It is proposed to take No. 14, motion re presentation and circulation of Revised Estimates 2016; No. 11, motion re report of the Standing Order 112 Select Committee on the proposal for a Council directive amending Directive 2013/34/EU as regards disclosure of income tax information by certain undertakings and branches; No. 12, motion re Offences against the State (Amendment) Act 1998 (resumed); No. 13, motion re Criminal Justice (Amendment) Act 2009 (resumed); and No. 14a, Revised Estimates for Public Services 2016 [Votes 26 and 38].

It is proposed, notwithstanding anything in Standing Orders, that: (1) No. 14 shall be decided without debate and any division demanded thereon shall be taken forthwith; (2) the proceedings in relation to No. 11 shall, if not previously concluded, be brought to a conclusion after 40 minutes and the following arrangements shall apply: the speech of the Chairman of the Standing Order 112 Select Committee and of the main spokespersons for Fianna Fáil, Sinn Féin, Labour, AAA-PBP, Independents 4 Change, Rural Technical Group and Social Democrats-Green Party, or a Member nominated in their stead, shall not exceed five minutes in each case, and such Members may share their time; and any division demanded thereon shall be taken forthwith; (3) the proceedings in relation to No. 12 and No. 13 shall, if not previously concluded, be brought to a conclusion after 20 minutes; (4) the debate in relation to Vote 26 shall, if not previously concluded, be brought to a conclusion after two hours 15 minutes and the following arrangements shall apply: (i) the speech of a Minister or Minister of State and of the main spokespersons for Fianna Fáil, Sinn Féin, Labour, AAA-PBP, Independents 4 Change, Rural Technical Group and Social Democrats-Green Party, or a Member nominated in their stead, shall not exceed 15 minutes in each case, and such Members may share their time; (ii) the speech of each other Member called upon shall not exceed five minutes in each case; and such Members may share their time; (iii) a Minister or Minister of State shall be called upon to make a speech in reply which shall not exceed five minutes; and the question thereon shall not be put until all the Revised Estimates for 2016 are moved and decided together by one question and any division demanded thereon shall be taken on Thursday, 7 July 2016; (5) the debate in relation to Vote 38 shall, if not previously concluded, be brought to a conclusion at 2.45 p.m. tomorrow and the following arrangements shall apply: (i) the speech of a Minister or Minister of State and of the main spokespersons for Fianna Fáil, Sinn Féin, Labour, AAA-PBP, Independents 4 Change, Rural Technical Group and Social Democrats-Green Party, or a Member nominated in their stead, shall not exceed 15 minutes in each case, and such Members may share their time; (ii) the speech of each other Member called upon shall not exceed five minutes in each case; and such Members may share their time; (iii) a Minister or Minister of State shall be called upon to make a speech in reply which shall not exceed five minutes; and the question thereon shall not be put until all the Revised Estimates for 2016 are moved and decided together by one question and any division demanded thereon shall be taken on Thursday, 7 July 2016; and (6) in relation to Private Members’ business which shall be No. 26, Parole Bill 2016 - Second Stage, the proceedings on the Second Stage thereon shall, if not previously concluded, be brought to a conclusion at 6.30 p.m. tonight.

There are six proposals to put to the House. Is the proposal for dealing with No. 14, motion re presentation and circulation of Revised Estimates 2016, without debate, agreed to?

On that issue, the Revised Estimates for four Votes were circulated this morning. One of them, the education Vote, is to be taken this evening and another Vote, Vote 38, is to be taken tomorrow. In the spirit of proper scrutiny of Estimates and the new regime that was to apply, how is it possible for Estimates to be published and circulated to Members this morning, and to expect a reasoned debate to be held on the same Estimates at 6 o'clock this evening?

This was discussed among the Whips and I understand we have had agreement on that.

Sorry.

I understand this has been agreed and accepted by the Whips at their discussions.

We did not expect that it would be published this morning and debated this afternoon.

I am afraid it is before us now, so is the proposal agreed?

Agreed.

That is a fair point by Deputy Howlin.

This Vote is agreed because it is circulated.

The Deputy's point is well made.

Is the proposal for dealing with No. 11, motion re report of the Standing Order 112 Select Committee on the proposal for a Council directive amending Directive 2013/34/EU as regards disclosure of income tax information by certain undertakings and branches, COM(2016)198, agreed to?

I mentioned this briefly the other day.

You did.

Originally this proposal was not down for debate at all, quite extraordinarily.

The Deputy made that point yesterday quite effectively.

I did, but I am going to make it again.

I thought so.

It is not every day that the Deputy gets this far.

I want to acknowledge the efforts of Alice in the Whip's office in bringing this to the attention of the Government and allowing for some time.

When she asked me whether this was satisfactory, I said some time was better than none.

Dúirt bean liom go ndúirt bean léi.

I still do not think the time being provided is adequate and would briefly like to explain why, a Cheann Comhairle.

All right.

The issue I am highlighting is how we will deal with a proposal for a directive on country by country reporting on the European Union's efforts to clamp down on aggressive tax avoidance by multinationals. As we all know, this country and companies operating here are at the centre of that controversy. This is specifically directed at multinationals. I find it extraordinary that an all-party committee agreed that the matter should be decided on in the Dáil without debate. I also find it extraordinary that there is not a bigger appetite for a longer and more substantial debate on the matter. Essentially, we are evoking the principle of subsidiarity to prevent an effort to deal with aggressive tax avoidance by multinationals.

The Deputy has made his point. Does the Taoiseach want to respond in any way?

As Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett is aware, the clerk to the Standing Order 112 Select Committee responded by requesting that an arrangement be made for the motion to be tabled before 15 June. She made the point that when the committee had considered the proposal, it had heard evidence from officials from the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation and reviewed submissions from various stakeholders. It formed the view that the proposal did not comply with the principle of subsidiarity and summarised its reasons for forming that view. Under Standing Order 114, when a committee drafts a reasoned opinion, it submits it to the Dáil by way of a report and the Chairman tables a motion which shall be given priority on the Order Paper in accordance with Standing Order 30. Such motions are generally decided without debate, but a 40-minute debate has been arranged on this occasion on foot of the views expressed by Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett. I ask the Deputy to accept this.

I thank the Taoiseach. Is the proposal agreed to? Agreed. Is the proposal for dealing with No. 12, motion re Offences against the State (Amendment) Act 1998, and No. 13, motion re Criminal Justice (Amendment) Act 2009, agreed to? Agreed. Is the proposal for dealing with Vote 26 - Education and Skills - agreed to?

I think there is general consensus that the approach being taken on this point is unsatisfactory, but I am not going to cause a division on the matter now. However, I would like to ask about the publication of other Estimates. I presume they have all been passed by the Cabinet. Is that the case? If so, can the spokespeople who are preparing to engage with the Estimates for this year be given reasonable notice in order that they can do so adequately? This should happen before we begin looking at the Estimates for next year, when, by common consensus, we will have an entirely new regime.

I think that is fair. I will ask the individual Ministers to brief the Opposition spokespersons on the Estimates on what they generally contain.

Can I take it that the proposal is agreed to? Agreed. Is the proposal for dealing with Vote 38 - Health - agreed to? Agreed. Is the proposal for dealing with Private Members' business today agreed to? Agreed.