Business of Dáil. Tuesday, 23 March 2010

Dáil Éireann Debate Vol. 705 No. 1 Page of 461

The Taoiseach:    I move:

[2]

Deputy Enda Kenny:    I object to the moving of this motion and propose the deletion of all words after “that” and their replacement with:

An Ceann Comhairle:    Is the Deputy formally moving that amendment?

Deputy Enda Kenny:    Yes. I move amendment No. 3:

The Taoiseach and the members of his Government have returned to this House, after an absence of two weeks, at a time when Molesworth Street is filled with people waiting for passports and there is increasing panic in financial circles that more and more liquidations and insolvencies are being recorded.

An Ceann Comhairle:    I remind the Deputy that we are dealing with a procedural motion.

Deputy Enda Kenny:    I understand that.

An Ceann Comhairle:    The Deputy has proposed an amendment to a procedural motion.

Deputy Enda Kenny:    Yes. I do not agree that this State should fall down on its constitutional responsibility to provide the citizens of this State with passports as they pursue their right to travel, as determined by a High Court case in the 1980s.

Deputy Denis Naughten:    Hear, hear.

Deputy Enda Kenny:    It is clear that the Government is falling down on its constitutional responsibilities, as well as its political responsibilities to focus on the real needs of the people.

[3]An Ceann Comhairle:    There will be ample opportunity to make these points at a later stage.

Deputy Enda Kenny:    For that reason, a Cheann Comhairle——

An Ceann Comhairle:    I ask the Deputy to stick with the procedural motion.

Deputy Pádraic McCormack:    People who have got jobs abroad cannot go to them.

Deputy Enda Kenny:    It smacks of the height of arrogance that, after a fortnight’s absence from the House, the Taoiseach has come in here to blandly say we will have no Leaders’ Questions, no questions to the Taoiseach and no Adjournment debate. He did not say whether there will be any answerability or accountability on the issues that are affecting people all over the country. For that reason, I strongly oppose the Government motion and propose that we continue with Leaders’ Questions in the ordinary way. I believe we should extend the sitting of the Dáil until 10.30 p.m. and have a vote on the proposals the Taoiseach will make.

Deputy P. J. Sheehan:    There should be no cover-up.

Deputy Eamon Gilmore:    I would also like to object to the manner in which the Taoiseach proposes we should deal with the long-heralded reshuffle of the Cabinet, which is to be announced today. He has proposed that the House should resume at 3.15 p.m. in order that he can make the announcement and the leaders of the parties can make 15-minute statements in the House. That will account for an hour of the debate. A further ten minutes will be accounted for when a Government Minister wraps up at the end of the debate. The remaining hour and 50 minutes will be divided equally between Government and Opposition speakers. Therefore, Opposition Deputies will have 55 minutes in which to comment on changes in the Government. We do not yet know what the extent of such changes will be. The changes may relate purely to personnel.

Deputy Pádraic McCormack:    Deputy Timmy Dooley might be promoted.

Deputy Eamon Gilmore:    Legislation may be required if the structure of Departments is to be changed. In any event, these changes will require some teasing out by the Members of the House. I refer to issues like the functioning of Departments, the division of various responsibilities, the appropriateness of linking a particular policy area with another area, the cost of changing Departments and the manner in which such changes might sit with the Government’s previous policy on decentralisation. It will not be possible to address all such issues in the length of time that is proposed. Under an alternative proposal made by the Labour Party Whip, Deputy Stagg, the business of the House would continue until 9 p.m. — we do not particularly object to the proposal to start considering these matters now — and we would have a minimum of six hours for the debate. In the original business that was notified to us, we were told the vote on the composition of the Cabinet would take place at 7 p.m. When the media managers got hold of that proposal, the relevant time was changed to 6 p.m. because they felt it might make a nice picture for television to have the newly appointed Ministers driving to Áras an Uachtaráin at 6 p.m. to receive their seals of office.

Deputy Willie Penrose:    Will they go there by bicycle?

Deputy John Deasy:    Perhaps they will drive up Molesworth Street.

