Deputy Healy-Rae should please allow the Minister to respond.

The Deputy should not interrupt. The amendment is being pressed.

I will have to conclude this debate at approximately 3.20 p.m. Some Deputies went to the trouble of tabling amendments. While I cannot stop anyone speaking as there are no time limits, there is a time limit at the end and I ask that we be conscious of that. We are on amendment No. 4. Is it being withdrawn?

That is fine. A number of speakers are indicating and I ask them to be conscious of time. I cannot stop them but I ask them to co-operate.

We are looking at amendment No. 4.

I must really ask the Deputy to address the amendment.

Deputy, please bear with me a second. There is very little time left in the debate-----

Specific to the amendment please.

I thank the Deputy for his co-operation. It is now 3.15 p.m. and I must bring this to an end at 3.22 p.m. I am very conscious that Deputy Whitmore went to the trouble of tabling amendments and it looks like we will not reach them. I ask the Minister to be brief.

I must stop the Deputy now. The Minister has a few seconds to respond.

The time for the debate has concluded so I am required to put the following question in accordance with the order of the Dáil on 14 July last: "That in respect of each of the sections undisposed of the section is hereby agreed to in committee, that the Title is hereby agreed to, the Bill is accordingly reported to the House without amendment, the Fourth Stage is hereby completed and the Bill is hereby passed."

The Minister has 20 minutes to make her statement. Members can use their time in an interactive manner with questions and answers.

I wish to share time. Ghabh mé comhghairdeas leis an Aire nua roimhe seo agus guím gach rath ar an triúr eile, an tAire, an Teachta Harris, agus na hAirí Stáit, an Teachta Niall Collins agus an Teachta Madigan. Go n-éirí leo sna róil nua atá acu. I welcome the opportunity to briefly speak on the Revised Estimates. I thank the Parliamentary Budget Office for its work and for producing a very good paper. It has raised many good and not so good issues. It points out that, in particular, the pattern of little or no inf…

Déanaim comhghairdeas leis an Aire nua, an Teachta Calleary, agus leis an mbeirt eile. Guím gach rath orthu ina róil nua. Cuireann sé iontas orm, áfach, nach ndearna an Taoiseach tagairt ar bith d'Aire sóisearach don Ghaeltacht. Ar ais arís, níl trácht ar bith ar an nGaeltacht i mbliain chinniúnach maidir le hAcht na dTeangacha Oifigiúla agus maidir le polasaí do na hoileáin. B'fhéidir go mbeidh an Taoiseach in ann soiléiriú a thabhairt air sin. I congratulate the Minister and Ministers of State on their new roles.…

I have great reservations about suspending at this point. This legislation must be debated in public. May I address that now?

I am not sure what ruling the Acting Chairman will make but I see where Deputy Doherty is coming from in order to facilitate the matter. This is serious legislation that must be debated in public and the Minister should be here. Last night we had a motion to extend maternity leave and the Minister for Justice and Equality in her reply, among other things, told us it was not possible because the legislation would be complicated and would involve retrospection and so on. This legislation is one of the most complicate…

I will speak on this section. I thank the Minister of State for the time he and his officials gave us beforehand. It helped to clarify some matters. I will say again, however, that although this Bill is extremely short with only 12 sections, the three schedules attached to it pose a great difficulty. It brings into acute focus the democratic deficit that has arisen in the European Union. We are really back to a patriarchal situation in which we are told this is good for us but are given very little time to discuss …

Níl a fhios agam cad atá le creidiúint ag an bpointe seo. Cheap mé go raibh an t-eolas ar eolas agam. Could you just clarify, a Chathaoirligh, if I ask questions will I get answers in the time available to me?

I think I wished the Minister of State, Deputy Noonan, the best of luck already in a previous interaction.

We are finishing at 9 o'clock, are we not?