Today's business shall be No. 8, motion re changes to Standing Orders without debate. Government business shall be No. 3, Finance Bill 2016 - Order for Second Stage and Second Stage. Private Members' business shall be No. 22, Thirty-fifth Amendment of the Constitution (Repeal of the Eighth Amendment) Bill 2016 - Second Stage by the AAA-PBP. Tomorrow's Government business shall be No. 3, Finance Bill 2016 - Second Stage (resumed); and No. 13, post-European Council statements. There will also be expressions of sympathy on the death of former Member, Paddy Lalor. Private Members' business shall be No. 23, Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2016 - Second Stage by Fianna Fáil. Thursday’s Government business shall be No. 8a, motion re Ireland’s agreement to formally ratify the UN Paris Agreement on Climate Change from the Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment; and No. 3, Finance Bill 2016 - Second Stage (resumed). No. 24, Prohibition of the Exploration and Extraction of Onshore Petroleum Bill 2016 - Second Stage will be taken in the evening slot.

I refer Members to the report of the Business Committee of 20 October 2016. In relation to today's business there are two proposals. It is proposed that:

(1) No. 8 will be taken without debate; and

(2) No. 22 will be brought to a conclusion at 10 p.m. tonight if not previously concluded.

In relation to Wednesday’s business there are six proposals. It is proposed that:

(1) the Dáil shall sit at 10 a.m.;

(2) the Dáil shall sit later than 10 p.m. and adjourn not later than 10.50 p.m.;

(3) the expressions of sympathy shall take place after Questions on Promised Legislation, to be brought to a conclusion after 20 minutes if not previously concluded and each contribution shall not exceed two minutes;

(4) No. 13 shall commence immediately after Taoiseach’s questions and shall be followed by questions to the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment and shall be brought to a conclusion after 1 hour and 45 minutes, if not previously concluded. A Minister or Minister of State and the main spokespersons for parties or groups, or a Member nominated in their stead, may speak for ten minutes each. A Minister or Minister of State shall take questions for a period not exceeding 20 minutes and there shall be a five-minute response from a Minister or Minister of State. All Members may share time;

(5) the suspension of sitting shall take place for 30 minutes after questions to the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment. Topical Issues shall take place on the conclusion of the sos and Private Members' business shall take place on the conclusion of Topical Issues for two hours; and

(6) No. 23 shall be brought to a conclusion after two hours if not previously concluded.

There are five proposals for Thursday's business. It is proposed that:

(1) The Dáil shall sit at 10 a.m.,

(2) The Dáil shall sit later than 5.48 p.m. and adjourn on the conclusion of the debate on Item 24,

(3) Item 8a , shall be brought to a conclusion by 12 midday if not previously concluded. A Minister or Minister or State and the main spokespersons for parties or groups, or a member nominated in their stead may speak for ten minutes each. Other Members may speak for ten minutes within the allotted time and there shall be a five minute response from a Minister or Minister of State. All Members may share time.

(4) Item 3, if not previously concluded, shall be brought to a conclusion at 3.30 p.m. and any division demanded on the conclusion of the Second Stage debate shall be taken immediately and shall be followed immediately by Question Time, and

(5) That the Dáil on its rising shall adjourn until 2 p.m. on Tuesday 8 November 2016.

I thank the Minister of State. There are three questions to be put to the House. Is the proposal for dealing with No. 1, today's business, agreed to?

I object to a number of items on the proposals for the business of today, tomorrow and Thursday. They are all related because they are related to the timing of-----

Is it just the business for Tuesday we are dealing with now?

We are just dealing with Tuesday's business now.

I know. I said Tuesday - which is today - tomorrow and Thursday, and that they are all related. I can deal with them one by one and I could get up and down like a yo-yo-----

Let us deal with Tuesday.

-----but I would prefer just to deal with it once.

Some people may have no objection to Tuesday's business. They might have an issue with Wednesday and they might have an issue with Thursday.

We are dealing with them individually. I will be dealing with them individually, so on Tuesday's business.

