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Seanad Éireann · 2021-11-16

Address to Seanad Éireann by An Taoiseach: Motion

19 contributions · 3 speakers · 494 words

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Summary of this debate

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So not every Member of the House can be present in the Gallery or the Chamber for the address of the Taoiseach on Thursday. The plan has been circulated to the Committee on Parliamentary Privileges and Oversight. We should be careful on Thursday about the address of the Taoiseach----- I agree. ----both for the man himself and the office he holds, but also for us as the Upper House, with regard to the number of people coming into the House, given what has happened today with the changes announced by Government.

I ask that the Cathaoirleach and Leader engage not with the Committee on Parliamentary Privileges and Oversight but with all of us. We have windows open today, which is good and it is welcome that we have ventilation but I would not be happy for us to have Senators standing at the back wall.

Built by scoring every sentence in the debate on how distinctive its language is, then quoting the highest-scoring ones back word for word and in the order spoken. Nothing is paraphrased or invented — if a sentence appears here, it was said in the chamber. Drawn from 494 words across 19 contributions by 3 speakers.

Most used terms in this debate

How often each word appears across the whole debate, ranked by how distinctive it is to it rather than common to all parliamentary language.

shall 7
minutes 7
thursday 5
privileges 3
exceed 4
taoiseach 6
cathaoirleach 4
wall 3
house 7
gallery 3
standing 4
oversight 3

The full debate

All 19 contributions, start to finish, in the order they were made.

FG Regina Doherty

I move:

That, notwithstanding anything in Standing Orders relative to Public Business, the proceedings in respect of the Statement by An Taoiseach on Thursday, 18th November, 2021, shall commence at 1.30 p.m. and shall conclude no later than 3 p.m., and shall consist of:

( a ) a speech of welcome by the Cathaoirleach which shall not exceed 4 minutes;

( b ) an opening Statement by An Taoiseach which shall not exceed 10 minutes;

( c ) a contribution by the Leader of the House which shall not exceed 5 minutes;

( d ) a contribution not exceeding 4 minutes by other Group Leaders (time may be shared);

( e ) a contribution not exceeding 3 minutes by other Senators (time may be shared);

( f ) a concluding response of not less than 10 minutes by An Taoiseach;

( g ) a speech of thanks by the Leas-Chathaoirleach which shall not exceed 2 minutes.”

FG Jerry Buttimer

What will the capacity be?

CC Mark Daly

It will be the chequerboard seating, so every second seat, plus the Galleries.

FG Jerry Buttimer

How many Members can come into the House on Thursday?

CC Mark Daly

It is 30 for the Chamber, and another 14 for the Gallery and the outside.

FG Jerry Buttimer

So not every Member of the House can be present in the Gallery or the Chamber for the address of the Taoiseach on Thursday.

CC Mark Daly

They can all be present.

FG Jerry Buttimer

Can 60 people be here, in all parts of the House?

CC Mark Daly

There will be 30 here, 19 in the Gallery, and the standing spots.

FG Jerry Buttimer

Will people be standing at the back wall?

CC Mark Daly

Yes, if 60 turn up.

FG Jerry Buttimer

Is the Cathaoirleach allowing people to stand at the back of the Chamber?

CC Mark Daly

Yes. The plan has been circulated to the Committee on Parliamentary Privileges and Oversight.

FG Jerry Buttimer

Is that advisable, given the announcement by the Government today about reducing socialising?

CC Mark Daly

We will discuss it at the Committee on Parliamentary Privileges and Oversight meeting tomorrow. We will go through that.

FG Jerry Buttimer

We should be careful on Thursday about the address of the Taoiseach-----

CC Mark Daly

I agree.

FG Jerry Buttimer

----both for the man himself and the office he holds, but also for us as the Upper House, with regard to the number of people coming into the House, given what has happened today with the changes announced by Government. I ask that the Cathaoirleach and Leader engage not with the Committee on Parliamentary Privileges and Oversight but with all of us.

I would be unhappy that Senators would have to stand at the back wall. It would be unfair to An Taoiseach for us to do that and it would also be unfair from a public health perspective. We have windows open today, which is good and it is welcome that we have ventilation but I would not be happy for us to have Senators standing at the back wall. The Cathaoirleach should engage with An Taoiseach and his office in the context of his address to our House on Thursday.

CC Mark Daly

We will do that.

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