That is not acceptable. Can the Taoiseach please arrange for a special time for a debate and for accountability on this issue?

I too ask the Taoiseach for a briefing of party leaders. There is great frustration and angst as people all over the country do not know what is going on. We need the PUP payment restored for all of these businesses that are going to be closed down.

In that context, if the Ceann Comhairle will allow me, I made comments earlier about Dr. Holohan and I asked where he had been for the past number of months. I understand totally where he has been, looking after his sick wife, and I profoundly apologise if I caused any offence. I was asking in the context of the leaking on Sunday night and the whole furore. Do we have any idea of the impact of that on people's mental and physical health?

I want to apologise to his wife and family for any hurt caused.

I have not been excluding anybody. I rang Deputy Shortall's co-leader, Deputy Catherine Murphy, last evening. I have been in regular contact with leaders-----

No. It was-----

I did ring.

The Taoiseach made a phone call.

I did not interrupt.

That is not consultation. It is not cross-party-----

Can we hear the Taoiseach, without interruption?

There was a cross-party briefing.

When?

Who is saying that?

Am I not going to be allowed speak now? With the greatest respect-----

Can we just let the Taoiseach respond, please?

-----I want to get a few points across. Deputy Shortall says there is no justification for eight counties going to level 3. NPHET wanted every county to go to level 5. There is no mystery about it. She knows that as well as everybody else.

Yes.

She should not be disingenuous in the House about that. I said to her co-leader last night that there would be a leaders' briefing this week. I said that last week. She knows that but it does not suit so she comes into the House and says the opposite.

I am not talking about a-----

I also want to make the point that people know, in terms of physical matters, about getting things done in one full day between meeting with NPHET yesterday, and we had a very good, long meeting with NPHET, further discussions, into a Cabinet meeting and communicating with the general public.

I have to put on the record this business of excluding Opposition parties. In terms of Laois, Offaly and Kildare, every single Oireachtas Member and councillor was briefed that evening. In terms of Dublin, every single TD, Senator and councillor was briefed by officials up to 11 o'clock and, in some cases, midnight so let us have a bit of fair play all round. That happened.

Twice-----

I am saying that each time we extended to level 3 we briefed people because we knew TDs, Senators, councillors on the ground and the mayors of each council would be under pressure.

That is not a multi-party approach.

I have no difficulty at all with having a debate in the House on this but I put it to the House that everybody wants to cram everything into Tuesday and Wednesday. I believe Oral Questions tonight will be at 11 o'clock.

That is the Government's proposal.

No. It is not.

Why? Is it because everybody is here on Tuesday and Wednesday? If we want a serious debate, and let us have a serious debate, we should have it on Friday morning and I will take part in it. What goes on here every week is that the business is agreed by the Business Committee and then every Tuesday, since I have been coming in here, someone stands up and says it is not agreed because he or she wants a debate on this, that or the other issue. I guarantee that next Tuesday it will be the same, and the Tuesday after that. We have a budget next week so it may not be that week but it will be the Tuesday after that, and the one after that also. That tends to be the practice.

This issue merits debate. I accept that last Thursday people were not aware - neither was I, by the way - that NPHET would be meeting on Sunday and proposing to go to level 5. I have made a suggestion and I will leave it to the Business Committee. The Business Committee is empowered, with other parties, to make a call as to when there would be a debate on this but I think that is what we should do.

Are we all happy to come in on Friday and have a special debate? Yes, okay. Can I take it that the proposal for dealing with today's business is agreed to? Agreed. Is the proposal for dealing with Wednesday's business agreed to? Agreed. Is the proposal for dealing with-----