I move:

Tuesday’s business shall be Second Stage of the Employment (Contractual Retirement Ages) Bill 2025 (to adjourn after 2 hours).

Tuesday's private members' business shall be Second Stage of the Water Services (Repeal of Water Charges) Bill 2025, selected by Sinn Féin.

Wednesday's business shall be:

- Statements on Tariffs (not to exceed 3 hrs and 32 mins)

- Údarás na Gaeltachta (Amendment) Bill 2024 (Committee Stage, section 5, resumed) (to commence no earlier than 5.30 p.m. and to adjourn either at 9 p.m. or after 3 hours, whichever is the later).

Wednesday's private members' business shall be the Motion re Protecting the Irish Economy against increasing Trade Tariffs, selected by the Independent Technical Group.

Thursday’s business shall be:

- Statements on Uisce Éireann (not to exceed 3 hrs and 32 mins)

- Employment (Contractual Retirement Ages) Bill 2025 (Second Stage, resumed, if not previously concluded) (if not previously concluded, to adjourn at 6.58 p.m. or after 1 hr and 34 mins, whichever is the later).

Proposed Arrangements for this week’s business:

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

1. the ordinary routine of business as contained in Schedule 3 to Standing Orders shall be modified to the extent that private members’ business may be taken earlier than 6.12 p.m. and shall, in any event be taken on the adjournment of proceedings on the Second Stage of the Employment (Contractual Retirement Ages) Bill 2025, or where those proceedings conclude within the available time, on the conclusion thereof, with consequential effect on the commencement times for the items following in the ordinary routine of business, namely, oral Parliamentary Questions to the Minister for Education, and topical issues, and on the time for the adjournment of the Dáil;

2. in relation to the proceedings on the Second Stage of the Employment (Contractual Retirement Ages) Bill 2025, the following arrangements shall apply:

(a) the proceedings shall, if not previously concluded, be interrupted and stand adjourned after 2 hours and the order of speaking and allocation of time shall be as follows:

(i) the arrangements for the first speaking round shall be in accordance with those contained in the table immediately below (to be read across, not down);

(ii) any speaking slots on the first round which are not reached may be taken on Thursday in accordance with the agreed sequence; and

(iii) members may share time; and

(b) the proceedings shall not be resumed on Tuesday; and

3. notwithstanding anything in Standing Order 177(2), the proceedings on Second Stage of the Water Services (Repeal of Water Charges) Bill 2025 shall, if not previously concluded, be brought to a conclusion after 2 hours.

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

1. the ordinary routine of business as set out in Schedule 3 to Standing Orders is modified to the following extent:

(a) the Dáil may sit later than 9.30 p.m. and shall adjourn on the conclusion of the weekly division time; and

(b) the time allotted for Government Business shall be extended in accordance with the arrangements for that business, with consequential effect on the commencement time for the weekly division time, which may be taken on the adjournment of proceedings on the Údarás na Gaeltachta (Amendment) Bill 2024: Provided that where the proceedings on that Bill conclude within the allotted time, the weekly division time shall be taken on the conclusion thereof, with consequential effect on the time for the adjournment of the Dáil;

2. the Statements on Tariffs shall not exceed 3 hours and 32 minutes and the order of speaking and allocation of time shall be as follows:

(a) the arrangements for the statements, not including the Ministerial response, shall be in accordance with the arrangements contained in the table immediately below (to be read across, not down);

(b) following the statements, a Minister or Minister of State shall be called upon to make a statement in reply which shall not exceed 10 minutes; and

(c) members may share time; and

3. the resumed proceedings on Committee Stage of the Údarás na Gaeltachta (Amendment) Bill 2024 shall commence no earlier than 5.30 p.m. and shall, if not previously concluded, be interrupted and stand adjourned either at 9 p.m. or after 3 hours, whichever is the later.

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

1. (a) the ordinary routine of business as contained in Schedule 3 to Standing Orders shall be modified to the following extent:

(i) the Dáil shall meet at 10.23 a.m.;

(ii) Questions to the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence pursuant to Standing Order 47(1) shall not be taken, and Questions to the Minister for Environment, Climate and Communications pursuant to Standing Order 47(1) shall be taken as the first item of business;

(iii) no motion for a Committee report pursuant to Standing Order 111 or private member's Bill pursuant to Standing Order 169 shall be taken; and

(iv) topical issues may be taken earlier than 7.24 p.m. and shall in any event be taken on the adjournment of the resumed proceedings on Second Stage of the Employment (Contractual Retirement Ages) Bill 2025, or where those proceedings conclude within the allotted time, on the conclusion thereof, and the Dáil shall adjourn on the conclusion of topical issues; and

(b) the Dáil on its rising shall adjourn until 2 p.m. on Tuesday 29th April, 2025;

2. the Statements on Uisce Éireann shall not exceed 3 hours and 32 minutes and the order of speaking and allocation of time shall be as follows:

(a) the arrangements for the statements, not including the Ministerial response, shall be in accordance with the arrangements contained in the table immediately below (to be read across, not down);

(b) following the statements, a Minister or Minister of State shall be called upon to make a statement in reply which shall not exceed 10 minutes; and

(c) members may share time; and

3. in relation to any resumed proceedings on Second Stage of the Employment (Contractual Retirement Ages) Bill 2025, the following arrangements shall apply:

(a) the proceedings shall, if not previously concluded, be interrupted and stand adjourned either at 6.58 p.m. or after 1 hour and 34 minutes, whichever is the later, and the order of speaking and allocation of time on the first speaking round shall be as follows:

(i) the speaking slots from Tuesday’s arrangements for the first round shall be continued from the point at which they were adjourned; and

(ii) members may share time; and

(b) the proceedings shall not be resumed on Thursday.

