Today's business shall be No. 30, post-European Council statements; No. 31, Road Traffic (Amendment) Bill 2017 - Second Stage (resumed); and Private Members' business shall be No. 168, motion re trolley crisis, selected by Sinn Féin.

Wednesday's business shall be statements on the Report of the Joint Committee on the Eighth Amendment of the Constitution; No. 31, Road Traffic (Amendment) Bill 2017 - Second Stage (resumed); and Private Members' business shall be No. 169, motion re reimbursing staff of section 39 agencies, selected by Fianna Fáil.

Thursday's business shall be No. 31, Road Traffic (Amendment) Bill 2017 - Second Stage (resumed), if not previously concluded; and No. 32, statements on the report of the Joint Committee on the Eighth Amendment of the Constitution (resumed), if not previously concluded.

I refer to the second revised report of the Business Committee dated 15 January 2018 in respect of today's business. It is proposed that:

(1) post-European Council statements shall commence immediately after Taoiseach's Questions and will be followed by Questions to the Minister for Rural and Community Development. The statements will be brought to a conclusion after 1 hour and 45 minutes, if not previously concluded, and shall be confined to a single round for An Taoiseach and the main spokespersons for parties or groups, or a member nominated in their stead, for a period not exceeding ten minutes each. A Minister or Minister of State shall take questions and answers for a period not exceeding 20 minutes, with a five-minute response from the Minister or Minister of State and all Members may share time;

(2) Notwithstanding anything in Standing Order 143F, the rota for Private Members' business on 16 to 23 January, shall be in the following temporary sequence: Sinn Féin, Fianna Fáil, Social Democrats-Green Party group, whereupon the sequence in the Standing Order shall continue; and

(3) Private Members' business shall be taken at 8 p.m., or on the conclusion of the Topical Issue debate, whichever is the later, for two hours and the Dáil shall adjourn on the conclusion of Private Members' business.

With regard to Wednesday's business, it is proposed that:

(1) there shall be no Taoiseach's questions and the sos, in accordance with Standing Order 25(1), shall take place on the conclusion of Questions on Promised Legislation; and

(2) the opening round of statements on the Report of the Joint Committee on the Eighth Amendment of the Constitution shall be confined to a Minister or Minister of State and the main spokespersons for parties or groups, or a Member nominated in their stead, for a period not exceeding 20 minutes each. In the following round, statements shall be confined to members of the Joint Committee on the Eighth Amendment of the Constitution for a period not exceeding 20 minutes each. All other Members shall have 20 minutes each, with a ten-minute response from the Minister or Minister of State, and all Members may share time. The statements shall adjourn at 8.15 p.m., if not previously concluded, to take Second Stage, resumed, of the Road Traffic (Amendment) Bill 2017, unless previously concluded. If the proceedings on Second Stage of the Road Traffic (Amendment) Bill 2017 conclude before 10.15 p.m., the statements shall resume.

With regard to Thursday's business, it is proposed that:

(1) the proceedings on Second Stage of the Road Traffic (Amendment) Bill 2017 shall, if not previously concluded, be brought to a conclusion at 4.30 p.m. and any division demanded on the conclusion of Second Stage on Thursday shall be taken on Tuesday 23 January 2017 after the Order of Business;

(2) the Topical Issue debate shall take place not later than 7 p.m.; and

(3) no Private Members' Bill shall be taken under Standing Order 140A and no committee report shall be taken under Standing Order 91(2).

There are three proposals to put to the House. Is the proposal for dealing with today's business agreed to? Agreed. Is the proposal for dealing with Wednesday's business agreed to?

It is not agreed. I would like an explanation from the Chief Whip as to why the decision taken by the Business Committee last week to allow each Member a ten-minute slot in the debate on the referendum on the eighth amendment was changed to allow for 20-minute slots. Could he explain why it is necessary for each speaker to have 20 minutes? My understanding is that both the Chief Whip and the Minister for Health contacted the business office to seek a doubling of the time allocated. I also understand that every Deputy in this House is entitled to speak for 20 minutes. That would effectively allow for 52.3 hours of debate on the joint committee's report if every Deputy wanted to use his or her 20 minutes. It just does not make sense. How much can one say about this issue, which we have been debating for years? Women's health has waited long enough. Could we please accept the proposal from Solidarity–People Before Profit to revert to the original decision of the Business Committee, that is, to allow for ten-minute slots?

I thank the Deputy. She has made her point. No one else wants to contribute on this particular matter. Has the Minister of State anything to add?

On a very important matter, a number of people from different parties made a request for extra time. On a very important matter such as this, the debate should not be stifled.

Does that mean we are to have 52 hours of debate on this potentially?

That is not envisaged.

For clarification, Members may share time in their 20-minute slots.

On behalf of the Rural Independent Group, I, for one, was incensed when I saw we were to deal with such an important issue by allowing Members slots of only ten minutes when we have 20 minutes slots for any other issue, from climate change to a fly going up a wall. This is a very important issue and should not be rushed with indecent haste. I contacted the Whip's office, as did the Ceann Comhairle, to demand that we would have adequate time to discuss the momentous decision to repeal the eighth amendment, which has stood the country in good stead for so many decades.

We have no compromise proposals.

May I ask a question?

No. The Deputy has contributed twice. Is the proposal for dealing with-----

It is just a question on the Order of Business.

Go on.

Does this also mean that when the Bill to provide for a referendum comes before the Dáil, each Deputy will be entitled to 20 minutes then also?

That is a matter for the Business Committee.

That is an entirely separate matter. It is a new departure to be talking about curtailing people's ability to contribute here. That really is a new departure.

No, this is not about curtailing; it is about ensuring that we get an early referendum as the Taoiseach indicated-----

Five or six people.

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 will proceed to questions on promised legislation. I will call the party leaders who have indicated and then I will use the card system to identify other contributors.