Before moving to Questions on Promised Legislation, I understand the Government Whip wishes to propose some revisions to the schedule for today and tomorrow.
Business of Dáil
It is proposed, notwithstanding the Orders of the Dáil of 11 July, that the proceedings on No. d10, motion re the establishment of the Joint Committee on the Future of Mental Health Care, and No. e10, motion re Standing Order 147, shall be taken without debate after Questions on Promised Legislation; any division demanded on the proceedings on No. b10, motion re defence – proposed approval by Dáil Éireann of the deployment of a contingent of the Permanent Defence Force to serve as part of EUNAVFOR MED, Operation Sophia - shall be taken immediately; the Dáil shall sit later than 11 p.m. today and adjourn on the conclusion of Topical Issues; questions to the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government shall be taken on the conclusion of the Government business or at 9.12 p.m., whichever is the earlier; and the Dáil shall sit later than 6 p.m. tomorrow and adjourn not later than 8 p.m.
At what time is it proposed to resume the discussion on the motion re defence?
It will resume immediately after the 30 minute sos, which will take place after the voting bloc.
We disagree with two of the proposals. What is the procedure for dealing with them?
With which proposals does the Deputy disagree?
We disagree with the motion on Standing Order 147 and the proposal to put the motion on defence to a vote. I can explain the reasons we oppose the proposals.
The Deputy may as well make a statement.
As for the motion on defence, I was speaking in the Chamber and could not attend the meeting of the business management committee. However, I understand a number of Deputies made clear at the meeting that the motion, which would result in the deployment of the triple lock mechanism for only the fourth time, in this case to change the status of the Naval Service's role in the Mediterranean from a humanitarian mission to deployment in search and destroy activities, is a fundamental attack on the neutral position of the Naval Service. It should not be pushed to a vote before sufficient time has been provided to debate it and the public is made fully aware of the proposal.
The motion re Standing Order 147 proposes a significant change in the ability of Opposition parties to introduce Private Members' Bills. Under this proposal, such Bills may be ruled out of order on the ground that they are substantially similar to another Bill. This is completely unacceptable. What does "substantially similar" mean? This change will be used as a means of reducing the capacity of Private Members and the Opposition to introduce Bills. We do not accept the motion being rushed through the House without debate.
The Government will explain its position in respect of the defence motion, which was debated at length in the Business Committee this morning when the concerns raised by the Deputy were discussed in detail. On the motion re Standing Order 147, which deals with substantially similar legislation, this matter was also debated at some length by the Dáil reform committee.
Some members dissented.
While agreement was not unanimous, the overwhelming majority of members agreed to the proposal.
That does not mean the proposal should not be debated.
On the defence motion, out of respect to the Business Committee, at which there is good co-operation, I stated I would take back the concerns raised by members. I arranged a meeting with the Chief of Staff, Secretary General and Minister of State at the Department of Defence, Deputy Kehoe, to discuss the issues raised by Deputies Brendan Ryan and Clare Daly. The reason for the urgency in dealing with this issue is that it involves a time-limited commitment. The Government has made a commitment to implement the deployment before the end of the year. As Operation Sophia only extends as far as December, the triple lock mechanism will have to be used again if it is to be extended. The Government's commitment in this regard is only until the end of December. A request was made to delay a decision in the matter until September. If the motion is passed today, which is the prerogative of the Dáil, it will take up to two months to do the preparatory work required. If we wait until mid-September to vote on the motion, two months of preparatory work will still be required. Given that the deployment will only last until the end of December, the commitment is time limited.
Two different decisions must be taken because my party wishes to support one proposal and oppose another.
I am afraid we will take both matters together.
That is impossible.
We cannot do that. They are completely separate matters.
Is an amendment to the Order of Business proposed?
I propose amending the Order of Business to determine each issue separately.
Is that agreed? Agreed. We will first deal with the proposal that any division demanded on the proceedings on No. b10, motion re defence, be taken immediately.
Question put: "That the proposal for dealing with the motion be agreed to."
The Dáil divided: Tá, 92; Níl, 45; Staon, 0.
Tá
- Aylward, Bobby.
- Bailey, Maria.
- Barrett, Seán.
- Brassil, John.
- Breathnach, Declan.
- Breen, Pat.
- Brophy, Colm.
- Browne, James.
- Bruton, Richard.
