Today's schedule of business is packed and will run until almost 1 o'clock tomorrow morning. There are only going to be 45 minutes per segment to discuss the extension of the emergency powers, which is not enough. We will not have enough time to discuss the mother and baby home legislation either. What are we trying to do here? Are we trying to steamroll everything through? If we have to sit on Friday, so be it. We need a day's debate on the second lockdown that was announced last night. A full eight hours or more of debate is needed because there are many issues out there for many different people, affecting the economy, mental health, you name it.

May I make a proposal, a Cheann Comhairle?

The Deputy has spoken already. Is he making a proposal about today?

Yes.

Good. Go on, then.

I have listened to the points that have been raised. Points were raised about putting the evictions Bill on the agenda and a lengthy, significant debate on the question of the Covid-19 strategy. I suggest that the Business Committee be asked to convene this afternoon and to come back later with proposals that would include the items I have mentioned, with the debate on the Covid strategy to take place before restrictions come in on Wednesday night. That proposal would obviously have to include a sitting on Friday.

My understanding is that the Business Committee is due to meet today, or that it can do so. We have no difficulty in engaging with the Business Committee, as the Chief Whip has made clear, to work out the arrangements that might be optimal for the House to debate all of these issues.

I hope Deputy Gannon did not mind that I interrupted him. The reason I did is because the Minister for Education and Skills gave positive feedback to the Cabinet on the reaction on the ground to the operation of schools. It has been agreed by all parties that keeping the schools open safely is an important societal objective. Children must have an opportunity to learn, develop and socialise within the school environment. I trust that everyone in the House is still supportive of that noble objective because children lose a lot when they miss school, some of which cannot be regained. I hope we can get agreement across the House. I understand that people have concerns and fears but I hope there will not be attempts to politically exploit them or undermine the genuine effort to try to keep schools open for the right reasons. I know that everybody in the House shares that objective.

I take the Ceann Comhairle's point that the House is meeting late into the morning and will potentially be late tomorrow morning or the morning after. We will do whatever we can to be facilitative and constructive with the Opposition on the ordering of Business.

We will convene a Business Committee meeting if that is what Members want this afternoon.

On a point of clarification, all of these votes will pass today and we will not have another chance to debate this. I want clarity. Are we agreeing a Friday sitting? If the Taoiseach is insisting on going ahead with the mother and baby homes legislation on Wednesday and Thursday – I assume he is insisting on going ahead with that – we need Friday cleared now for business. If we get a commitment from the Taoiseach now that we will sit on Friday, then we will not push this matter to a vote on the Order of Business.

If the Deputy is agreeable to a Business Committee meeting-----

The Taoiseach can do that. He can make that call.

No, I cannot. I do not want to do that. I am not going to dictate to the Business Committee.

There is the Taoiseach's schedule there. He gives it to us every week.

It may very well result in a Friday sitting but given that it has been agreed that the Business Committee will meet, the fairest thing is to allow it to deliberate upon it. The Government will be represented by the Whip at the Business Committee. That is a reasonable way to proceed.