2026-04-14

In accordance with Standing Order 35 I must now call on the Chief Whip, Deputy Butler, to move the arrangements for this week's business.

I move: Tuesday's business shall be: - Motion re Confidence in the Government (not to exceed 2 hours and 25 minutes; any division claimed to be taken by roll-call) - Financial Motions by the Minister for Finance [2026] (Financial Resolution Nos. 1, 2 and 3) (three separate motions to be debated together and brought to a conclusion within 60 mins, with separate questions put on each motion and any divisions claimed to be taken immediately) - Critical Infrastructure 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 Fuel Prices, selected by Sinn Féin. Wednesday's business shall be: - Motion re Ministerial Rota for Parliamentary Questions (1) (without debate and any division claimed to be taken immediately) - Motion re Ministerial Rota for Parliamentary Questions (2) (without debate and any division claimed to be taken immediately) - Motion re Tenth Report of the Standing Committee of Selection (without debate and any division claimed to be taken immediately) - International Protection Bill 2026 (Amendments from the Seanad) (to conclude within 3 hours) - Statements on Football (to be taken no earlier than 5 p.m. and to conclude within 3 hours and 32 minutes) - Arbitration (Amendment) Bill 2025 (Report and Final Stages) (to conclude within 1 hour) Wednesday's private members' business shall be the Motion re Tackling Soaring Energy Costs, selected by Social Democrats. Thursday's business shall be: - Air Pollution (Amendment) Bill 2025 [Seanad] (Second Stage) (if not previously concluded, to adjourn at the end of the first speaking round; not to exceed 3 hours and 34 minutes) Thursday evening business shall be the Second Stage of the Disregard of Historic Offences for Consensual Sexual Activity Between Men Bill 2025, sponsored by Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh. 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 Order of Business shall be taken immediately; (b) Leaders Questions and Questions on Policy or Legislation pursuant to Standing Orders 36 and 38 shall not be taken and the rota for Leaders Questions for this week shall be unaffected by that change; (c) Oral Parliamentary Questions to the Taoiseach pursuant to Standing Order 47(1) shall not be taken; (d) the Motion re Confidence in the Government shall be taken immediately following the Order of Business; (e) 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.; (f) private members business may be taken earlier than 6.12 p.m. and shall in any event be taken on the conclusion of the Financial Motions by the Minister for Finance [2026] (Financial Resolution Nos. 1, 2 and 3); (g) Second Stage of the Critical Infrastructure Bill 2026 shall be taken on conclusion of private members business; (h) Parliamentary Questions to a Minister other than the Taoiseach pursuant to Standing Order 47(1) shall not be taken; and (i) topical issues pursuant to Standing Order 39 which were to be taken on Tuesday, shall be taken on Thursday, 23rd April, 2026, and the Dáil shall adjourn on the conclusion of proceedings on the Critical Infrastructure Bill 2026; 2. the proceedings on the Motion re Confidence in the Government shall, if not previously concluded, be brought to a conclusion after 2 hours and 25 minutes and the following arrangements shall apply thereto: (a) the arrangements for the speeches shall be in accordance with those contained in the table immediately below (to be read across); (b) following the speeches, a Minister or Minister of State shall be called upon to make a speech in reply which shall not exceed 10 minutes; and (c) members may share time; and (d) any division claimed thereon shall be taken immediately; 3. notwithstanding anything in Standing Order 217, in relation to the Financial Motions by the Minister for Finance [2026] (Financial Resolutions Nos. 1, 2 and 3), the following arrangements shall apply: (a) the proceedings on the motions shall, if not previously concluded, be brought to a conclusion after 60 minutes; (b) the three motions shall be debated together, with separate questions put from the Chair on each motion: Provided that where any amendment is not disposed of within the 60 minutes, the question on each motion shall also dispose of any amendments tabled to that motion; (c) 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, the Labour Party, Social Democrats, Independent and Parties Technical Group, and Independent Technical Group – 7.5 minutes per party or group; - speeches by Other Members – 7.5 minutes; and - a speech in response by the Minister – 5 minutes; (d) members may share time; and (e) any divisions demanded shall be taken immediately; and 4. the proceedings on the Critical Infrastructure Bill 2026 shall, if not previously concluded, be brought to a conclusion after 3 hours and 34 minutes and the following arrangements shall apply thereto: (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; and (c) members may share time. In relation to Wednesday's business, it is proposed that: 1. notwithstanding anything in Standing Orders: (a) the SOS pursuant to Standing Order 25(1) shall be taken immediately following Taoiseach’s Oral Parliamentary Questions pursuant to Standing Order 47(1), which shall be taken at the time when the SOS would normally be taken; (b) any motions without debate shall be taken immediately following the SOS pursuant to Standing Order 25(1) (c) in the event proceedings on the International Protection Bill 2026 conclude before 5 p.m., the sitting shall stand suspended until 5 p.m. when the order of business shall resume with the Statements on Football; and (d) the time allotted for Government Business shall be extended in accordance with the arrangements for that business, with consequential effect on the commencement time for the weekly division time, which may be taken on the conclusion of proceedings on the Arbitration (Amendment) Bill 2025, and the Dáil shall adjourn on the conclusion of the weekly division time; 2. the proceedings on the Motion re Ministerial Rota for Parliamentary Questions shall be taken without debate and any division claimed thereon shall be taken immediately; 3. the proceedings on the Motion re Ministerial Rota for Parliamentary Questions shall be taken without debate and any division claimed thereon shall be taken immediately; 4. the proceedings on the Motion re Tenth Report of the Standing Committee of Selection shall be taken without debate and any division claimed thereon shall be taken immediately; 5. the proceedings on the amendments from the Seanad to the International Protection Bill 2026 shall, if not previously concluded, be brought to a conclusion after 3 hours, and any amendments from the Seanad not disposed of shall be decided by one question which shall be put from the Chair, and which shall, in relation to amendments to the Seanad amendments, include only those set down or accepted by the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration 6. the Statements on Football shall be taken either at 5 p.m. or on the conclusion of the International Protection Bill 2026, whichever is the later, and shall not exceed 3 hours and 32 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; and 7. the proceedings on Report and Final Stages of the Arbitration (Amendment) Bill 2025 shall, if not previously concluded, be brought to a conclusion after 1 hour 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 Foreign Affairs and Trade. 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 Disregard of Historic Offences for Consensual Sexual Activity Between Men Bill 2025, and on the time for the adjournment of the Dáil; and 2. the proceedings on the Second Stage of the Air Pollution (Amendment) Bill 2025 [Seanad] shall, if not previously concluded, be interrupted and stand adjourned 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) 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; and (c) members may share time.