- Burke, Peter.
- Butler, Mary.
- Byrne, Catherine.
- Byrne, Thomas.
- Cahill, Jackie.
- Calleary, Dara.
- Canney, Seán.
- Cannon, Ciarán.
- Carey, Joe.
- Casey, Pat.
- Cassells, Shane.
- Chambers, Lisa.
- Collins, Niall.
- Corcoran Kennedy, Marcella.
- Cowen, Barry.
- Curran, John.
- D'Arcy, Michael.
- Daly, Jim.
- Deasy, John.
- Deering, Pat.
- Doherty, Regina.
- Donnelly, Stephen S.
- Donohoe, Paschal.
- Dooley, Timmy.
- Durkan, Bernard J.
- English, Damien.
- Fitzgerald, Frances.
- Fitzpatrick, Peter.
- Flanagan, Charles.
- Griffin, Brendan.
- Halligan, John.
- Harris, Simon.
- Harty, Michael.
- Haughey, Seán.
- Heydon, Martin.
- Humphreys, Heather.
- Kehoe, Paul.
- Kyne, Seán.
- Lahart, John.
- Lawless, James.
- Lowry, Michael.
- MacSharry, Marc.
- McConalogue, Charlie.
- McEntee, Helen.
- McGrath, Finian.
- McGrath, Michael.
- McGuinness, John.
- McHugh, Joe.
- McLoughlin, Tony.
- Madigan, Josepha.
- Martin, Micheál.
- Mitchell O'Connor, Mary.
- Moran, Kevin Boxer.
- Moynihan, Aindrias.
- Murphy O'Mahony, Margaret.
- Murphy, Dara.
- Murphy, Eoghan.
- Murphy, Eugene.
- Naughten, Denis.
- Naughton, Hildegarde.
- Neville, Tom.
- Noonan, Michael.
- Ó Cuív, Éamon.
- O'Brien, Darragh.
- O'Callaghan, Jim.
- O'Connell, Kate.
- O'Dea, Willie.
- O'Donovan, Patrick.
- O'Dowd, Fergus.
- O'Keeffe, Kevin.
- O'Loughlin, Fiona.
- O'Rourke, Frank.
- Phelan, John Paul.
- Rabbitte, Anne.
- Ring, Michael.
- Rock, Noel.
- Ross, Shane.
- Scanlon, Eamon.
- Smith, Brendan.
- Smyth, Niamh.
- Stanton, David.
- Troy, Robert.
- Zappone, Katherine.
Níl
- Adams, Gerry.
- Barry, Mick.
- Boyd Barrett, Richard.
- Brady, John.
- Broughan, Thomas P.
- Buckley, Pat.
- Burton, Joan.
- Collins, Joan.
- Collins, Michael.
- Connolly, Catherine.
- Coppinger, Ruth.
- Crowe, Seán.
- Cullinane, David.
- Daly, Clare.
- Doherty, Pearse.
- Ellis, Dessie.
- Fitzmaurice, Michael.
- Funchion, Kathleen.
- Healy, Seamus.
- Howlin, Brendan.
- Kelly, Alan.
- Kenny, Gino.
- McDonald, Mary Lou.
- McGrath, Mattie.
- Martin, Catherine.
- Mitchell, Denise.
- Munster, Imelda.
- Murphy, Catherine.
- Murphy, Paul.
- Nolan, Carol.
- Ó Broin, Eoin.
- Ó Caoláin, Caoimhghín.
- Ó Laoghaire, Donnchadh.
- Ó Snodaigh, Aengus.
- O'Reilly, Louise.
- O'Sullivan, Jan.
- O'Sullivan, Maureen.
- Penrose, Willie.
- Quinlivan, Maurice.
- Ryan, Brendan.
- Sherlock, Sean.
- Shortall, Róisín.
- Smith, Bríd.
- Stanley, Brian.
- Tóibín, Peadar.
Staon
Tellers: Tá, Deputies Joe McHugh and Tony McLoughlin; Níl, Deputies Richard Boyd Barrett and Brendan Ryan.
Question declared carried.
Question put: "That the proposal for dealing with Standing Order 147 be agreed to."
The Dáil divided: Tá, 123; Níl, 13; Staon, 0.
Tá
- Adams, Gerry.
- Aylward, Bobby.
- Bailey, Maria.
