the agreement of No. 11c, No. 11d, referral to select committee, shall be decided without debate and any divisions demanded on Nos. 11c and 11d shall be taken forthwith; the proceedings in relation to No. 12 shall, if not previously concluded, be brought to a conclusion after 65 minutes and the following arrangements shall apply: the speeches shall be made by a Minister or Minister of State and by the main spokespersons for Fianna Fáil, Sinn Féin and the Technical Group, who shall be called upon in that order and who may share their time, and shall not exceed 15 minutes in each case, and a Minister or Minister of State shall be called upon to make a speech in reply which shall not exceed five minutes; the resumed Second Stage and Subsequent Stages of No. 5 shall be taken today and the following arrangements shall apply: the proceedings on the Second Stage shall, if not previously concluded, be brought to a conclusion at 2.10 p.m., and the proceedings on the Committee and Remaining Stages shall commence immediately upon the conclusion of Second Stage and shall, if not previously concluded, be brought to a conclusion at 3.42 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 Minister for Health; in relation to the Thirty-First Amendment of the Constitution (Presidency) Bill 2011, the Second Stage of which shall be considered tomorrow, the following arrangements shall apply: the opening speech of the main spokespersons for the Technical Group, Fianna Fáil, Sinn Féin and of a Minister or Minister of State, who shall be called upon in that order, shall not exceed 15 minutes in each case, the speech of each other Member called upon shall not exceed 15 minutes in each case, Members may share time, a Minister or Minister of State, who may speak twice, shall be called upon not later than 1 p.m. to make a speech which shall not exceed 15 minutes, and the main spokesperson for the Technical Group shall be called upon to make a speech in reply which shall not exceed 15 minutes; and the Dáil shall sit on Monday, 5 December, 2011 at 2.30p.m. and shall adjourn at 4.30 p.m. and the following arrangements shall apply: statements on expenditure shall be taken and the statements of a Minister and of the main spokespersons for Fianna Fáil, Sinn Féin and the Technical Group, who shall be called upon in that order and who may share their time, shall not exceed 30 minutes in each case.

Deputy Billy Kelleher

Talk about window-dressing a budget.

Deputy Mattie McGrath

Only two hours for Monday's budget statement.

Deputy Finian McGrath

Will Labour Party Members be voting for the bank guarantee later on?

An Ceann Comhairle

Is the proposal that the Dáil shall sit later than 5.45 p.m. tonight agreed to? Agreed.

Is the proposal for dealing with Nos. a11c, 11c and 11d agreed to?

Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív

No, it is not. I understand there will be no oral parliamentary questions next Tuesday and Wednesday. There was always the tradition that parliamentary questions went ahead on budget day, as did Taoiseach's Question Time. I also note Topical Issue Matters will not be taken next Wednesday.

Deputy Mattie McGrath

They are never taken anyway.

Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív

I accept on the Tuesday of the budget it was a tradition not to have Adjournment matters. While I am opposed to this proposal I am not going to press it to a vote. Votes on the Order of Business have become the Government's ruse to limit the time and ensure we cannot ask questions of the Government.

Deputy Alex White

Who calls all the votes?

Question, "That the proposal for dealing with Nos.a11c, 11c and 11d without debate, be agreed to”, put and declared carried.

An Ceann Comhairle

Is the proposal for dealing with No. 12 agreed to?

Deputy James Bannon

I see Deputy Mary Lou McDonald getting ready to jump up.

Deputy Mary Lou McDonald

No, it is not agreed. I oppose the guillotining of the debate on extending the bank guarantee and request more time is devoted to it. I have no doubt the Tánaiste's colleagues in the Labour Party, particularly the newer Members, will need a lot of time to explain their support for this extension.

Deputy Colm Keaveney

Like Sinn Féin did.

Deputy Emmet Stagg

Deputy McDonald should check the record as to how Sinn Féin voted on it before.

(Interruptions).

An Ceann Comhairle

Will Deputy McDonald proceed?

(Interruptions).

Deputy Mary Lou McDonald

Given their very vocal commentary on the guarantee over the past three years, it is not acceptable to Sinn Féin to allocate such a short time to such a crucial debate on such a central matter which has been historically of concern to the Labour Party. More time should be extended.

