2025-11-04

I move: Tuesday's business shall be: - Finance Bill 2025 - Financial Resolutions (without debate) (to be moved together and decided by one question; any division claimed to be taken immediately) - Electricity (Supply) (Amendment) Bill 2025 (Second Stage) (to conclude within 3 hours and 34 minutes, with any division claimed to be taken immediately prior to Committee Stage on Wednesday) Tuesday's private members' business shall be Second Stage of the Education (Affordable School Uniforms) Bill 2025, selected by Sinn Féin. Wednesday's business shall be: - Statements on International Protection Processing and Enforcement (not to exceed 3 hours and 32 minutes) - Employment (Contractual Retirement Ages) Bill 2025 (Report and Final Stages) (to be taken no earlier than 7 p.m. and to conclude within 60 minutes) - Electricity (Supply) (Amendment) Bill 2025 (Committee and remaining Stages) (if not previously concluded, to conclude either at 12.10 a.m. or after 4 hours, whichever is the later) - Motion for Further Revised Estimate for Public Services [Vote 33] (without debate) (back from committee) (any division claimed to be taken immediately) Wednesday's private members' business shall be the Motion re Decriminalisation of People who use Drugs, selected by the Labour Party. Thursday's business shall be: - Courts and Civil Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2025 (Second Stage) (if not previously concluded, to adjourn after 3 hours and 24 minutes) Thursday evening business shall be the Second Stage of the Arts (Recognition of Comedy) (Amendment) Bill 2024, sponsored by Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh. Proposed Arrangements for this week’s business: In relation to Tuesday’s business, it is proposed that: 1. the ordinary routine of business as contained in Schedule 3 to Standing Orders shall be modified to the following extent: (a) the Dáil may sit later than 10.48 p.m.; (b) Parliamentary Questions to the Taoiseach pursuant to Standing Order 47(1) shall not be taken, and Government business shall commence at the time when Parliamentary Questions to the Taoiseach would normally be taken; and (c) private members' business may be taken later than 6.12 p.m. and shall in any event be taken on the conclusion of Second Stage of the Electricity (Supply) (Amendment) Bill 2025, with consequential effect on the commencement time for Parliamentary Questions to the Minister for Education and Youth, and on the commencement time for topical issues; 2. the following arrangements shall apply to the proceedings on the Motions for Financial Resolutions for the Finance Bill 2025: (a) the motions shall be moved and decided together by one question which shall be put from the Chair; (b) the proceedings thereon shall be taken without debate; and (c) any division claimed thereon shall be taken immediately; 3. the proceedings on the Second Stage of the Electricity (Supply) (Amendment) Bill 2025 shall be brought to a conclusion after 3 hours and 34 minutes and the following arrangements shall apply: (a) the arrangements for the first speaking round shall be in accordance with those contained in the table immediately below (to be read across, not down); (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; Provided that any division claimed on the Second Stage proceedings shall be taken immediately prior to Committee Stage on Wednesday; and (c) members may share time; and 4. notwithstanding anything in Standing Order 177(2), the proceedings on Second Stage of the Education (Affordable School Uniforms) Bill 2025 shall, if not previously concluded, be brought to a conclusion after 2 hours. In relation to Wednesday's business, it is proposed that: 1. the ordinary routine of business as contained in Schedule 3 to Standing Orders shall be modified to the following extent: (a) the Dáil may sit later than 9.30 p.m. and shall adjourn on the conclusion of the weekly division time, which may be taken later than 8.45 p.m. and shall in any event be taken on the conclusion of the Motion for Further Revised Estimate for Public Services 2025 [Vote 33]; (b) pursuant to an Order of the Dáil of 21st October, 2025, Parliamentary Questions to the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation pursuant to Standing Order 47(1) shall be taken immediately following the SOS, with consequential effect on the commencement time for Government business; (c) in the event that the Statements on International Protection Processing and Enforcement conclude before 7 p.m., the sitting shall stand suspended until 7 p.m.; and (d) any motions to be taken without debate shall be taken on the conclusion of proceedings on the Electricity (Supply) (Amendment) Bill 2025; 2. the Statements on International Protection Processing and Enforcement shall not exceed 3 hours and 32 minutes and the order of speaking and allocation of time shall be as follows: (a) the arrangements for the statements, not including the Ministerial response, shall be in accordance with the arrangements contained in the table immediately below (to be read across, not down); (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 Report and Final Stages of the Employment (Contractual Retirement Ages) Bill 2025 shall be taken either at 7 p.m. or on the conclusion of the Statements on International Protection Processing and Enforcement, whichever is the later, and 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 Enterprise, Tourism and Employment; 4. the proceedings on Committee and remaining Stages of the Electricity (Supply) (Amendment) Bill 2025 shall, if not previously concluded, be brought to a conclusion either at 12.10 a.m. or after 4 hours, whichever is the later, 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; and 5. the proceedings on the Motion for Further Revised Estimate 2025 [Vote 33] shall be taken without debate and any division claimed thereon shall be taken immediately. In relation to Thursday's business, it is proposed that: 1. (a) the ordinary routine of business as contained in Schedule 3 to Standing Orders shall be modified to the extent that topical issues may be taken earlier than 7.24 p.m. and shall in any event be taken on the adjournment of proceedings on Second Stage of the Courts and Civil Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2025, or where those proceedings conclude within the allotted time, on the conclusion thereof, with consequential effect on the commencement time for Second Stage of the Arts (Recognition of Comedy) (Amendment) Bill 2024 and on the time for the adjournment of the Dáil; and (b) the Dáil on its rising shall adjourn until 2 p.m. on Wednesday, 12th November, 2025; and 2. in relation to the proceedings on the Second Stage of the Courts and Civil Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2025, the following arrangements shall apply: (a) subject to subparagraph (ii), the proceedings shall, if not previously concluded, be interrupted and stand adjourned after 3 hours and 24 minutes and the order of speaking and allocation of time shall be as follows: (i) the arrangements for the first speaking round shall be in accordance with those contained in the table immediately below (to be read across, not down); (ii) 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 (iii) members may share time; and (b) the proceedings shall not be resumed on Thursday.

