2026-06-09

I move: Tuesday's business shall be: - Motion to Instruct the Committee on the Guardianship of Infants (Amendment) Bill 2026 (without debate and any division claimed to be taken immediately) - Finance Bill 2026 (Second Stage) (to conclude at the end of the first speaking round; not to exceed 3 hours and 34 minutes) Tuesday's private members' business shall be the Motion re “Stop the Game” Campaign and FAI participation in matches against Israel, selected by Sinn Féin. Wednesday's business shall be: - Statements on Tourism (not to exceed 2 hours and 25 minutes) - Israeli Settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (Prohibition of Importation of Goods) Bill 2026 (Second Stage) (to conclude at the end of the first speaking round; not to exceed 3 hours and 34 minutes) - Motion to Instruct the Committee on the Criminal Law, Civil Law and Defence (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2026 (to commence no earlier than 8 p.m. and to conclude within 60 minutes; any division claimed to be taken immediately) - Criminal Law, Civil Law and Defence (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2026 (Report and Final Stages) (to conclude within 90 minutes) - Media Regulation Bill 2026 (Report and Final Stages) (to conclude within 1 hour) - Air Pollution (Amendment) Bill 2025 [Seanad] (Report and Final Stages) (to conclude within 1 hour) Wednesday's private members' business shall be the Motion re Exclusion of Israel from sporting fixtures, selected by Social Democrats. Thursday's business shall be: - Housing and Residential Tenancies (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2026 (Second Stage) (to conclude at the end of the first speaking round; not to exceed 3 hours and 34 minutes and with any division claimed to be taken immediately following Questions on Policy or Promised Legislation on Tuesday, 16 June 2026) Thursday evening business shall be the Second Stage of the Protection of Voice and Image Bill 2025, sponsored by Deputy Malcolm Byrne. Proposed Arrangements for this week’s business: In relation to Tuesday’s business, it is proposed that: 1. notwithstanding anything in Standing Orders: (a) the time allocated to Government business shall be extended in accordance with the arrangements for that business and the Dáil may sit later than 10.48 p.m.; and (b) private members’ business shall be taken on the conclusion of proceedings on the Second Stage of the Finance Bill 2026 with consequential effect on the commencement times for the items following in the ordinary routine of business; 2. the proceedings on the Motion to Instruct the Committee on the Guardianship of Infants (Amendment) Bill 2026 shall be taken without debate and any division claimed thereon shall be taken immediately; 3. the proceedings on the Second Stage of the Finance Bill 2026 shall, if not previously concluded, be brought to a conclusion at the end of the first speaking round and the following arrangements shall apply thereto: (a) the first-round speeches shall be in accordance with the table below (to be read across); (b) on the conclusion of the first speaking round or where speeches conclude before the 3 hours and 24 minutes have elapsed and no other member is offering, a Minister or Minister of State shall be called upon to make a speech in reply which shall not exceed 10 minutes, whereupon proceedings shall be brought to a conclusion; and (c) members may share time. In relation to Wednesday's business, it is proposed that: 1. notwithstanding anything in Standing Orders: (a) the time allotted for Government Business shall be extended in accordance with the arrangements for that business and the Dáil may sit later than 9.30 p.m.; (b) in the event proceedings on the Israeli Settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (Prohibition of Importation of Goods) Bill 2026 concludes before 8 p.m., the sitting shall stand suspended until 8 p.m., when the order of business shall resume with the Motion to Instruct the Committee on the Criminal Law, Civil Law and Defence (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2026; and (c) the weekly division time shall be taken on the conclusion of proceedings on the Air Pollution (Amendment) Bill 2025; 2. the Statements on Tourism shall not exceed 2 hours and 25 minutes and the following arrangements shall apply: (a) the statements, not including the Ministerial response, shall be in accordance with the sequence contained in the table immediately below (to be read across); (b) following the statements, a Minister or Minister of State shall be called upon to make a statement in reply which shall not exceed 10 minutes; and (c) members may share time; 3. the proceedings on the Second Stage of the Israeli Settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (Prohibition of Importation of Goods) Bill 2026 shall, if not previously concluded, be brought to a conclusion at the end of the first speaking round, and the following arrangements shall apply: (a) the first-round speeches, not including the Ministerial response, shall be in accordance with the table below (to be read across); (b) on the conclusion of the first speaking round or where speeches conclude before the 3 hours and 24 minutes have elapsed and no other member is offering, a Minister or Minister of State shall be called upon to make a speech in reply which shall not exceed 10 minutes, whereupon proceedings shall be brought to a conclusion; and (c) members may share time; 4. the proceedings on the Motion to Instruct the Committee on the Criminal Law, Civil Law and Defence (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2026 shall commence no earlier than 8 p.m. and shall, if not previously concluded, be brought to a conclusion after 60 minutes and the following arrangements shall apply thereto: (a) the order of speaking and allocation of time shall be as follows:- — opening speech by a Minister or Minister of State – 10 minutes; — speeches by representatives of Sinn Féin, Social Democrats, the Labour Party, Independent and Parties Technical Group, and Independent Technical Group – 7.5 minutes per party or group; — speeches by Other Members – 7.5 minutes in total; and — a speech in response by the Minister – 5 minutes; (b) members may share time; and (c) any division claimed thereon shall be taken immediately; 5. the proceedings on Report and Final Stages of the Criminal Law, Civil Law and Defence (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2026 shall, if not previously concluded, be brought to a conclusion after 90 minutes by one question, which shall be put from the Chair, and which shall, in relation to amendments, include only those set down or accepted by the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration 6. the proceedings on Report and Final Stages of the Media Regulation Bill 2026 shall, if not previously concluded, be brought to a conclusion after 60 minutes by one question, which shall be put from the Chair, and which shall, in relation to amendments, include only those set down or accepted by the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport; and 7. the proceedings on the Report and Final Stages of the Air Pollution (Amendment) Bill 2025 shall, if not previously concluded, be brought to a conclusion after 60 minutes by one question which shall be put from the Chair, and which shall, in relation to amendments, include only those set down or accepted by the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment. In relation to Thursday's business, it is proposed that: 1. notwithstanding anything in Standing Orders, topical issues may be taken earlier than 7.24 p.m. with consequential effect on the commencement time for Second Stage of the Protection of Voice and Image Bill 2025 and on the time for the adjournment of the Dáil; and 2. the proceedings on the Second Stage of the Housing and Residential Tenancies (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2026 shall, if not previously concluded, be brought to a conclusion at the end of the first speaking round and the following arrangements shall apply: (a) the first-round speeches shall be in accordance with the table below (to be read across); (b) on the conclusion of the first speaking round or where speeches conclude before the 3 hours and 24 minutes have elapsed and no other member is offering, a Minister or Minister of State shall be called upon to make a speech in reply which shall not exceed 10 minutes, whereupon proceedings shall be brought to a conclusion; (c) any division demanded on the Housing and Residential Tenancies (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2026 shall be deferred and taken immediately after Questions on Policy or Promised Legislation on Tuesday, 16 June 2026; and (c) members may share time.

