I am saying we should keep to the order that has been there since the 1920s.

We always had that time. Always.

We did.

It did.

No.

Wait and see the turnout from the Government parties at committees-----

Not agreed.

Not agreed.

Protecting public health is a priority but we have to face the fact there is a shocking contradiction. I raised this at the Covid committee so I am not grandstanding. We are spending approximately 50 times more on ensuring adherence to public health guidelines per Deputy than we are spending per pupil in school. That is shocking. The money given to schools to ensure physical distancing is approximately 50 times less per pupil than the amount of money we are spending on ensuring adherence to the public health guidel…

From a foreign policy point of view, I would like the Taoiseach's assurance that this Government, and all parties in this House, will do absolutely nothing between now and November to facilitate, encourage or promote assistance to Donald Trump's campaign to return to the White House. I think this is a priority. Under normal circumstances, one might say we have to maintain friendly relationships with the US but I am of the view, as I have said many times in this House, that Donald Trump is inciting the most dangerou…

I know the Taoiseach will not be as explicit as I might be about Trump but I am asking the Department of the Taoiseach to be careful not to inadvertently offer any public relations opportunities to Donald Trump between now and November. That is what I am urging because he is a danger to the whole world. Whatever I may think about Biden, this guy is a threat to democracy. On Palestine, I agree with the call to support the occupied territories Bill and for the recognition of the Palestinian state. I want to point out…

The protocol and general division deals with relations with the religious bodies. I appeal to the Taoiseach, through this division, to engage urgently with the Sisters of Charity and the Catholic Church generally on a scandal in the St. Mary's centre, a nursing home that also provides assisted living housing for people with blindness, visual impairment and disability. In a Debenhams-style, cynical, tactical liquidation the Sisters of Charity's wholly-owned subsidiary, set up by the order, has already liquidated the…

I raised the problem I have with Questions on Promised Legislation being taken off the Dáil schedule on the Order of Business. While the Government might not have a legislative programme, there is a programme for Government, which contains commitments regarding various legislation, some of which has been rightly described by Deputy McDonald as "off the wall". We need answers to be given in the House about when those proposals will come forward. Taxi drivers have been hammered during Covid-19, are unable to make a v…

Sure.

I support Deputy Howlin's amendment. First, it is reasonable to say that this is rushed legislation where there is much detail that needs to be scrutinised and fully understood. I do not accept that, because the committees were not up and running, we could not have done that. We set up the Special Committee on Covid-19 Response specifically to deal with Covid-19 matters, and I see no reason the Bill could not have been referred to that committee to undertake more detailed scrutiny on it. I am conscious that we must…

On a point of order, the Leas-Cheann Comhairle has just pointed out that we will finish at 1.30 p.m. We have only managed to discuss one amendment and as we see when we drill down into the detail, there are many questions to be asked. My own amendment is the third. When we discussed at the Business Committee that there was limited time for this, I am pretty certain that a commitment was given that if we needed a bit more time, that time would be given. I put it to the Leas-Cheann Comhairle that we need more time. T…

If Deputy Howlin presses this amendment to a vote, as he may well do, then all the time will be gone. I would like a second opportunity to speak before that happens. I ask the Minister to contact the Whip to ask for extra time. Unless the Government comes in, which it should, to give us extra time as the Government Chief Whip promised, then I want to speak again on this amendment.

That is one more hour.

There is also an amendment in our names.

On a point of order, I raised earlier the issue of the additional time promised by the Government and I saw the Chief Whip hovering around. The Ceann Comhairle himself suggested that we were going to get additional time to deal with our and Deputy McNamara's amendments. If there is a vote called now, the time will have expired.