- Barrett, Seán.
- Brady, John.
- Brassil, John.
- Breathnach, Declan.
- Breen, Pat.
- Brophy, Colm.
- Bruton, Richard.
- Buckley, Pat.
- Burke, Peter.
- Burton, Joan.
- Butler, Mary.
- Byrne, Catherine.
- Byrne, Thomas.
- Cahill, Jackie.
- Calleary, Dara.
- Canney, Seán.
- Cannon, Ciarán.
- Carey, Joe.
- Casey, Pat.
- Cassells, Shane.
- Chambers, Jack.
- Chambers, Lisa.
- Collins, Niall.
- Corcoran Kennedy, Marcella.
- Cowen, Barry.
- Crowe, Seán.
- Cullinane, David.
- Curran, John.
- D'Arcy, Michael.
- Daly, Clare.
- Daly, Jim.
- Deasy, John.
- Deering, Pat.
- Doherty, Pearse.
- Doherty, Regina.
- Donnelly, Stephen S.
- Donohoe, Paschal.
- Dooley, Timmy.
- Durkan, Bernard J.
- Ellis, Dessie.
- Fitzgerald, Frances.
- Fitzmaurice, Michael.
- Fitzpatrick, Peter.
- Flanagan, Charles.
- Fleming, Sean.
- Funchion, Kathleen.
- Griffin, Brendan.
- Halligan, John.
- Harris, Simon.
- Harty, Michael.
- Haughey, Seán.
- Heydon, Martin.
- Howlin, Brendan.
- Humphreys, Heather.
- Kehoe, Paul.
- Kelly, Alan.
- Kyne, Seán.
- Lahart, John.
- Lawless, James.
- Lowry, Michael.
- MacSharry, Marc.
- McConalogue, Charlie.
- McDonald, Mary Lou.
- McEntee, Helen.
- McGrath, Finian.
- McGrath, Michael.
- McGuinness, John.
- McHugh, Joe.
- McLoughlin, Tony.
- Madigan, Josepha.
- Martin, Catherine.
- Martin, Micheál.
- Mitchell O'Connor, Mary.
- Mitchell, Denise.
- Moran, Kevin Boxer.
- Moynihan, Aindrias.
- Munster, Imelda.
- Murphy O'Mahony, Margaret.
- Murphy, Catherine.
- Murphy, Dara.
- Murphy, Eoghan.
- Murphy, Eugene.
- Naughten, Denis.
- Naughton, Hildegarde.
- Neville, Tom.
- Nolan, Carol.
- Noonan, Michael.
- Ó Broin, Eoin.
- Ó Caoláin, Caoimhghín.
- Ó Cuív, Éamon.
- Ó Laoghaire, Donnchadh.
- Ó Snodaigh, Aengus.
- O'Brien, Darragh.
- O'Callaghan, Jim.
- O'Connell, Kate.
- O'Dea, Willie.
- O'Donovan, Patrick.
- O'Dowd, Fergus.
- O'Keeffe, Kevin.
- O'Loughlin, Fiona.
- O'Reilly, Louise.
- O'Rourke, Frank.
- O'Sullivan, Jan.
- Penrose, Willie.
- Phelan, John Paul.
- Quinlivan, Maurice.
- Rabbitte, Anne.
- Ring, Michael.
- Rock, Noel.
- Ross, Shane.
- Ryan, Brendan.
- Scanlon, Eamon.
- Sherlock, Sean.
- Shortall, Róisín.
- Smith, Brendan.
- Smyth, Niamh.
- Stanley, Brian.
- Tóibín, Peadar.
- Troy, Robert.
- Zappone, Katherine.
Níl
- Barry, Mick.
- Boyd Barrett, Richard.
- Broughan, Thomas P.
- Collins, Joan.
- Collins, Michael.
- Connolly, Catherine.
- Coppinger, Ruth.
- Healy, Seamus.
- Kenny, Gino.
- McGrath, Mattie.
- Murphy, Paul.
- O'Sullivan, Maureen.
- Smith, Bríd.
Staon
Tellers: Tá, Deputies Joe McHugh and Tony McLoughlin; Níl, Deputies Richard Boyd Barrett and Bríd Smith.
Question declared carried.
Can I take it that the balance of the Government's proposal in respect of business for the remainder of the week is agreed? Agreed.