Deputy Michael McCarthy

Bring it on.

Deputy Emmet Stagg

Deputy Doherty was delighted with the bank guarantee the first time around.

Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin

Not a chance.

Deputy Aodhán Ó Ríordáin

Another U-turn from Sinn Féin.

(Interruptions).

An Ceann Comhairle

I call Deputy Higgins.

(Interruptions).

An Ceann Comhairle

I call Deputy Higgins.

Deputy Joe Higgins

The disastrous decisions on the banking system made by successive Governments and the majority in the Dáil have been the source of much of the crisis we are experiencing and the suffering of our people to bail out speculators and gamblers. At the very least we deserve a full and thorough opportunity to go through the experience of the past three years and not least for Labour Party backbenchers to explain their U-turn in this regard. They need to explain why instead of standing by the citizens and the working people, they are standing by the speculators.

Deputy Robert Dowds

Will Deputy Higgins please explain an alternative route?

Deputy Joe Higgins

We on this side of the House are opposed to guillotines, which the Tánaiste used to oppose when those Fianna Fáil Members in front of me made similar proposals when in Government. If the Tánaiste is consistent with his days in opposition, he will give more time to this debate.

Deputy Joe Costello

Many over there voted for it.

Deputy Joe Carey

Give us the figures, Deputy Higgins.

Deputy Jerry Buttimer

Was Deputy Higgins on Vincent Browne's television show last night?

Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív

I agree with my colleagues there should be more time to debate the serious issue of the extension of the bank guarantee. While Fianna Fáil agrees with the Government's position, it is totally at odds with the Labour Party's previous position.

Deputy Mattie McGrath

Like so much else.

Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív

The Tánaiste's Labour Party colleagues should be given the opportunity to explain how they have come around to believing this is the right policy.

It is also important—

Deputy Arthur Spring

Deputy Ó Cuív should stop digging a hole for himself.

Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív

——the Government explains what it is doing with burden-sharing or as its members used to call it "burning the bondholders".

An Ceann Comhairle

That is a separate issue.

Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív

Will the Government explain why it is not burning the unsecured bondholders as promised so often when in opposition?

Deputy Mattie McGrath

They have no matches.

An Ceann Comhairle

That is a totally separate issue.

Deputy Billy Kelleher

The time for the debate should be extended and the Tánaiste's colleagues can explain their position now.

Deputy Timmy Dooley

Give them ten minutes each to give us a laugh.

The Tánaiste

I understood the timing for this debate had been agreed by the Whips.

Deputy Pearse Doherty

Sinn Féin did not agree to the time allocated for this debate. On a point of order, a Cheann Comhairle, that is an inaccurate statement from the Tánaiste. Sinn Féin opposed this allocation of time.

(Interruptions).

An Ceann Comhairle

Members talk about wasting time. This is a total waste of time shouting at each other.

Deputy Sandra McLellan

Yes, it is technically.

An Ceann Comhairle

Will Deputies allow the Tánaiste to respond?

The Tánaiste

I also remind the Deputies of both parties opposite that when the original blanket—

Deputy Mattie McGrath

What about us? We are here too.

An Ceann Comhairle

Will the Deputy get back in his box please?

Deputy Jerry Buttimer

He voted for it.

Deputy Bernard J. Durkan

His political hormones are at him.

The Tánaiste

Deputy McGrath voted for it as well.

Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin

Look at who is on the blanket now.

The Tánaiste

When both Fianna Fáil and Sinn Féin supported the blanket bank guarantee, the amount—

Deputy Billy Kelleher

Now the Labour Party is supporting it.

Deputy Pearse Doherty

On a point of order, the Tánaiste is deliberately misleading the House. The Minister for Finance put on the record of the Dáil that the guarantee came into effect on 17 October 2008 in reply to—

An Ceann Comhairle

Sit down.

Deputy Pearse Doherty

——Parliamentary Question No. 150 of 8 November 2011. He said that is when the CIFS came into effect.