Are the proposed arrangements for the week's business agreed?

Not agreed.

I call Deputy McDonald.

Under Standing Order 35(3), I propose an amendment to the Order of Business. The current nitrates derogation expires in a matter of mere weeks and the Government's handling, or mishandling, of the issue, leaving negotiations with the EU to run down to the wire, means farmers face a possible serious cliff edge in January. I ask that time be allocated in this week's schedule to debate this crucial issue for the future of Irish agriculture.

Since the Business Committee last met the company, Fastway Couriers, has gone into receivership resulting in the loss of 1,000 jobs in almost every constituency in the country. We need urgent statements because, as tragic as every job loss is, there are a number of competing factors here which point to huge gaps in our workers' rights legislation that need urgent debate. When will these workers, many of whom are on unusual franchisee contracts, get compensation?

Families up and down the country are struggling with energy affordability. Despite the fact this Government and the previous one failed to act on that and failed to invest in the grid and in renewable energy, what we saw yesterday was a report from another toothless task force telling us it will put forward recommendations next year. We need statements this week to discuss what action can be taken to provide targeted measures that will support people now and help them to survive this winter.

I wrote to the Business Committee seeking a debate on safety for asylum seekers after we saw the horrific attack and what seems to be attempted murder with the attempted burning alive of a baby and children in Drogheda. This was not an isolated incident but one of over 30 arson attacks on asylum centres in what we are seeing as a campaign of far-right terror in this State. We need to be debating it. There is a direct line between the dog-whistling of Government leaders and the scapegoating of asylum seekers based on misinformation and the creation of a hostile environment.

Next week sees the inauguration of our new President and I wish Catherine Connolly the very best in her presidency. This will mean a by-election in Galway West. We in Independent Ireland strongly believe that this by-election should take place immediately. To facilitate this we have already put forward our candidate Councillor Noel Thomas who is working on the ground as we speak. Can we debate-----

We will expect his posters the very next day.

Can we debate here this week as to how soon the writ will be issued so that the people of Galway West will get the representation they fully deserve?

I commend the Deputy on not missing an opportunity. I have taken notes on all the issues that were raised. I believe that what Deputy Murphy has raised is covered under tomorrow's statements on international protection processing and enforcement. That debate will be on for three and a half hours and will be taken by the Minister for justice, Deputy Jim O'Callaghan. The Deputy will have the opportunity to raise his concerns about safety then.

Could we add "safety" to the title rather than it being about "enforcement"?

Deputy, this is not a back and forth.

No. There is no need to. The Deputy can still raise it under that. I have taken on board what has been asked in relation to energy, Fastway Couriers, and the nitrates derogation, on which we had a lengthy discussion this morning. All are important and will be considered at the Business Committee meeting.

I thank the Chief Whip. Are the proposed arrangements for the business agreed?

They are not agreed.