Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Wednesday, 6 Dec 2000

Vol. 527 No. 4

Allocation of Time: Motion.

Minister of State at the Department of the Taoiseach (Mr. S. Brennan)

I move:

That, notwithstanding anything in Standing Orders, the financial motions by the Minister for Finance shall be debated for not longer than the times indicated below in each case and that the proceedings thereon, if not previously concluded, shall, in the case of each resolution and any amendments thereto, be brought to a conclusion by one question which shall be put from the Chair: in regard to Resolution No. 1, 30 minutes; in regard to Resolution No. 2, 15 minutes, and in regard to Resolution No. 3, 30 minutes.

An Ceann Comhairle

Are the arrangements agreed to?

Mr. Higgins

(Dublin West): I ask the Minister of State to increase the time available for Resolution No. 1 from 30 minutes to 45 minutes to give each interested Deputy an opportunity to make a contribution. There will be no time limit on the interventions of the Tánaiste who will be able to take up a considerable amount of the 30 minutes available.

An Ceann Comhairle

It will be a Committee Stage type discussion. It will be open to Deputies to speak many times, subject to the overall limit of 30 minutes on that particular resolution.

Mr. Higgins

(Dublin West): An overall limit of 30 minutes is inadequate when there are issues to be teased out. It should be increased.

Mr. Flanagan

Notwithstanding what the Minister of State said, in a spirit of compromise, would he be prepared to allow 30 minutes for each of the three resolutions, giving a total of 90 minutes?

Mr. Gilmore

I am very surprised at the short amount of time the Minister of State is proposing. I cannot recall any occasion where, following the Budget Statement, so little time was made available for the Financial Resolutions. I recall a number of occasions where up to one hour was made available for each of the separate resolutions.

An Ceann Comhairle

Is the Minister of State amending the motion?

Mr. S. Brennan

I will be happy to accept Deputy Flanagan's proposal that 30 minutes be allowed for each of the three resolutions. The Tánaiste assures me that her interventions will be relatively brief. It will be to and fro in a Committee Stage type debate. Deputy Higgins should, therefore, be able to get involved in the debate.

An Ceann Comhairle

The Minister of State has amended the proposal to allow 30 minutes for each of the three resolutions.

Mr. Higgins

(Dublin West): I, therefore, ask the main Opposition parties to bear in mind that I would like to speak for a few minutes also.

Mr. Flanagan

It will be a Committee Stage type debate.

An Ceann Comhairle

It will be a Committee Stage type discussion.

Motion, as amended, agreed to.