An Ceann Comhairle

Would the Deputy mind resuming his seat?

Deputy Pearse Doherty

It is the Minister for Finance's own comment and the Tánaiste knows well that Sinn Féin and the Labour Party voted on 17 October 2008 against that scheme.

An Ceann Comhairle

Will the Deputy resume the seat?

Deputy Pearse Doherty

He is deliberately misleading the Dáil in trying to give cover to his own Members who will walk through the lobbies and vote for an extension of the blanket guarantee, which is a blank cheque for the banks, including the former Anglo Irish Bank.

An Ceann Comhairle

The Deputy should resume his seat.

Deputy Pearse Doherty

Those are the facts. The Tánaiste should deal with them.

Deputy Michael McCarthy

Sinn Féin got caught.

Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin

Look at the Deputies opposite. They are guilty.

An Ceann Comhairle

I remind Deputies, irrespective of who is in the Chair, that there is a long-standing tradition that when the Chair stands, the Member in possession resumes his or her seat. I ask Deputy Doherty to obey that rule, otherwise there will be chaos in Parliament.

Deputy Billy Kelleher

There is chaos in government.

An Ceann Comhairle

Deputies either respect the Chair or they do not. In future, if they do not, they will take a walk no matter who they are.

Deputy Mattie McGrath

To the park.

An Ceann Comhairle

I am serious about this. We better restore some respect to this Chamber.

The Tánaiste

Deputy Doherty is tortured by the memory of the enthusiastic welcome he gave for the blanket bank guarantee when it was introduced.

Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin

Not at all.

Deputy Dessie Ellis

Look at what the Tánaiste and the Minister for Education and Skills signed up for.

Deputy Peadar Tóibín

The lot of them are fact free Frankfurters.

The Tánaiste

He has been searching around the Dáil record ever since to see if he can wish away his own words, which are imprinted in black and white.

Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin

He was not in the Chamber.

Deputy Pearse Doherty

Is the Government going to wish away the blank cheques because the Labour Party does not do blank cheques?

The Tánaiste

He is coming in here with transcripts of the Dáil record underlined in green to do anything.

Deputy Mattie McGrath

Labour's way or Frankfurt's way.

The Tánaiste

I remind Deputy Doherty that what he voted for was a guarantee of €400 billion. As a result of the Government's management of this issue, it is now down to about a quarter of that—

Deputy Timmy Dooley

The Tánaiste should be careful because he will be doing the same later.

Deputy Peadar Tóibín

Listen to the facts.

The Tánaiste

——and I cannot see why he is opposing an extension of a guarantee for the ordinary saver and deposit holder in our banking system.

Deputy Pearse Doherty

This is beautiful policy using the same reason the Labour Party voted against the guarantee.

Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin

Look at the guilty faces.

Deputy Pearse Doherty

They are absolutely shameful. This is the most expensive U-turn in the history of the Dáil.

Question put: "That the proposal for the dealing with No. 12 be agreed to."

The Dáil divided: Tá, 85; Níl, 42.