Are the proposed arrangements agreed to? Not agreed.

I propose an amendment to the Order of Business under Standing Order 35(3) such that we would include in this week's Dáil schedule statements and questions on the EU Migration and Asylum Pact and the international protection system. A debate such as that would be useful, if only to fact-check the many misrepresentations the Taoiseach has made in this House, even today.

There is huge public concern about this issue. It is imperative that the Dáil have a debate.

We are reeling from the report of the Kenneally commission, which was released this morning. There are a number of serious outcomes from that. Will the Taoiseach give serious consideration to a debate on one particular aspect, the absence of an offence of misconduct in public offence, an issue outlined in the commission's report? It is not the only thing to come out of the report but is an issue of ethics in public office that this Government has been dragging its heels on.

There are continuing problems in the area of special education in this country. We now have an issue with summer provision, which used to be called July provision. There are children who are still locked out of that. They will not be able to attend school by day because of staffing issues. They will also not be able to apply for home-based provision because that portal has closed. We need an urgent debate in this House about what is going on in special education.

I call Deputy Michael Collins.

In June 2024-----

Excuse me, a Cheann Comhairle, I was next .

I am sorry, Deputy Boyd Barrett, I did not see you. Deputy Collins may proceed.

In June 2024, the Dáil voted to opt Ireland into the EU migration and asylum pact, which comes into effect this week. We need an urgent debate in the Dáil as there is a national outcry against this. We need to find a way to overturn this decision, like Denmark, which opted out. Other countries are trying to get out of this. We need an urgent discussion in the Chamber to do that.

The Government is speaking out of both sides of its mouth on the question of sanctions against Israel over its crimes against the Palestinians. It will not support the boycott, it is gutting the occupied territories Bill so it will effectively have no serious impact, and it wants to impose a guillotine on the debate tomorrow because it does not want to be exposed. There is a guillotine on the occupied territories Bill, and we have had this confirmed by the Ceann Comhairle. The Government is not allowing the many Members who would want to contribute to the debate about imposing sanctions on Israel and how the Government is gutting that Bill in the way it is. Please drop the guillotine and allow for a proper debate on that Bill.

I will start at the beginning in relation to the motion that Sinn Féin and the Independent Technical Group have tabled. I will not accept that motion. In relation to the International Protection Act, which will be commenced on Friday, we should all note, and the Taoiseach spoke extensively to this, that the only change on Friday is that the balance between the State and the asylum applicant will shift in favour of the State. It will become much harder for those claiming asylum who are not entitled to asylum to succeed in their claims. We have no problem facilitating Deputy Duncan Smith’s request and we can discuss it at the Business Committee on Thursday. The position is similar with regard to Deputy Jen Cummins’s request on special education. In relation to the occupied territories Bill, it will be taken tomorrow afternoon for a full round, which is three and a half hours long. The Order of Business stands.

You are imposing a guillotine.