Sinn Féin has very serious concerns in regard to this legislation. We acknowledge that the national marine planning framework has been established and that a number of legislative provisions follow it. As we speak, however, fishermen from Donegal are being prevented from fishing in their traditional grounds around Rockall. Eamon Gilmore, a predecessor of the Minister, Deputy Coveney, in the Department of Foreign Affairs, signed an agreement with the then British ambassador, Dominick Chilcott, that was laid before t…

I move amendment No. 2: In page 7, line 12, to delete "as soon as may be" and substitute the following: "within a time period allowing reasonable time for the order to be examined but not longer than 12 months". I am hopeful that the Minister will agree to these reasonable amendments. I have already referred to the unfortunate terms of the agreement of 2014. Amendment No. 2 proposes that any future agreements would be subject to scrutiny for a period of time not longer than 12 months, which is a reasonable period. …

Amendment No. 1 has been disallowed.

The Minister has put forward the subject of honesty and I am glad he has done so. Let us go through facts in detail. It is true that there were a number of agreements between the Irish Government and the British Government on the area around Rockall, culminating in the 2013 agreement. It was signed in 2013 and then laid before the Houses in 2014. The Minister says that the Government always protests that a rock that is uninhabited cannot generate an EEZ and a continental shelf. However, it can generate a 12-mile li…

I find it extraordinary and very worrying that the Minister has put in these conditions. When it was confirmed with the campaigning families in Donegal that at long last, after years and years, they were going to be exempt from the property tax, they said it was a positive gesture, but there are more substantive issues. I note the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Deputy Darragh O’Brien, is present. I refer to the 100% redress and all of the other imbalances between the scheme that was rightly ma…

They are not agreed. The contempt the Government has demonstrated towards the Opposition in recent weeks in rushing through legislation with guillotines applied across the board is totally unacceptable. The disrespect for sectoral committees and for the Opposition's duty and responsibility to scrutinise legislation is totally unacceptable. There is not enough time to debate the local property tax Bill, for example. On foot of the proposed emergency health legislation, an emergency meeting of the Business Committee …

A Cheann Comhairle, I have to protest.

That is an inaccurate record of what happened, a Cheann Comhairle. Please let me protest about that.

No, no.

The process was not followed properly.

No, a Cheann Comhairle. You made a statement that was wrong. It is just wrong.

The process was not followed. You are bringing the Business Committee into disrepute.

You are bringing our committee into disrepute. I want to be clear about that. The process was not followed.

The process was not followed.

I am asking for a point of clarification.

You have made a statement that brings the Business Committee into disrepute. I am asking for a point of clarification.

A point of clarification.

Was a waiver requested of the Business Committee?

Was a waiver requested of our committee?

May I just clarify-----