Deputy Eamon Gilmore:    The rights of the elected Members of the House, who represent the people, to comment and to express an opinion on the composition of the Cabinet and the structure of Departments is being sacrificed again for the headline, the picture and the public [4]relations spin. This is a signal that this is more about public relations than about good government.

Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin:    It is not just about the rights of voices in this House, it is about the responsibilities of voices in this House. We have, within a stone’s throw of this institution, citizens of the State who are going through a traumatic time——

An Ceann Comhairle:    I have to remind Deputy Ó Caoláin that this is a procedural motion——

Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin:    That is correct.

An Ceann Comhairle:    ——and there will be ample opportunities to make these points.

Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin:    I am asking about procedure, but the Ceann Comhairle did not let me finish my first sentence. Will he settle back and allow a little bit of fair play? I am indicating that we have citizens outside this institution who are going through a traumatic time in their lives and for their children. There is no accommodation of address of these matters in the proposed ordering of business for today. Whatever about the shuffling of the deck of cards across from us and whatever other changes may be presented, there are real and harrowing issues that must be addressed, issues that have grown in their importance and in their need of substantive address since last we sat in this Chamber. Yet the Taoiseach is proposing that we ignore all of that, that we have the business only of the so-called Cabinet reshuffle and Private Members’ business to follow.

That is simply not good enough, and more is expected from the Members of this House against all of the calamitous situations that are ongoing in the lives of ordinary people. This is absolutely unacceptable and I re-emphasise that it is our responsibility and that collectively there is a failure in terms of address of these matters in what the Taoiseach is proposing. Accordingly, the Sinn Féin Deputies will oppose this proposition.

An Ceann Comhairle:    I am obliged to dispose of the amendments.

Question put: “That the words proposed to be deleted stand.”

The Dáil divided: Tá, 80; Níl, 71.

Tá
Ahern, Bertie.	Ahern, Dermot.
Ahern, Michael.	Ahern, Noel.
Andrews, Barry.	Andrews, Chris.
Ardagh, Seán.	Aylward, Bobby.
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.
Grealish, Noel.	Hanafin, Mary.
Harney, Mary.	Haughey, Seán.
Healy-Rae, Jackie.	Hoctor, Máire.
Kelly, Peter.	Kenneally, Brendan.
Kennedy, Michael.	Killeen, Tony.
Kitt, Michael P.	Kitt, Tom.
Lenihan, Brian.	Lenihan, Conor.
Lowry, Michael.	McDaid, James.
McEllistrim, Thomas.	McGrath, Mattie.
McGrath, Michael.	McGuinness, John.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’Flynn, Noel.
O’Hanlon, Rory.	O’Keeffe, Batt.
O’Rourke, Mary.	O’Sullivan, Christy.
O’Sullivan, Maureen.	Power, Peter.
Power, Seán.	Roche, Dick.
Ryan, Eamon.	Sargent, Trevor.
Scanlon, Eamon.	Smith, Brendan.
Wallace, Mary.	White, Mary Alexandra.
Woods, Michael.

Níl
Allen, Bernard.	Barrett, Seán.
Breen, Pat.	Broughan, Thomas P.
Bruton, Richard.	Burke, Ulick.
Burton, Joan.	Byrne, Catherine.
Carey, Joe.	Clune, Deirdre.
Connaughton, Paul.	Coonan, Noel J.
Costello, Joe.	Coveney, Simon.
Crawford, Seymour.	Creed, Michael.
Creighton, Lucinda.	D’Arcy, Michael.
Deasy, John.	Deenihan, Jimmy.
Doyle, Andrew.	Durkan, Bernard J.
English, Damien.	Enright, Olwyn.
Feighan, Frank.	Ferris, Martin.
Flanagan, Charles.	Flanagan, Terence.
Gilmore, Eamon.	Hayes, Brian.
Hayes, Tom.	Higgins, Michael D.
Hogan, Phil.	Howlin, Brendan.
Kehoe, Paul.	Kenny, Enda.
Lynch, Ciarán.	McCormack, Pádraic.
McEntee, Shane.	McHugh, Joe.
McManus, Liz.	Mitchell, Olivia.
Morgan, Arthur.	Naughten, Denis.
Neville, Dan.	Noonan, Michael.
Ó Caoláin, Caoimhghín.	Ó Snodaigh, Aengus.
O’Dowd, Fergus.	O’Keeffe, Jim.
O’Mahony, John.	O’Shea, Brian.
O’Sullivan, Jan.	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.	Varadkar, Leo.
Wall, Jack.