Are the proposed arrangements agreed to?

Not agreed.

They are not agreed. As per usual, each Member indicates. I call Deputy Mac Lochlainn.

Absolutely not agreed. It has been three weeks now since the Taoiseach was accountable to these Houses - 20 days this Dáil did not sit and he would not reconvene the Dáil when we asked him to deal with this crisis, to have this place sitting. He would not do it. Arrogance and entitlement seems to be the mentality here of Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael. Will the Taoiseach start listening, will he do his job and will he stick with the original schedule and take Leaders' Questions, Questions on Policy or Legislation and Taoiseach's Questions today?

Thank you, Deputy.

Will he just do his job?

I call Deputy Smith.

It is unacceptable, after three weeks, that the Taoiseach is not having Leaders' Questions, Taoiseach's Questions or Questions on Policy or Legislation when we need scrutiny more than ever, given what we have had over the past week. It is utterly unacceptable. It is absolutely unprecedented that all we are going to have today is a proper spectacle when we should be having accountability.

The country was brought to the brink last week and it is extraordinary that the Taoiseach will not answer questions today after the Dáil being in recess for three weeks. Why will the Taoiseach not take questions from TDs and party leaders in the Dáil today? Why does he think that is a good precedent to set? Has he learned nothing from the past week and from the mishandling of it in terms of the need for accountability and listening to people?

The Dáil agenda has been obliterated to minimise the Opposition's chance to question the Taoiseach about what happened last week, his inept and arrogant handling of the protests and also to debate the package of measures that his Government brought in. We all feel huge sympathy for the Healy-Raes. I do not know if Danny is back from the top of a tractor somewhere. We all feel for the suffering of Michael having to resist the temptation to join him. We have an absolute obligation on behalf of the workers and the disabled to question why the Government has not brought forward one single measure to deal with the suffering people are feeling around the country.

Thank you, Deputy. Your time is up. I call Deputy Michael Collins.

Eighteen days ago the Irish Haulage Farming Construction Contractors Amalgamation, IHFCCA, wrote to the Taoiseach, the Tánaiste and every Minister in this country outlining the crisis that we had and asking them to speak with it. The Government refused to speak with it. A few days later Independent Ireland asked to reconvene the Dáil and the Taoiseach refused to speak with us. Now the Taoiseach is here today saying he will not take Taoiseach's questions or Questions on Policy or Legislation. What is wrong?

Thank you, Deputy Collins.

What is the silence about this? It is time to speak out and give us our opportunity to ask questions about the disgrace that went on in the past week.

The Chief Whip to respond.

When the Dáil schedule was circulated last September nobody in the House objected to it. This is the first point.

Allow the answer.

It is normal practice for the Government to put forward a motion of confidence when a motion of no confidence is tabled by the Opposition. It is important that this happens at the earliest opportunity. It supersedes all other business so that the Dáil has the opportunity to express its confidence in the Government and get on with the important business.

On a point of order.

There is no point of order until the Chief Whip has finished speaking.

This will then be followed by the financial resolutions to underpin the significant package of supports announced by the Government on Sunday so these important reliefs are implemented immediately. The Order of Business stands.

To be very clear the record needs to be corrected. Leaders' Questions were not scrapped previously. Taoiseach's questions were not scrapped previously. Questions on Policy or Legislation were not scrapped previously.

Deputy, I am going to ask you-----

It is completely untrue to say this is normal.

I am standing and I ask Deputy Mac Lochlainn to resume his seat.

This is not normal.

Deputy, resume your seat. I will put the question and the procedure will carry on.

This is immunity from accountability.

If the Deputy cannot resume his seat and respect the Chair, we will move the proceedings on. Are the proposed arrangements for the week's business agreed to?

Not agreed.