The context of my objection for Tuesday's business is the lack of time allowed for the Finance Bill throughout all three days. I propose that we amend the business today to sit until 12 midnight to allow for an additional two hours today to ensure that additional speakers get to speak on the Finance Bill today. I will propose the same for Wednesday's and Thursday's business when they come up.

We are dealing with Tuesday's business. Deputy Ruth Coppinger, on Tuesday's business.

I thank the Leas-Cheann Comhairle. I heard him say Tuesday's business. I want to raise the issue of the Private Members' Bill being brought forward tonight by the Anti-Austerity Alliance and People Before Profit with regard to the referendum to repeal the eighth amendment to the Constitution, and the reported disgraceful manoeuvres of the Government in relation to that Bill. I believe the Dáil and the electorate should be very clear about what is being proposed. Contrary to news reports there is no-----

The Deputy will have an opportunity to discuss that during Private Members' time.

Sorry Leas-Cheann Comhairle, I am entitled to raise anything on the Order of Business today with regard to my time on the Order of Business, if you do not mind.

What about your timing, what is the Deputy's proposal?

The Government is proposing to oppose the Bill to repeal the eighth amendment yet it is reported in the news by the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, Deputy Katherine Zappone, that the Government is not. By doing that, they are ensuring there will be no referendum whatsoever during the lifetime of this Government.

I thank the Deputy.

It is important that the Government responds. They have been out-----

They will.

Sorry Leas-Cheann Comhairle, do you mind?

I will ask the Government.

They have been out in the media saying there is a special committee and that they are going to speed up dealing with this issue-----

The Deputy is out of order.

Sorry Leas-Cheann Comhairle-----

The Deputy is out of order.

How am I out of order when I am raising something on the Order of Business?

The Deputy has no proposal. What is your proposal?

I am proposing an amendment to a Bill that we are putting. We are entitled that it would be clarified.

No, that is an amendment to the Bill, not to the-----

We are not yet at the Order of Business.

What I am-----

The Deputy will have an opportunity to put down an amendment to the Bill, but not to the Order-----

So I do not have an opportunity-----

If the Deputy wants to amend the Order of Business then propose it.

Can I finish then?

Proposals to the Order of Business.

My proposal is that the Government pulls back from this completely undemocratic manoeuvre-----

I thank the Deputy, that is her proposal.

-----because some of the architects of the eighth amendment are foisting this further doing down of women's rights-----

That is-----

People who were here 33 years ago. What others - young people and women who have wanted a change for a long time now - will be very surprised by-----

The Deputy is taking advantage, she made a proposal that the Government withdraw it. That is a matter for the Government to decide.

-----is their independence-----

Please Deputy, when I am on my feet there is only person under me. I am on my feet and I have given the Deputy more than enough latitude.

You are not letting me finish my one minute.

Not necessarily. You have made a proposal that the Government withdraw the Bill and I will allow the Government to respond.

And I am allowed to elaborate on why.

No. Please resume your seat.

Why not?

We are all intelligent enough to know what you are proposing.

I should be allowed to elaborate.

Maybe you should, but you are not.

Why not? I will stay on my feet until the Leas-Cheann Comhairle allows me to-----

In response to the Deputy's request, the Government will not withdraw its amendment to the Bill.

On a point of order, we have not yet disposed of the recommendations of the Business Committee. I take it there will be an Order of Business after this.

Yes.

On the normal Order of Business anyone can raise anything.

I am allowing the Government to respond.

I do not want to be jumping up, I just want to finish this point-----

Well, you do not have the opportunity.

-----for 20 seconds.

The Government will respond.

In response to the Deputy's request, the Government will not withdraw its reasoned amendment this evening. In response to Deputy Ó Snodaigh, the Business Committee agreed to schedule eight and a half hours of this week's sitting for the Finance Bill. We recognised his concerns at the Business Committee that if it was not enough, that the Business Committee would have a special sitting tomorrow and we would extend the sitting hours thereafter, but let us wait and see as to the pick-up of the people who want to speak on the Finance Bill. The Business Committee is very open to extending it, but we will wait to see what the pick-up is first.

There are two responses. The Government will not withdraw the amendment and the Government has suggested there be a special Business Committee meeting tomorrow. Is Tuesday's business agreed? Agreed. We will now move on to Wednesday's business.