Vol. 215 No. 6
I thank the Minister. Before I call on Senator Denis O'Donovan, I wish to explain to the House that the Committee on Procedure and Privileges, at a meeting held on 27 April 2012, made the following decision:
The Seanad Committee on Procedure and Privileges, at its meetings today, agreed that the time allocation to a spokesperson in the Second Stage debate on a Bill should not be shared.
I call on Senator O'Donovan.
On a point of order, I protest in the strongest possible terms about that decision. It is a completely fraudulent exercise by the Government and goes against the principles of democracy. To show how utterly hollow and disgraceful it is, that very Government over there allowed the sharing of time and it used, as a pathetic skeleton of an excuse, the fact there were two Ministers in the Chair.
Senator Norris has a representative on the committee and he should refer his complaints to that Member.
I shall do so. I had received nothing on it until I got this notification on the day. It is 100% against the traditions of the House. I have served for 25 years here and I am the senior person. I am the father of this House.
On a point of order, the decision was not one of the Government's.
It was a decision by the Committee on Procedure and Privileges of this House. If the Senator wishes to have it reviewed then by all means he should bring it back to the CPP and we will review it.
I thank the Senator for her clarification. I call Senator Denis O'Donovan.
I have no difficulty with sharing time.
The Senator is not allowed to share his time. That is it.
Sharing is the obvious thing to do.