Tá

• Bannon, James.
• Barry, Tom.
• Burton, Joan.
• Butler, Ray.
• Buttimer, Jerry.
• Byrne, Catherine.
• Byrne, Eric.
• Carey, Joe.
• Coffey, Paudie.
• Collins, Áine.
• Conaghan, Michael.
• Conlan, Seán.
• Connaughton, Paul J.
• Conway, Ciara.
• Coonan, Noel.
• Corcoran Kennedy, Marcella.
• Costello, Joe.
• Coveney, Simon.
• Creed, Michael.
• Daly, Jim.
• Deenihan, Jimmy.
• Deering, Pat.
• Doherty, Regina.
• Donohoe, Paschal.
• Dowds, Robert.
• Doyle, Andrew.
• Durkan, Bernard J.
• English, Damien.
• Farrell, Alan.
• Feighan, Frank.
• Ferris, Anne.
• Fitzgerald, Frances.
• Fitzpatrick, Peter.
• Flanagan, Terence.
• Gilmore, Eamon.
• Griffin, Brendan.
• Hannigan, Dominic.
• Harrington, Noel.
• Harris, Simon.
• Hayes, Tom.
• Heydon, Martin.
• Hogan, Phil.
• Howlin, Brendan.
• Humphreys, Heather.
• Keating, Derek.
• Keaveney, Colm.
• Kehoe, Paul.
• Kelly, Alan.
• Kenny, Seán.
• Kyne, Seán.
• Lawlor, Anthony.
• Lyons, John.
• McCarthy, Michael.
• McEntee, Shane.
• McFadden, Nicky.
• McHugh, Joe.
• McLoughlin, Tony.
• Maloney, Eamonn.
• Mathews, Peter.
• Mitchell O’Connor, Mary.
• Murphy, Dara.
• Murphy, Eoghan.
• Naughten, Denis.
• Neville, Dan.
• Nolan, Derek.
• Noonan, Michael.
• Nulty, Patrick.
• Ó Ríordáin, Aodhán.
• O’Donovan, Patrick.
• O’Reilly, Joe.
• Perry, John.
• Phelan, Ann.
• Phelan, John Paul.
• Quinn, Ruairí.
• Reilly, James.
• Ring, Michael.
• Shatter, Alan.
• Sherlock, Sean.
• Spring, Arthur.
• Stagg, Emmet.
• Stanton, David.
• Tuffy, Joanna.
• Wall, Jack.
• Walsh, Brian.
• White, Alex.

Níl

• Adams, Gerry.
• Broughan, Thomas P.
• Browne, John.
• Calleary, Dara.
• Collins, Joan.
• Collins, Niall.
• Colreavy, Michael.
• Cowen, Barry.
• Crowe, Seán.
• Doherty, Pearse.
• Dooley, Timmy.
• Ellis, Dessie.
• Ferris, Martin.
• Fleming, Tom.
• Grealish, Noel.
• Halligan, John.
• Healy, Seamus.
• Higgins, Joe.
• Kelleher, Billy.
• Kirk, Seamus.
• Kitt, Michael P.
• Mac Lochlainn, Pádraig.
• McConalogue, Charlie.
• McDonald, Mary Lou.
• McGrath, Finian.
• McGrath, Mattie.
• McGrath, Michael.
• McLellan, Sandra.
• Murphy, Catherine.
• Ó Caoláin, Caoimhghín.
• Ó Cuív, Éamon.
• Ó Fearghaíl, Seán.
• Ó Snodaigh, Aengus.
• O’Brien, Jonathan.
• O’Dea, Willie.
• O’Sullivan, Maureen.
• Pringle, Thomas.
• Ross, Shane.
• Stanley, Brian.
• Tóibín, Peadar.
• Troy, Robert.
• Wallace, Mick.

Tellers: Tá, Deputies Emmet Stagg and Paul Kehoe; Níl, Deputies Aengus Ó Snodaigh and Seán Ó Fearghaíl.

Question declared carried.

An Ceann Comhairle

Is the proposal for dealing with No. 5, Health Insurance (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2011 — Second and Subsequent Stages, agreed?

Deputy Billy Kelleher

On the basis of the previous vote, Deputy Broughan appears to be with us on this side of the House. Well done to the Deputy.

Deputy Timmy Dooley

Well done, Deputy Broughan.

Deputy Billy Kelleher

Another man overboard.

An Ceann Comhairle

Deputies should show some respect for the Chair. Is the proposal for dealing with No. 5 agreed?

Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh

No. I am opposed to this Bill being guillotined. I have a slight difficulty in that the meetings of the Whips are quite informal in nature and minutes are not taken in respect of what is discussed, opposed or agreed. On a number of recent occasions, my opposition to the schedule presented at such meetings has been misrepresented in the House. Earlier, the Tánaiste misrepresented me again.

Deputy Finian McGrath

Outrageous.

Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh

At the meeting of the Whips I objected to the previous proposal and to the time allocated in respect of it. I also objected to the guillotine being imposed in respect of the Health Insurance (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2011.

Deputy Billy Kelleher

We will be obliged to invite Boutros Boutros Ghali to attend future meetings of the Whips.

Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh

I do not want a situation to arise whereby meetings of the Whips would have to be held on a formal basis, thus obliging me to put my opposition to items on the schedule in writing. However, if people want to go down that road, I have no difficulty doing so. I presume the other Whips would have no such difficulty either. I do not like to be misrepresented and my party's opposition to some of matters relating to the Order of Business has been misrepresented in the House.

Deputy Catherine Murphy

I also wish to place on record that my opposition to what was agreed should also have been reported.

An Ceann Comhairle

Under Standing Order 26, it is the prerogative of the Government to announce the business to be taken on any particular day. The proposals relating to the taking of business—

Deputy Mattie McGrath

The Government cannot make it up as it goes along.

An Ceann Comhairle

——must be put individually. That is why I am obliged to put each proposal to the House.

Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh

I am not objecting to the business that has been listed. However, I am objecting to being informed that I did not voice my opposition to it at the meeting of the Whips in respect of the time allocations involved.

An Ceann Comhairle

I apologise to the Deputy. However, that is not really a matter for the Chair.

Deputy Billy Kelleher

The House is being misled.

Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh

I did not say it was a matter for the Chair. I was merely objecting, as is my prerogative, to the guillotine being imposed in respect of the Health Insurance (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2011.

An Ceann Comhairle

Is the proposal agreed?

Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh

No.

The Tánaiste

I accept what Deputies Ó Snodaigh and Catherine Murphy have said. If they state that they objected to these proposals at the meeting of the Whips, then I fully accept that.

Deputy Timmy Dooley

The Minister of State and Chief Whip, Deputy Kehoe, is being hung out to dry. He will have to resign.

Deputy Billy Kelleher

The Chief Whip is responsible for the House being misled.

Deputy Timmy Dooley

Can the Chief Whip feel all the daggers in his back? Those around him smell blood.

Question, "That the proposal for dealing with No. 5, Second and Subsequent Stages of the Health Insurance (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2001, be agreed to", put and declared carried.

An Ceann Comhairle

Is the proposal for dealing with the Thirty-First Amendment of the Constitution (Presidency) Bill 2011 tomorrow agreed to? Agreed. Is the proposal for sitting on Monday, 5 December, agreed to?

Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív

The fact that we are coming in here on Monday is totally unprecedented. There will be a speech from the Minister, the Opposition will get 30 minutes to debate the savage cuts that the Government will introduce—

(Interruptions).

Deputy Billy Kelleher

The savage cuts they all opposed last year.

Deputy Timmy Dooley

At least we gave them time to criticise it. They are stifling debate.

An Ceann Comhairle

We cannot get into detail. Would Deputy Ó Cuív make his point as to why the time arrangements are not acceptable?

Deputy Ruairí Quinn

Fianna Fáil going back to its roots.

Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív

——and then the Dáil will shut down. I cannot see why we cannot sit longer on Monday—

Deputy Alan Shatter

It opens again on Tuesday.

(Interruptions).

Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív

——and what the purpose—

Deputy Billy Kelleher

How many bankers has the Minister, Deputy Shatter, locked up this week?

(Interruptions).

An Ceann Comhairle

Please, Deputies. Deputy Kelleher, your deputy leader is speaking.

Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív

——of the Monday sitting is if it is not a full sitting of the House.

Deputy Mary Lou McDonald

I also object to these arrangements. Two hours is completely inadequate to debate in any serious way the statement that the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform will make to the House on Monday.

Deputy Alan Shatter

Deputy McDonald will have the rest of the week.

Deputy Emmet Stagg

An extra day.

Deputy Mary Lou McDonald

It also begs the question as to whether, when the Minister for Finance, Deputy Noonan, gets to his feet on Tuesday, there will be a similar arrangement. It strikes me that this is a manoeuvre to shut down debate on the budgetary proposals. Far from being—

(Interruptions).

Deputy Brendan Howlin

We offered them 12.30 p.m. to 4.30 p.m.

Deputy Timmy Dooley

Stifling debate.

Deputy Mary Lou McDonald

The debate happens here, as the Minister, Deputy Howlin, well knows. It strikes me that far from being a Government committed to transparency and offering up the full facts, it is pulling a sly one to try to break up the budget and shut the debate down in this House. That is a disgraceful manoeuvre on the Government's part.

