Opposition critical of plan to cut debate time

THE GOVERNMENT was sharply criticised by the Opposition for curtailing debate on legislation before the Dáil adjourns for the summer recess next week.

Labour leader Eamon Gilmore said that the Government had 12 proposals to guillotine Bills.

“It is not unusual that we find ourselves in a position at the end of a Dáil session, where the Government is using the guillotine to push through legislation, either to get it out of the way or to minimise the amount of public attention it will receive,” he said.

“However . . . it has taken the use of the guillotine . . . to a new level of ridiculousness.”

Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny said given that there had been a complete scarcity of legislation on so many occasions in the past year, it was not the way to do business.

Sinn Féin Dáil leader Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin said his party opposed the guillotining of the Criminal Justice (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill.

“With the tabling of 18 amendments and the import of what is involved, it requires more time than is being offered,” he added.

Tánaiste Mary Coughlan, who was taking the order of business, said there was an urgency about the legislation. “Given the circumstances, I am not in a position to change the order on the basis that it has been agreed with the whips.”

Ms Coughlan’s assertion provoked a sharp response from the Labour and Fine Gael whips.

“It was not agreed with the whips,” said Labour’s Emmet Stagg.

Fine Gael’s Paul Kehoe said that if the Tánaiste wanted his party’s co-operation in organising next week’s business, she would retract the statement. “I did not agree to guillotines,” he added.

Mr Stagg suggested that the Tánaiste might have inadvertently misled the House by stating that the Fine Gael and Labour whips had agreed to the order of business.

“I am not suggesting that she would deliberately mislead the House,” he added.

Government Chief Whip Pat Carey said: “Nor would the Chief Whip.” Ms Coughlan said: “There was no mistake. The same antics take place every time we come to the end of a session.”

Labour’s Michael D Higgins said that “antics went on in the banks, but the Government did not do much about them”.

Mr Gilmore said the Government was taking a contemptuous attitude to the House in the way it was ordering business and insisting on guillotines.

Mr Kenny said that in the past, they had experience of legislation being guillotined and issues had subsequently arisen which caused difficulty.

“This morning, I listened to the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government who said he had to seek advice from the Attorney General overnight, because he did not understand the difference between a granny-flat in the garden or one attached to a house,” he added.

The Opposition challenged a number of votes on the order of business which the Government won.