Speaking Arrangements: Motion Dail Éireann — 2020-07-30 ============================================================ Jack Chambers (FF), Dublin West I move: That, notwithstanding anything in Standing Orders, and unless the Dáil shall otherwise order, the speaking arrangements recommended in the Appendices to the Report of the Committee on Standing Orders and Dáil Reform titled 'Speaking time arrangements on the first round of Second Stage of a Bill, and on fixed-time debates', dated 29th July, 2020, be adopted and shall have effect from September, 2020, and such arrangements shall be reviewed by the Committee no later than 22nd December, 2020. Seán Ó Fearghaíl (CC), Kildare South There is an amendment to be considered. Is amendment No. 1 being pressed? Who wants to address amendment No. 1? Insofar as pressing it, the amendment has already been discussed. Is Deputy Mac Lochlainn pressing the amendment? Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (SF), Donegal I am. I move amendment No. 1: To delete all words after "That" and substitute the following: "notwithstanding anything in Standing Orders, and unless the Dáil shall otherwise order, the following compromise speaking arrangements for Second Stage of a Bill as put forward by Sinn Féin at the meeting of the Business Committee on 30th July, 2020, suggesting: Government 20 minutes, Sinn Féin 20 minutes, all other Groups 10 minutes each, Government 20 minutes, Sinn Féin 15 minutes, all other Groups 10 minutes each, and Government 5 minutes, be adopted and shall have effect from September, 2020, and such arrangements shall be reviewed by the Committee on Standing Orders and Dáil Reform no later than 22nd December, 2020." Seán Ó Fearghaíl (CC), Kildare South Amendment No. 2 is in the name of the Regional Group. How stands the amendment? Sorry, it is in the name of the Independent Group. Mea maxima culpa. Thomas Pringle (IND), Donegal I am pressing the amendment. Richard Boyd Barrett (PBP), Dún Laoghaire On a point of order----- Seán Ó Fearghaíl (CC), Kildare South What is the Deputy's point of order? Richard Boyd Barrett (PBP), Dún Laoghaire We have an amendment that sought to resolve this situation----- Seán Ó Fearghaíl (CC), Kildare South No, that is not----- Richard Boyd Barrett (PBP), Dún Laoghaire -----and we are not allowed to discuss it at all. Seán Ó Fearghaíl (CC), Kildare South Sorry, Deputy----- Richard Boyd Barrett (PBP), Dún Laoghaire It is a compromise which exposes the dishonesty of the argument that has been put by the other side----- Seán Ó Fearghaíl (CC), Kildare South Please. Deputy Boyd Barrett----- Richard Boyd Barrett (PBP), Dún Laoghaire -----and which actually sought to resolve this situation. Seán Ó Fearghaíl (CC), Kildare South Deputy Boyd Barrett, please resume your seat. Richard Boyd Barrett (PBP), Dún Laoghaire The people deserve to know the dishonesty perpetrated here. Seán Ó Fearghaíl (CC), Kildare South Please resume your seat. Richard Boyd Barrett (PBP), Dún Laoghaire Seriously, the people deserve to know----- Seán Ó Fearghaíl (CC), Kildare South I was not here for the earlier debate, but I know it was extensive. Members have made their points. Please resume your seat. The debate has been had already. Resume your seat, please. Richard Boyd Barrett (PBP), Dún Laoghaire The substance of the----- Seán Ó Fearghaíl (CC), Kildare South Please resume your seat. Richard Boyd Barrett (PBP), Dún Laoghaire They do not know what is going on. Seán Ó Fearghaíl (CC), Kildare South Please resume your seat. Richard Boyd Barrett (PBP), Dún Laoghaire The amendment cannot be discussed----- Seán Ó Fearghaíl (CC), Kildare South Last evening, the penultimate meeting of this session, we saw an extraordinary level of collegiality whereby people agreed. The public will make up their own minds about what they see transpiring here this evening and how they see people behaving. Please. We have