Deputy Joe Higgins

On Monday, the Minister for public expenditure cuts, Deputy Howlin, cast in his favourite role as the grim reaper of public expenditure—

Deputy Alan Shatter

Deputy Higgins should keep that stuff for Mr. Vincent Browne. Even he was not impressed last night. Even Mr. Browne did not believe Deputy Higgins last night.

A Deputy

Deputy Higgins is a grim weeper.

Deputy Joe Higgins

——public sector jobs, etc., will come into the Dáil and lay out, in effect—

A Deputy

Deputy Higgins's voodoo figures.

Deputy Joe Higgins

——a programme of savage cuts, including the loss of 25,000 jobs in the public sector, which, as the House will be aware, is already under serious pressure in many services such as health, a cut of €750 million in capital expenditure which can cost up to 10,000 jobs and so on.

The Minister will have half an hour to roll out his list, which is easily done. However, responding to the devastation that this will cause, laying out the consequences of these cuts and the alternatives, which we have and which we continue to put to the austerity policy, takes far more time.

Deputy Michael Noonan

Especially for windbags.

Deputy Joe Higgins

The 30 minute statements are utterly inadequate.

Deputy Alan Shatter

Deputy Higgins could not produce an alternative that made sense last night.

Deputy Joe Higgins

In addition, at least some Labour Party backbenchers are in an acute state of mental angst over these cuts.

Deputies

Talk to Joe.

(Interruptions).

An Ceann Comhairle

We are not getting into the relevance of things.

A Deputy

It is more electoral angst.

An Ceann Comhairle

Deputy Higgins is entitled to outline his reasons for not agreeing.

Deputy Joe Higgins

Rather than sending them off to the elf counselling services, also known as Deputy Stagg, the Chief Whip—

(Interruptions).

Deputy Joe Higgins

——it would be much better to let them express their reservations and objections—

A Deputy

With Mr. Joe Duffy.

Deputy Joe Higgins

——to the devastation caused by their Minister and the Government. Then they can tell us that they will vote against them as well and that would be a great deal off their chest. We need far more time on Monday to spell out the implications of what the Government is proposing and to put our alternative.

The Tánaiste

What we are doing next week is new.

A Deputy

It sure is.

The Tánaiste

It is.

Deputy Billy Kelleher

It is a stunt as well.

An Ceann Comhairle

Can we hear the reply?

The Tánaiste

We will have the Estimates announced in the House. All year, the Opposition has been complaining about announcements being made outside the House.

Deputy Mary Lou McDonald

The Government will hardly announce the budget outside the House.

The Tánaiste

This announcement will be made in the House and there will be an opportunity for each of the parties or groups in opposition to respond to the Minister's announcement. Each party, individually, will have the same length of time as the Minister has for making the announcement.

Deputy Barry Cowen

There are many more elected Members.

The Tánaiste

I remind Deputy Ó Cuív that what happened in the lifetime of the Government of which he was a member was that the Budget Statement was announced in the House and meanwhile individual Ministers went out and held press conferences about the various cuts in expenditure, etc.—

Deputy Bernard J. Durkan

Hear, hear.

Deputy Barry Cowen

While the backbenchers spoke here.

The Tánaiste

——and it all was done outside the House. This is being done—

(Interruptions).

The Tánaiste

——in the House.

Deputy Timmy Dooley

The Government is maxed out on press conferences.

The Tánaiste

Plenty of time is being given for responses from the Opposition parties and plenty of time next week—

Deputy Billy Kelleher

They have been flying kites for the past two months.

The Tánaiste

——as we have already agreed arrangements which clear questions and other matters. This will maximise the amount of time next week for debate on the budget in its totality.

Question put: "That the proposal for the sitting on Monday, 5 December, be agreed to."

The Dáil divided: Tá, 82; Níl, 39.

