Tuesday's business shall be No. 7, motion re Double Taxation Relief (Taxes on Income) (Republic of Kazakhstan) Order 2017, back from committee; No. 8, motion re Exchange of Information Relating to Tax Matters (Macao Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China) Order 2017, back from committee; No. 9. motion re Sectoral Employment Order (Construction Sector) 2017, back from committee; No.10, motion re Broadcasting Act 2009 (Designation of Major Events) Order 2017, back from committee; No. 11, motion re Statement of Estimates for the Houses of the Oireachtas Commission; No. 11a, motion re Further Revised Estimates 2017, referral to committee; No. 12, motion re Thirteenth Report of the Committee of Selection; and No. 21, Water Services Bill 2017 - Second Stage (resumed). Private Members' Business shall be No. 142, motion re detrimental effect of extension of city boundaries on county areas, selected by the Rural Independent Group.

Wednesday’s business shall be No. 21, Water Services Bill 2017 - Second Stage (resumed); No. 22, Legal Metrology (Measuring Instruments) Bill 2017 - Order for Report, Report and Final Stages; No. 1, Criminal Justice (Victims of Crime) Bill 2016 - amendments from the Seanad; and No. 21a, pre-European Council statements.

Private Members' business shall be No. 143, motion re correcting pension inequities, selected by Fianna Fáil.

Thursday’s business shall be No. 23, Financial Resolutions by the Minister for Finance, 2018, Resolution No. 4, resumed; No. 21, Water Services Bill 2017 - Second Stage (resumed); and No. 4, National Archives (Amendment) Bill 2017 - Order for Second Stage and Second Stage. Second Stage of No. 40, Medical Practitioners (Amendment) Bill 2017 will be debated in the evening slot.

In relation to Tuesday’s business, it is proposed that the motions re Double Taxation Relief (Taxes on Income) (Republic of Kazakhstan) Order 2017, back from committee; Exchange of Information Relating to Tax Matters (Macao Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China) Order 2017; Sectoral Employment Order (Construction Sector) 2017, back from committee; Broadcasting Act 2009 (Designation of Major Events) Order 2017, back from committee; Statement of Estimates for the Houses of the Oireachtas Commission; Further Revised Estimates 2017, referral to committee; and Thirteenth Report of the Committee of Selection shall be taken without debate.

In relation to Wednesday’s business, it is proposed that:

(1) the Dáil shall sit at 10.30 am to take the Water Services Bill 2017;

(2) pre-European Council Statements shall commence immediately after Taoiseach’s Questions and be followed by questions to the Minister for Defence and shall be brought to a conclusion after 1 hour and 25 minutes, if not previously concluded - the statements of a Minister or a Minister of State and the main spokespersons for parties or groups, or a Member nominated in their stead, shall not exceed ten minutes each, with a five minute response from the Minister or the Minister of State, and all Members may share time; and

(3) Order for Report, Report and Final Stages of the Legal Metrology (Measuring Instruments) Bill 2017 shall be taken immediately after Private Members’ business and the order shall resume thereafter.

In relation to Thursday’s business, it is proposed that:

(1) the Dáil shall sit at 10 a.m. to take Financial Resolutions by the Minister for Finance, 2018, Resolution No. 4, resumed - in relation to the adjournment of the debate on the Financial Resolutions, resumed, where there are no further Members offering, the debate shall be adjourned; in any case, the debate shall adjourn at 12 noon and shall not be resumed that day; and if it is adjourned before 12 noon, the sitting shall be suspended until noon;

(2) the sitting shall be suspended at the conclusion of the block voting for 30 minutes;

(3) if the proceedings on the Water Services Bill 2017 conclude after the weekly divisions, any division demanded thereon shall be taken immediately; and

(4) the Dáil shall sit later than 7.48 p.m., with questions to the Minister for Justice and Equality being taken at 4 p.m. The Dáil shall adjourn following the proceedings on Second Stage of the Medical Practitioners (Amendment) Bill 2017.

There are three proposals to be put to the House. Is the proposal for dealing with Tuesday's business agreed to?

Not agreed. At the Business Committee I raised the issue of not debating the double taxation agreements with Kazakhstan and Macao.

We are not getting into a debate on the matter. We know what the Deputy is opposed to.

The Leas-Cheann Comhairle does not know because I have not explained it.

The Deputy is opposing the proposal because the motions are not included for debate.

I need to explain why. Kazakhstan is, in effect, a dictatorship. The European Parliament has passed four resolutions outlining major problems with human rights abuses, arrests, imprisonments and the seizure of the property of civil society opponents and political opposition figures.

We are getting into a debate. I am going to ask the Government-----

The European Parliament-----

The Deputy knows the rules. He is opposing the proposal.

We have one minute. That is the rule.

No.

We have one minute in which to explain why we are opposing something.

It is up to the Ceann Comhairle to tell the Deputy that.

Does the Government want to respond?

We should not ignore human rights abuses and the denial of democracy in Kazakhstan. They are systematic and ongoing and have been reported by human rights bodies across the globe. In doing this deal we are ignoring these issues.

I am putting the question-----

There is no response. Can we not even ask for one?

Does the Government wish to respond?

Is the proposal for dealing with Wednesday's business agreed to? Agreed. Is the proposal for dealing with Thursday's business agreed to? Agreed.

We have five minutes left for questions on promised legislation. I will take questions from the leaders. I should put it on the record that there have been indications from Deputies Danny Healy-Rae, Collins, O'Rourke, Byrne, Brady, Michael Healy-Rae, Stanley, Brassil, Ryan, Rabbitte, Nolan, Kenny and Ellis. They will get the first opportunity to speak tomorrow, after the leaders.