procedures. Will you resume your seat? Richard Boyd Barrett (PBP), Dún Laoghaire Ceann Comhairle----- Seán Ó Fearghaíl (CC), Kildare South No, please. Resume your seat. Richard Boyd Barrett (PBP), Dún Laoghaire They do not know what went on----- Seán Ó Fearghaíl (CC), Kildare South Will you resume your seat? Richard Boyd Barrett (PBP), Dún Laoghaire You know that----- Seán Ó Fearghaíl (CC), Kildare South Deputy, you are asked to resume your seat. Please respect the Chair. Richard Boyd Barrett (PBP), Dún Laoghaire I respect the Chair. Seán Ó Fearghaíl (CC), Kildare South I have always respected you. Please extend to the Chair the respect of resuming your seat. We do not need any help from that side. Richard Boyd Barrett (PBP), Dún Laoghaire I respect you. Seán Ó Fearghaíl (CC), Kildare South Let us forget about all that. Resume your seat, Sir. Richard Boyd Barrett (PBP), Dún Laoghaire We have business to do. Seán Ó Fearghaíl (CC), Kildare South It is after 11.30 p.m. It is not a great or wise time to be making decisions. Please do not make me suspend the House. Richard Boyd Barrett (PBP), Dún Laoghaire This is unbelievable. Seán Ó Fearghaíl (CC), Kildare South Please do not make a farce of our Dáil. Resume your seat. Richard Boyd Barrett (PBP), Dún Laoghaire We are back to where we were----- Seán Ó Fearghaíl (CC), Kildare South Please, do not make a farce of our Dáil. Resume your seat. We are involved in a process whether we like it or not. The process, which is a democratic process whether we like it or not, must proceed. Resume your seat. Richard Boyd Barrett (PBP), Dún Laoghaire A process without debate is not a democratic process. Seán Ó Fearghaíl (CC), Kildare South You are completely out of order and I will suspend the House if you insist on continuing to disrupt. Richard Boyd Barrett (PBP), Dún Laoghaire It is not democratic. Seán Ó Fearghaíl (CC), Kildare South I appeal to you again, please, resume your seat. Richard Boyd Barrett (PBP), Dún Laoghaire I cannot stand by while democracy is sabotaged. That is what is happening----- Seán Ó Fearghaíl (CC), Kildare South This is histrionics now at this stage. Richard Boyd Barrett (PBP), Dún Laoghaire It is not----- Seán Ó Fearghaíl (CC), Kildare South Please resume your seat. It is pure histrionics. You have made your substantive point. The public has heard the point you have had to make. Richard Boyd Barrett (PBP), Dún Laoghaire I doubt the public knows----- Seán Ó Fearghaíl (CC), Kildare South Please, resume your seat. Please, do not continue. Seán Ó Fearghaíl (CC), Kildare South If this goes on any longer I will suspend. Please, resume your seat. Seán Ó Fearghaíl (CC), Kildare South The House is suspended for five minutes. Thomas Pringle (IND), Donegal I move amendment No. 2: To delete all words after “That” and substitute the following: “notwithstanding anything in Standing Orders, and unless the Dáil shall otherwise order, the speaking arrangements recommended in the Appendices to the Report of the Committee on Standing Orders and Dáil Reform titled ‘Speaking time arrangements on the first round of Second Stage of a Bill, and on fixed-time debates’, dated 29th July, 2020, be amended by the substitution of the tables contained in the Schedule to this amendment with effect from September, 2020, and such arrangements shall be reviewed by the Committee on Standing Orders and Dáil Reform no later than 22nd December, 2020. SCHEDULE Second Stage Debate 100 minute Debate 135 minute Debate 200 Minute Debate Deputies Shame. --- Source: Houses of the Oireachtas. Licensed under CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). The Official Report is revised after first publication; the fetch timestamp below identifies the version quoted. Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/dail/2020-07-30/debate/main Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:48:30+00:00 Sitting date: 2020-07-30