Order of Business
The Government proposed the week’s business, while Deputies sought action on fishing, termination-of-pregnancy legislation, Iran, Shannon Airport and energy costs; the schedule stood, with Iran statements promised.
I move:
Tuesday's business shall be:
- Motion re Proposed approval by Dáil Éireann of Finance Act 2004 (Section 91) (Deferred Surrender to the Central Fund) Order 2026 (without debate and any division claimed to be taken immediately)
- Motion re Consideration of Estimates by Committees (without debate)
- Ráitis maidir leis an Ghaeilge chun Seachtain na Gaeilge a chomóradh (not to exceed 2 hours and 25 minutes)
- Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity) (Amendment) Bill 2026 (Second Stage) (if not previously concluded, to adjourn after 60 minutes)
Tuesday's private members' business shall be the Motion re Tithíocht Gaeltachta, selected by Sinn Féin.
Wednesday's business shall be:
- Statements on Post Office Closures (not to exceed 2 hours and 25 minutes)
- Statements on Scoliosis and Inquiries (not to exceed 2 hours and 25 minutes)
- Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity) (Amendment) Bill 2026 (Second Stage, resumed) (to conclude at the end of the first round, not to exceed 2 hours and 34 minutes)
- Public Health (Single-Use Vapes) Bill 2025 (Committee and remaining Stages) (to commence no earlier than 8.30 p.m. and to conclude within 1 hour and 30 minutes)
Wednesday's private members' business shall be the Second Stage of the Online Safety (Recommender Algorithms) Bill 2026, selected by Independent and Parties Technical Group.
Thursday's business shall be:
- Media Regulation Bill 2026 (Second Stage) (if not previously concluded, to adjourn at the end of the first speaking round)
Thursday evening business shall be the Second Stage of the Criminal Justice (Rehabilitative Periods) Bill 2018, sponsored by Deputy Gary Gannon.
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 proceedings on the Second Stage of the Assisted Decision-making (Capacity) (Amendment) Bill 2026, with consequential effect on the commencement times for the items following in the ordinary routine of business;
2. the proceedings on the Motion re Proposed approval by Dáil Éireann of Finance Act 2004 (Section 91) (Deferred Surrender to the Central Fund) Order 2026 shall be taken without debate and any division claimed thereon shall be taken immediately;
3. the proceedings on the Motion re Consideration of Estimates by Committees shall be taken without debate;
4. the Statements on Seachtain na Gaeilge 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; and
5. the proceedings on the Second Stage of the Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity) (Amendment) Bill 2026, shall be interrupted and stand adjourned either after 1 hour, or where no further member is offering, and the following arrangements shall apply:
(a) the first speaking round shall be in accordance with those contained in the table immediately below (to be read across, not down); and
(b) members may share time.
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) in the event that Second Stage of the Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity) (Amendment) Bill 2026 concludes before 8.30 p.m., the sitting shall stand suspended until 8.30 p.m., when the order of business shall resume with the Public Health (Single-Use Vapes) Bill 2025; and
(c) the weekly division time shall be taken on the conclusion of proceedings on the Public Health (Single-Use Vapes) Bill 2025;
2. notwithstanding anything in Standing Order 177(2), the proceedings on Second Stage of the Online Safety (Recommender Algorithms) Bill 2026 shall, if not previously concluded, be brought to a conclusion after 2 hours
3. the Statements on Post Office Closures 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;
4. the Statements on Scoliosis and Inquiries 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;
5. the resumed proceedings on the Second Stage of the Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity) (Amendment) Bill 2026 shall, if not previously concluded, be brought to a conclusion at the end of the first speaking round and the following arrangements shall apply:
(a) the speaking slots from Tuesday’s arrangements for the first round shall be continued from the point at which they were adjourned;
(b) on conclusion of the first-round speeches, a Minister or Minister of State shall be called upon to make a speech in reply which shall not exceed 10 minutes; and
(c) members may share time; and
6. the Order of referral of the Public Health (Single-Use Vapes) Bill 2025 to the Select Committee on Health, is hereby discharged, the Bill shall be taken in Committee of the whole Dáil and the proceedings on Committee and remaining Stages of the Bill shall commence no earlier than 8.30 p.m. and shall, if not previously concluded, be brought to a conclusion after 90 minutes 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 Health.
In relation to Thursday's business, it is proposed that:
1. notwithstanding anything in Standing Orders:
(a) topical issues may be taken earlier than 7.24 p.m. with consequential effect on the commencement time for the Second Stage of the Criminal Justice (Rehabilitative Periods) Bill 2018, and on the time for the adjournment of the Dáil; and
(b) the Dáil on its rising today shall adjourn until 2 p.m. on Wednesday, 18th March, 2026; and
2. the proceedings on the Second Stage of the Media Regulation Bill 2026 shall, if not previously concluded, be interrupted and stand adjourned at the end of the first speaking round and the following arrangements shall apply:
(a) the first-round speeches shall be in accordance with the table below (to be read across);
(b) where speeches conclude before the 3 hours and 24 minutes have elapsed and no other member is offering, a Minister or Minister of State shall be called upon to make a speech in reply which shall not exceed 10 minutes, whereupon proceedings shall be brought to a conclusion; and
(c) members may share time.
Comment on this
They are not agreed.
When will the Taoiseach stand up for our fishing communities in Europe? He knows we are in an unprecedented crisis. There is a 70% cut in mackerel and 41% in blue whiting, primarily because of actions of countries like Norway which recklessly overfished. In recent days, Norway was granted 50,000 tonnes of blue whiting access in Irish waters and the Irish Government abstained. It did not stand up and confront what is going on here.
Comment on this
When will the Taoiseach stand up for Irish fishing communities? When will he do his job for our communities?
Comment on this
We are calling for a debate on the termination of pregnancy legislation. I want to pay tribute to Deputy Whitmore's niece, who spoke so powerfully this morning about her own experience of fatal foetal anomalies. It is eight years since that legislation was passed. The Government dragged its heels on the review. There has been no action on Marie O'Shea's recommendations, which are now three years old. For women and their families across this country, it is absolutely unacceptable and we should have a debate in this country on the Government's position.
Comment on this
As we have heard, the implications of the illegal attack of the US and Israel on Iran and the retaliatory attacks are far reaching in terms of citizen safety abroad, energy prices and international law. We need a debate on this issue this week. The Taoiseach has just said we have not debated Iran enough, so please make time for this and debate these pressing issues.
Comment on this
We need an emergency debate on whether our airport, Shannon Airport, is going to be used by the US military to prosecute what is a flagrantly illegal military assault on Iran, which has set the entire Middle East on fire and which is being conducted with a regime, Israel, that is in the dock for two and a half years of genocide.
Comment on this
Is the Taoiseach going to allow our airports to be used to facilitate that illegal war? We need to discuss that as a matter of urgency.
Comment on this
With the outbreak of the war in Iran, energy costs are going to go through the roof. An elderly lady told me she was quoted €950 on Friday evening. She was putting together the money for the weekend to ring them yesterday morning and it had gone up to €1,080. The Minister of Finance needs to come in here and talk about the temporary freezing of carbon tax to give people a little bit of ease in this shocking time.
Comment on this
I thank all the Whips for their comments on the fishing community, the termination of pregnancy, Iran, Shannon Airport and energy costs. The Order of Business stands as set out and as circulated to all the Whips. However, the Minister, Deputy McEntee, will come in during the week to take statements on Iran and I will engage with the Whips in the afternoon.
Comment on this
Not agreed.
Comment on this
Question put: "That the proposed arrangements for this week's business be agreed to."
Do you agree with this result?