Tá

• Bannon, James.
• Barry, Tom.
• Broughan, Thomas P.
• Burton, Joan.
• Butler, Ray.
• Byrne, Catherine.
• Byrne, Eric.
• Carey, Joe.
• Coffey, Paudie.
• Collins, Áine.
• Conaghan, Michael.
• Conlan, Seán.
• Connaughton, Paul J.
• Conway, Ciara.
• Coonan, Noel.
• Corcoran Kennedy, Marcella.
• Costello, Joe.
• Coveney, Simon.
• Creed, Michael.
• Daly, Jim.
• Deenihan, Jimmy.
• Deering, Pat.
• Doherty, Regina.
• Donohoe, Paschal.
• Dowds, Robert.
• Doyle, Andrew.
• Durkan, Bernard J.
• English, Damien.
• Farrell, Alan.
• Feighan, Frank.
• Ferris, Anne.
• Fitzpatrick, Peter.
• Flanagan, Terence.
• Gilmore, Eamon.
• Griffin, Brendan.
• Hannigan, Dominic.
• Harrington, Noel.
• Harris, Simon.
• Hayes, Tom.
• Heydon, Martin.
• Hogan, Phil.
• Howlin, Brendan.
• Humphreys, Heather.
• Keating, Derek.
• Keaveney, Colm.
• Kehoe, Paul.
• Kelly, Alan.
• Kenny, Seán.
• Kyne, Seán.
• Lawlor, Anthony.
• Lynch, Ciarán.
• Lyons, John.
• McCarthy, Michael.
• McEntee, Shane.
• McFadden, Nicky.
• McHugh, Joe.
• McLoughlin, Tony.
• Maloney, Eamonn.
• Mathews, Peter.
• Mitchell O’Connor, Mary.
• Murphy, Dara.
• Murphy, Eoghan.
• Naughten, Denis.
• Neville, Dan.
• Nolan, Derek.
• Noonan, Michael.
• Nulty, Patrick.
• Ó Ríordáin, Aodhán.
• O’Donovan, Patrick.
• O’Reilly, Joe.
• Phelan, Ann.
• Quinn, Ruairí.
• Reilly, James.
• Shatter, Alan.
• Sherlock, Sean.
• Spring, Arthur.
• Stagg, Emmet.
• Stanton, David.
• Tuffy, Joanna.
• Wall, Jack.
• Walsh, Brian.
• White, Alex.

Níl

• Adams, Gerry.
• Browne, John.
• Calleary, Dara.
• Collins, Joan.
• Collins, Niall.
• Colreavy, Michael.
• Cowen, Barry.
• Crowe, Seán.
• Doherty, Pearse.
• Dooley, Timmy.
• Ellis, Dessie.
• Ferris, Martin.
• Fleming, Tom.
• Grealish, Noel.
• Halligan, John.
• Healy, Seamus.
• Higgins, Joe.
• Kelleher, Billy.
• Kirk, Seamus.
• Kitt, Michael P.
• Mac Lochlainn, Pádraig.
• McConalogue, Charlie.
• McDonald, Mary Lou.
• McGrath, Finian.
• McGrath, Mattie.
• McGrath, Michael.
• McLellan, Sandra.
• Murphy, Catherine.
• Ó Cuív, Éamon.
• Ó Fearghaíl, Seán.
• Ó Snodaigh, Aengus.
• O’Brien, Jonathan.
• O’Sullivan, Maureen.
• Pringle, Thomas.
• Ross, Shane.
• Stanley, Brian.
• Tóibín, Peadar.
• Troy, Robert.
• Wallace, Mick.

Tellers: Tá, Deputies Emmet Stagg and Paul Kehoe; Níl, Deputies Aengus Ó Snodaigh and Seán Ó Fearghaíl.

Question declared carried.

An Ceann Comhairle

We now move to the motion re sittings and business of the Dáil. I call on the Minister of State at the Department of the Taoiseach, Deputy Paul Kehoe, to move the motion.

Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív

On a point of order, a Cheann Comhairle—

An Ceann Comhairle

We are over time. I have called the next business.

Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív

Yesterday, on the record of the House—

An Ceann Comhairle

Sorry, we are in the middle of dealing with a motion. Will the Minister of State, Deputy Kehoe, move the motion re sittings and business of the Dáil?