Are the proposed arrangements for this week's business agreed to?

Not agreed.

Can we have the Whip from each party or those wishing to record dissent, for 30 seconds?

My understanding is that Deputy McDonald wants to move an amendment under the Standing Order.

Under Standing Order 35(3) I wish to move an amendment such that, for Thursday's business, a proposal No. 4 be included, on the establishment of committees. We have waited far too long for this. The idea that we wait until the middle of May before we have committees up and running is unacceptable at this point, and I believe it can and should be remedied. We have a lot of very important issues arising-----

Thank you, Deputy McDonald. That is 30 seconds, and your amendment is moved.

-----some of which have been raised today.

I call Deputy Duncan Smith.

And we need functioning committees very quickly.

As the Whip, I can respond. The Deputy raised the issue under the Standing Order, which she has a right to do

That is fine, Deputy. In future I will call on you to speak and then ask the leader to move the amendment when the others have spoken.

That makes no sense.

It makes no sense.

An amendment under the Standing Order can be taken at any stage. It is at the discretion of the Ceann Comhairle as to when she decides to take it.

I did, but I said I would come back to you next. Go ahead, Deputy.

I want to make it clear than on 5 February, a Cheann Comhairle, you took independent legal advice and adjudicated on the right of the Regional Independent Group to form a group in opposition.

Please, Deputies.

No, this is my moment. I have 30 seconds, which is all that has been given. That is all the Ceann Comhairle has allowed me and I intend to make my point. At that point the Government could have moved, along with the rest of us, to form Oireachtas committees immediately under the d'Hondt system. We were told repeatedly that the Government was going to change Standing Orders and that is why the process was delayed. I can tell the House that Standing Order 113(2), which governs the formation of committees, was not changed. We have wasted two months thanks to the Government looking after Michael Lowry. That is why our committees have not been not set up.

Hear, hear.

There is no excuse as to why we cannot roll out the committees this week, and I fully support that.

Hear, hear.

I turn to CHI. The HIQA report published today is a matter of historical significance. We will now enter a two-week recess for Easter, and we think we should have a full debate this week on the HIQA report into CHI, the subsequent resignations and all the associated issues.

I agree with those two proposals. The Minister, Deputy Darragh O'Brien, said that the pre-election promise of 40,000 homes did not damage trust in the Government. That is an incredible statement to make and a slap in the face to the tens of thousands of people looking for somewhere affordable to live. I propose there should be time this week for the Minister to come into the House to make an apology for that.

We really need to take time this week to debate the HIQA report and to try to learn some lessons from the horrific abuse of some children at Temple Street hospital. The Taoiseach made the point earlier that the insertion of springs should not have happened and that responsibility lies with the surgeon. I agree 100%. The question, however, is how that was allowed to happen and to continue. If it was not for a whistleblower, a series of parliamentary questions and the reporting of The Ditch, this could still be happening today.

There is another related scandal of children being put through unnecessary hip surgeries. It is why the families are calling for a public inquiry. They are right to do so. We need to debate this issue in the Dáil.

Last week, a staggering 9,300 farmers were waiting since early 2024 on delayed ACRES payments. Some 2,302 of these farmers are waiting for their 2023 payment. We also have a tariff crisis facing Irish agriculture. Farmers also want to discuss – I met the IFA on this – Ireland’s derogation scheme. It is now about pointing the direction for Ireland and we need to have a discussion on agriculture this week in the Dáil.

With regard to committees, the Dáil reform committee, as agreed, will begin the process of establishing committees tomorrow evening, as Deputies are aware. The Government submitted the list of committees to the Dáil reform committee today and we are happy to discuss this at the meeting of the Dáil reform committee tomorrow evening. We will select the committees on Thursday morning, as was agreed with all the Whips last Thursday.

Questions were raised about the HIQA report and agriculture. I know Deputy Collins raised the matter of agriculture last week too, but there is only a set amount of time every week. We have allocated three and a half hours to the tariffs discussion, which was the main focus of all the Whips when we met last Thursday. We will certainly, however, see if there is an opportunity to debate the HIQA report in the Dáil this week. I will have to discuss that with the Minister.

I thank the Chief Whip.

Can we prioritise the formation of the foreign affairs and trade committee to get on with-----

Deputy-----

There are massive issues and huge concern around these tariffs. Can we at least prioritise the foreign affairs and trade committee?

The question is that the proposed arrangements are agreed to. Is that agreed?

Can we agree-----

Not agreed.

I moved an amendment. The Ceann Comhairle needs to take a vote on my amendment.

I have the question which will explain all of that.

An amendment has been proposed.

There is no need for a vote. We are going to set up the committees as quick as we can.

The question has to be put, Taoiseach, if everyone will just settle down.

Hear, hear.