Tellers: Tá, Deputies Pat Carey and John Cregan; Níl, Deputies Paul Kehoe and Emmet Stagg.

Question declared carried.

Amendment declared lost.

[6]An Ceann Comhairle:    As amendment No. 3 has been lost, amendments Nos. 1 and 2, as a consequence, cannot be moved.

Question put: “That the motion be agreed to.”

The Dáil divided: Tá, 81; Níl, 71.

Tá
Ahern, Bertie.	Ahern, Dermot.
Ahern, Michael.	Ahern, Noel.
Andrews, Barry.	Andrews, Chris.
Ardagh, Seán.	Aylward, Bobby.
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.
Grealish, Noel.	Hanafin, Mary.
Harney, Mary.	Haughey, Seán.
Healy-Rae, Jackie.	Hoctor, Máire.
Kelly, Peter.	Kenneally, Brendan.
Kennedy, Michael.	Killeen, Tony.
Kitt, Michael P.	Kitt, Tom.
Lenihan, Brian.	Lenihan, Conor.
Lowry, Michael.	McDaid, James.
McEllistrim, Thomas.	McGrath, Mattie.
McGrath, Michael.	McGuinness, John.
Moloney, John.	Moynihan, Michael.
Mulcahy, Michael.	Martin, Micheál.
Nolan, M. J.	Ó Cuív, Éamon.
Ó Fearghaíl, Seán.	O’Brien, Darragh.
O’Connor, Charlie.	O’Dea, Willie.
O’Flynn, Noel.	O’Hanlon, Rory.
O’Keeffe, Batt.	O’Keeffe, Edward.
O’Rourke, Mary.	O’Sullivan, Christy.
O’Sullivan, Maureen.	Power, Peter.
Power, Seán.	Roche, Dick.
Ryan, Eamon.	Sargent, Trevor.
Scanlon, Eamon.	Smith, Brendan.
Wallace, Mary.	White, Mary Alexandra.
Woods, Michael.

Níl
Allen, Bernard.	Barrett, Seán.
Breen, Pat.	Broughan, Thomas P.
Bruton, Richard.	Burke, Ulick.
Burton, Joan.	Byrne, Catherine.
Carey, Joe.	Clune, Deirdre.
Connaughton, Paul.	Coonan, Noel J.
Costello, Joe.	Coveney, Simon.
Crawford, Seymour.	Creed, Michael.
Creighton, Lucinda.	D’Arcy, Michael.
Deasy, John.	Deenihan, Jimmy.
Doyle, Andrew.	Durkan, Bernard J.
English, Damien.	Enright, Olwyn.
Feighan, Frank.	Ferris, Martin.
Flanagan, Charles.	Flanagan, Terence.
Gilmore, Eamon.	Hayes, Brian.
Hayes, Tom.	Higgins, Michael D.
Hogan, Phil.	Howlin, Brendan.
Kehoe, Paul.	Kenny, Enda.
Lynch, Ciarán.	McCormack, Pádraic.
McEntee, Shane.	McHugh, Joe.
McManus, Liz.	Mitchell, Olivia.
Morgan, Arthur.	Naughten, Denis.
Neville, Dan.	Noonan, Michael.
Ó Caoláin, Caoimhghín.	Ó Snodaigh, Aengus.
O’Dowd, Fergus.	O’Keeffe, Jim.
O’Mahony, John.	O’Shea, Brian.
O’Sullivan, Jan.	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.	Varadkar, Leo.
Wall, Jack.

Tellers: Tá, Deputies Pat Carey and John Cregan; Níl, Deputies Paul Kehoe and Emmet Stagg.

Question declared carried.

Sitting suspended at 3 p.m. and resumed at 3.15 p.m.

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Last Updated: 31/03/2011 18:32:37

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