Money messages on Bills
Deputy Boyd Barrett accused the Government of abusing money messages to block a long list of Bills, including on cannabis, evictions and sex education. The Tánaiste replied that the Ceann Comhairle, not the Government, decides whether a money message is required.
Why is the Government sabotaging and subverting the democratic and legislative process through the use of money messages on Bills that do not involve any levying of taxes, which we are not allowed to do, or spending of money? It is abusing the money message on a whole series of Bills - in fact, it is 55 Bills at the moment. In our case, a Bill passed twice through the Dáil to give access to medicinal cannabis but was blocked by a money message. A Bill to stop evictions was blocked by a money message. A Bill to give objective sex education in schools was blocked by a money message. Most recently, we had the climate emergency measures Bill, on which the Government has, in my opinion, misled the Ceann Comhairle, claiming there are possible legal actions and fees having to be returned, which do not actually exist, in order to block a legislative measure to keep fossil fuels in the ground. Is that not abuse and sabotage of the democratic and legislative process?
Comment on this
The Government does not determine whether a money message is required. That is a determination of the Ceann Comhairle and I am very confident he is well able to make his own decisions.
Comment on this
They lobbied for it.
Comment on this
What difference does that make? That is a ridiculous statement.