In accordance with Standing Order 35, I call on the Chief Whip, Deputy Butler, to move the arrangements for this week's business.

I move:

Tuesday's business shall be:

- International Protection Bill 2026 (Second Stage, resumed) (to adjourn on conclusion of the second speaking round, not to exceed 3 hours and 24 minutes)

Tuesday's private members' business shall be the Second Stage of the Harassment, Harmful Communications and Related Offences (Amendment) Bill 2026, selected by Sinn Féin.

Wednesday's business shall be:-

- Statements on the Report of Operation Kenova (not to exceed 2 hours and 25 minutes)

- Defamation (Amendment) Bill 2024 (Amendments from the Seanad) (to conclude within 1 hour)

- Residential Tenancies (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2026 (Committee and remaining Stages) (to conclude within 5 hours)

Wednesday's private members' business shall be the Motion re Flood Prevention, selected by Independent Technical Group.

Thursday's business shall be:

-International Protection Bill 2026 (Second Stage, resumed) (to conclude after the third speaking round, with any division claimed to be taken immediately prior to Committee Stage on Wednesday, 18th February, 2026)

Thursday evening business shall be the Second Stage of the Quality in Public Procurement (Contract Preparation and Award Criteria) Bill 2021, sponsored by Deputy Sinéad Gibney.

Proposed Arrangements for this week’s business:

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

1. notwithstanding anything in Standing Orders:

(a) the time allocated to Government business shall be extended in accordance with the arrangements for that business and the Dáil may sit later than 10.48 p.m.; and

(b)private members’ business shall be taken following the proceedings on Second Stage of the International Protection Bill 2026, with consequential effect on the commencement times for the items following in the ordinary routine of business;

2. the resumed proceedings on the Second Stage of the International Protection Bill 2026 shall be interrupted, and stand adjourned on conclusion of the second speaking round and the following arrangements shall apply:

(a)the second-round speeches shall be in accordance with the table below (to be read across); and

(b) members may share time; and

3. notwithstanding anything in Standing Order 177(2), the proceedings on Second Stage of the Harassment, Harmful Communications and Related Offences (Amendment) Bill 2026 shall, if not previously concluded, be brought to a conclusion after 2 hours.

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

1. notwithstanding anything in Standing Orders:

(a) the time allotted for Government Business shall be extended in accordance with the arrangements for that business and the Dáil may sit later than 9.30 p.m.;

(b)the Statements on the Report of Operation Kenova, shall be taken at the time when the SOS pursuant to Standing Order 25(1) would normally be taken, and on the conclusion of the Statements, the sitting shall stand suspended either for one hour or until 4.30 p.m., whichever is the later; and

(c) the weekly division time shall be taken on the conclusion of proceedings on the Residential Tenancies (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2026;

2. the Statements on the Report of Operation Kenova shall not exceed 2 hours and 25 minutes and the following arrangements shall apply:

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

(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;

3. the proceedings on the amendments from the Seanad to the Defamation (Amendment) Bill 2024 shall, if not previously concluded, be brought to a conclusion after 1 hour, and any amendments from the Seanad not disposed of shall be decided by one question which shall be put from the Chair, and which shall, in relation to amendments to the Seanad amendments, include only those set down or accepted by the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration; and

4. the proceedings on Committee and remaining Stages of the Residential Tenancies (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2026 shall, if not previously concluded, be brought to a conclusion after 5 hours by one question which shall be put from the Chair, and which shall, in relation to amendments, include only those set down or accepted by the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage.

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

1. notwithstanding anything in Standing Orders, topical issues may be taken earlier than 7.24 p.m. with consequential effect on the commencement time for Second Stage of the Quality in Public Procurement (Contract Preparation and Award Criteria) Bill 2021, and on the time for the adjournment of the Dáil; and

2. the resumed proceedings on the Second Stage of the International Protection Bill 2026 shall, if not previously concluded, be brought to a conclusion at the end of the third speaking round and the following arrangements shall apply:

(a) the third-round speeches, not including the Ministerial response, shall be in accordance with the table below (to be read across);

(b) on conclusion of the third-round speeches, a Minister or Minister of State shall be called upon to make a speech in reply which shall not exceed 10 minutes;

(c) any division claimed on the Second Stage proceedings shall be taken immediately prior to Committee Stage on Wednesday, 18th February, 2026; and

(d) members may share time.

Not agreed.

We will start with Deputy McDonald.

Working households are struggling with price hikes and rip-off bills and no help coming from the Government. People with disabilities in particular have suffered as a result of the Government's budget leaving them €1,400 worse off. The Government refuses to provide a cost-of-disability winter payment. Now, those people are forced to protest outside the Dáil. It is not lost on anyone, by the way, that the Government makes these cruel decisions while hiking up the pay of CEOs. We need a debate and discussion on the Government's very unfair approach to the cost-of-living crisis.

Earlier I spoke with Jacinta Graham, who is the mother of Stephen Loughnane who is the subject of the RTÉ "Prime Time Investigates" programme tonight. He had a brain injury following a car accident and has been in continuous seclusion in Limerick Prison since 2021, then in the Central Mental Hospital and then in Portrane because there is no residential place for him. He is in uninterrupted 24-hour seclusion all of the time.

Thank you, Deputy.

I raised his case here with the Taoiseach on 15 September 2021.

The Deputy had 30 seconds and he has raised it. I call Deputy Aidan Farrelly.

Can we have time in this House to find out what the Taoiseach and his Government has done for him and people like him in the past five years?

Deputy Kelly, you are overstepping.

Under Standing Order 35(3), I wish to amend to Thursday's business to include statements on the failed Government election promise regarding €200 per month for childcare. We were told by Deputy Simon Harris that we would see a roadmap within 100 days. The action plan produced before Christmas was really useful in some ways but completely ignored this €200 per month plan. We have announcements with no details about State-led services and communities around this country continue to go without. I ask that there is time allocated on Thursday for this.

It is short notice but a protest has been called tomorrow for 5.30 p.m. outside of the Dáil. I urge people who are angry at this Government's failure to address affordability in rents and the housing crisis to get out and demonstrate against the decision of this Government to ram through the Residential Tenancies (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2026 and impose a guillotine. There will not be proper scrutiny of it. Most of the public do not understand how far-reaching and detrimental this Bill will be in jacking up rents and a Government that is facilitating landlords driving up rents even further.

I have been looking for statements in relation to the fishing industry for quite some time. I know the Government will say we have had them but the bottom line is that a task force was set up nearly two months ago. We have not heard whether it has met? What are the terms of reference? What is it doing? I was at a funeral the other day and I met a fisherman. He said that one day fishing and the quota is filled. They are facing ruination, and we are not doing much about it.

Thank you, Deputy. The Chief Whip to respond.

I thank the Deputies for their suggestions. We will have the debate on the International Protection Bill 2026 this afternoon for several hours. Tomorrow, we will have statements on Operation Kenova. We will have the residential tenancies Bill before the House tomorrow for five hours. On Thursday, we will again have the International Protection Bill. We can discuss different statements at the Business Committee meeting on Thursday, which we do every week. The Order of Business stands. I am not accepting the suggestion under Standing Order 35(3).

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

Not agreed.