A commitment in the programme for Government is as follows: “We will deal with the problem of legislation being shunted through at high speed and will ensure that Dáil Standing Orders provide a minimum of two weeks between each Stage of a Bill.” When can we expect the change to be introduced?

There are 41 Bills on the A list for this session. We introduced a change in January that heads of a Bill go to committees for discussion to help the process of having a more comprehensive analysis of legislation.

It bamboozled the Chief Whip.

Generally, when things are shunted through they move slowly. It is the wrong phrase.

Seriously, I would like a response to the question. I refer to a specific commitment in the programme for Government to change the Standing Orders to ensure there are at least two weeks between each Stage of a Bill. When can we expect to see the change? The programme for Government was produced more than three years ago.

Does Deputy O’Dea have examples of Bills that did not proceed along that basis?

All the social welfare Bills, the property tax Bill and all other major pieces of legislation.

We have not had the whingeing and screeching about guillotines since we came back.

When will the Government introduce the change?

We have not had any guillotines since we came back.

No Bills have been introduced.

There is a commitment in the programme for Government in that respect.

Sometimes the Opposition does not turn up when it is expected to do so.

There is a commitment in the programme for Government to change Standing Orders to provide for that. For the third time, when is the change going to occur?

We will have a discussion on the progress report on the programme for Government in the week after next. The examples can be given then.

The Taoiseach is to have a discussion.

We will have a progress report on it.

There will not be much progress to be reported on that section.

There will be a lot more progress to be reported than for the five previous years.

It is shunting along.