Before I call on the Chief Whip, I welcome all the people in the Gallery this afternoon. I hope they are enjoying our robust debates, especially St. Anne's National School from Rathangan and their teacher Ms Cunningham. I call the Chief Whip under Standing Order 35 to move the arrangements for this week's business.

I move:

Tuesday's business shall be:

- Motion re Ministerial Rota for Parliamentary Questions (without debate)

- Motion re Proposed Approval by Dáil Éireann of the Data Protection Act 2018 under (Section 60(6)) and (Section 51)(3)) Regulations 2026 (without debate)

- Motion re Report of the Committee on Standing Orders and Dáil Reform (without debate)

- International Co-operation (Omagh Bombing Inquiry) Bill 2026 (Second Stage) (to conclude after the first round, not to exceed 3 hours and 34 minutes)

- Financial Motion by the Minister for Finance [2026] (Financial Resolution No. 1 (to be brought to a conclusion within 60 mins, and any divisions claimed to be taken immediately)

Tuesday's private members' business shall be the Motion re Cancer Services, selected by Sinn Féin.

Wednesday's business shall be:

- National Oil Reserve Energy (Amendment) Bill 2026 (Second Stage) (to conclude after the first round, not to exceed 3 hours and 34 minutes);

- Motion re Proposed approval by Dáil Éireann of the Civil Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2022 (Section 4(2)) (Scheme Termination Date) Order 2026 (to be taken no earlier than 5.30 p.m. and to conclude within 60 mins)

- Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity) (Amendment) Bill 2026 (Report and Final Stages) (to conclude within 60 mins)

- National Oil Reserve Energy (Amendment) Bill 2026 (Committee and Remaining Stages) (to conclude within 60 mins)

- Motions for Revised Estimates for Public Services 2026 [Votes 1-10, 13, 16, 20-25, 27-32 and 34-45] (back from Committee) (to be moved together and decided by one question, and any division claimed to be taken immediately)

- Motion re Consideration of Estimates by Committee (without debate)

Wednesday's private members' business shall be the Motion re An Garda Síochána, selected by the Labour Party.

Thursday's business shall be:

- Statements on the Bessborough Development (not to exceed 2 hours and 25 minutes)

Thursday evening business shall be the Second Stage of the Organisation of Working Time (Leave for Health Screening Purposes) Bill 2025, sponsored by Deputy Duncan Smith.

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.;

(b)private members’ business shall be taken on the conclusion of proceedings on the Financial Resolution; and

(c) Topical Issues shall not be taken and the Dáil shall adjourn on the conclusion of Parliamentary Questions to the Minister for Further and Higher Education;

2. the proceedings on the Motion re Ministerial Rota for Parliamentary Questions shall be taken without debate and any division claimed thereon shall be taken immediately;

3. the proceedings on the Motion re Proposed Approval by Dáil Éireann of the Data Protection Act 2018 under (Section 60(6)) and (Section 51)(3)) Regulations 2026 shall be taken without debate and any division claimed thereon shall be taken immediately;

4. the proceedings on the Motion re Report of the Committee on Standing Orders and Dáil Reform shall be taken without debate;

5. the proceedings on the Second Stage of the International Co-operation (Omagh Bombing Inquiry) 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 first-round speeches, not including the Ministerial response, shall be in accordance with the table below (to be read across);

(b)on conclusion of the first speaking round, or 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; and

(c) members may share time; and

6. notwithstanding anything in Standing Orders, in relation to the Financial Motion by the Minister for Finance [2026] (Financial Resolution No. 1), the following arrangements shall apply:

(a)the proceedings on the motion shall, if not previously concluded, be brought to a conclusion after 60 minutes;

(b)the Question on the motion shall dispose of any amendments not disposed of tabled to that motion;

(c)the order of speaking and allocation of time shall be as follows:

opening speech by a Minister or Minister of State – 10 minutes

speeches by representatives of Sinn Féin, the Labour Party, Social Democrats, Independent and Parties Technical Group, and Independent Technical Group – 7.5 minutes per party or group

speeches by Other Members – 7.5 minutes; and

a speech in response by the Minister – 5 minutes

(d)members may share time; and

(e)any division demanded shall be taken immediately.

