It is proposed to take No. 14, motion re referral to select sub-committee of proposed approval by Dáil Éireann of taxation agreements; and No. 3, Gas Regulation Bill 2013 - Order for Second Stage and Second Stage. It is proposed, notwithstanding anything in Standing Orders, that No. 14 shall be decided without debate; and Private Members' business which shall be No. 114 – motion re mortgage arrears, shall also take place immediately after the Order of Business tomorrow and shall, if not previously concluded, be brought to a conclusion after 90 minutes on that day.

There are two proposals to be put to the House. Is the proposal for dealing with No. 14, motion re referral to select sub-committee of proposed approval by Dáil Éireann of taxation agreements, agreed?

It is not agreed. As a mark of protest about the manner in which the Government is doing business, I am opposing this proposal. In the last session, the Taoiseach gave me a very solemn promise and commitment, indicating he would consult with me on a package of Dáil reform measures that would be brought before the House. He did not do so and broke the promise; it was very dishonest of the Taoiseach to make that statement in the House without any clear commitment to following through.

We are here with business as usual, with the Government ordering the schedule of the House, which illustrates better than anything else the degree to which nothing has happened with the relationship between this Parliament and the Government. There is an absolute paucity of any meaningful, profound or serious reform of this House so that it can be independent and hold the Executive fully to account.

The Deputy was worn out from reforming.

There have been no meetings and it is extraordinary that at a time when people say they are dramatically reforming the House, not one single Member-----

The Deputy had his chance.

-----has been consulted.

Fourteen years.

We cannot have a debate on it.

We have been presented with a fait accompli.

The Deputy has made his point.

That illustrates the lack of sincerity on the Taoiseach's behalf and that of the Chief Whip with regard to meaningful Dáil reform.

They have been slagging Independents.

It is a charade and the measures were published last week because of the upcoming vote in the Seanad referendum. It is a pretence that the Government is interested in making itself accountable to the Dáil.

If the Deputy was still in government, we would still have short pants on.

All objective assessments of the package have described it as underwhelming and having no impact. It is merely tinkering with the system-----

The Deputy has had his say.

-----and is not incentivising the Dáil to hold the Government aggressively to account, etc. It seems to be about reducing the level of accountability. The Taoiseach was dishonest and broke his promise genuinely to consult with Opposition leaders in advance of publishing any measures.

Hear, hear.

I was quite surprised to read about the various measures in the media and I do not consider them reforms of any substantive nature. I was surprised because of the commitment given not once by the Taoiseach but at least on four or five occasions that we would be brought together to discuss the matters and try to get some consensus.

I thank the Deputies for their contributions. It is always difficult for people who are deemed to be dictators to be in any way sensitive to understanding.

Is the Taoiseach accepting he is a dictator?

If that is the basic idea, the Deputies are wrong. This evening, the Government Chief Whip, as well as Deputy Stagg, will meet the other Whips to discuss a range of propositions for changing the way the Dáil is run.

It is too late.

That is after their publication. Well done.

Hold on Timmy.

We were supposed to be consulted.

These proposals will take effect from 1 October. I gave Deputies a commitment to sit down with Opposition leaders and I will do so with Deputies Martin and Adams, as well as whomever the Technical Group appoints.

It is too late. The Taoiseach said it would happen in advance of the publication.

Perhaps it will be Deputy McGrath. I would be very happy to do that.

I suppose we will have a debate on the Seanad after it closes.

Deputy Martin, among all people, has been here for a long time and had many opportunities to bring change but did nothing.

He was there for 14 years.

We will now make changes in the interest of Deputies, making the Dáil more open and transparent, providing the opportunity for all the discussion we want. We will not go down the road of being beaten over the head about guillotines every day of the week.

There have been guillotines every day of the week.

Quite a number of Bills had to be introduced because of the legacy mess left behind by the Deputy's Government.

Here we go again.

We had troika engagement after troika engagement that required complex and technical legislation that had to be introduced within specific periods in order to help sort out the economic mess the last Government left behind.

What about the property tax and the cut to child benefit? They were rammed through the Dáil.

The streamlining of the way legislation is to be drafted in future-----

We are debating a time motion.

There was no consultation.

It will have a very beneficial effect for all Deputies elected to the House. I will sit down with the Deputy if he has time within his busy schedule-----

The Taoiseach sat down with no Member in advance. He can be flippant all he likes, but he has shown a fundamental disregard for Members.

-----as well as Deputy Gerry Adams and whoever else over there. We will sit down and have a chat about this. I will be very fluirseach with them.

I must put the question.

Will the alliance have its say?

Will the leader of the newest party be included? Will Deputy Lucinda Creighton be in on it?

I am trying to put the question.

I am sorry.

Is the proposal for dealing with Private Members' business tomorrow agreed to? Agreed.