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

1. notwithstanding anything in Standing Orders:

(a) any motions to be taken without debate shall be taken on the conclusion of proceedings on the National Oil Reserve Agency (Amendment) Bill 2026; and

(b)the weekly division time shall be taken on the conclusion of proceedings on any motions without debate;

2. in relation the proceedings on the Second Stage of the National Oil Reserve Agency Bill 2026, the provisions of Standing Order 181 shall not apply and the proceedings 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 first-round speeches, not including the Ministerial response, shall be in accordance with the table below (to be read across);

(b)on conclusion of the first speaking round, or 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;

(c)members may share time; and

3. the proceedings on the Motion re Proposed approval by Dáil Éireann of the Civil Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2022 (Section 4(2)) (Scheme Termination Date) Order 2026 shall be taken no earlier than 5.30 p.m. and shall, if not previously concluded, be brought to a conclusion after 60 minutes and the following arrangements shall apply thereto:

(a)the order of speaking and allocation of time shall be as follows:-

opening speech by a Minister or Minister of State – 10 minutes;

speeches by representatives of Sinn Féin, the Labour Party, Social Democrats, Independent and Parties Technical Group, and Independent Technical Group – 7.5 minutes per party or group;

speeches by Other Members – 7.5 minutes in total; and

a speech in response by the Minister – 5 minutes; and

(b)members may share time;

4. the proceedings on Report and Final Stages of the Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity) (Amendment) Bill 2026 shall, if not previously concluded, be brought to a conclusion after 60 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 Children, Disability and Equality;

5. the proceedings on Committee and Remaining Stages of the National Oil Reserve Agency (Amendment) Bill 2026 shall, if not previously concluded, be brought to a conclusion after 60 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 Climate, Energy and the Environment;

6. the following arrangements shall apply to the proceedings on the Motions for Revised Estimates for Public Services 2026 [Votes 1-10, 13, 16, 20-25, 27-32 and 34-45]:

(a) the motions shall be moved and decided together by one question which shall be put from the Chair;

(b)the proceedings thereon shall be taken without debate; and

(c) any division claimed thereon shall be taken immediately; and

7. the proceedings on the Motion re Consideration of Estimates by Committee shall be taken without debate and any division claimed thereon shall be taken immediately.

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 Organisation of Working Time (Leave for Health Screening Purposes) Bill 2025, and on the time for the adjournment of the Dáil: provided that up to ten topical issues may be taken; and

(b)the Dáil on its rising today shall adjourn until 2 p.m. on Tuesday, 14th April, 2026; and

2. the Statements on the Bessborough Development 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.

Is that agreed? It is not agreed. I call Deputy Doherty.

The agenda that has been presented here is outrageous. The Government expects us to debate the major burning issue. The Government might think it is not an issue but for four weeks, people have been pushed to the pin of their collar. Diesel has gone up by 55 cent while the Government has delayed and dithered. When it now brings forward a motion that is a half-baked idea that does not go far enough, it says that it has to be dealt with in 60 minutes. Crucially, the key issue is that the Government is afraid of the amendment that we will bring forward tonight. The Government will not even allow that amendment to be voted on, according to the agenda here. What is the Government afraid of? We will put down an amendment that will remove excise from home heating oil and reduce tax on diesel and petrol. Let us have a vote. What the Government is doing is a disgrace.

I register my utter dissatisfaction with how business is being operated. Eight minutes before we were due to sit today, we got a new agenda that will give us just an hour to discuss the financial resolutions on the only thing that people have been talking about over the past couple of weeks. It is utterly unsatisfactory and we register huge objection.

The cost of living in this country is skyrocketing. Before the war in Iran, 320,000 households were in electricity arrears. People are choosing between heating and eating. The cost of living is impacting more than just energy, though, because there is now the price for education. Exam fees, which had not been in place since before the pandemic, are being reintroduced without warning to parents. The cost of living needs to be discussed this evening.

It is clear that Donald Trump and the Israeli regime are criminal warmongers that could do anything. If they start to bomb more energy infrastructure in Iran, and there are reports suggesting that they are already doing this having said that they would not, the miserable concessions the Government has made to address the spikes in the cost of living could be wiped away overnight. We need serious time to discuss how the Government is going to actually protect people in this country from the cost of energy spikes resulting from Trump's war.

I agree with my colleagues that 60 minutes is not enough time to speak about the crisis this country is going through at the moment. We need a proper debate in here and I call for that proper debate. Farmers, the hard-squeezed middle, fishermen and other people are facing a serious crisis. People cannot put heating oil into their home heating tanks this evening. They expected a proper break but they did not get it and we need a proper debate on that this evening.

I will offer some clarity about what will transpire later today. There will be a motion regarding Financial Resolution No. 1 this afternoon from the Department of Finance. Sixty minutes have been allowed and we are votable immediately afterwards so I expect there will be several votes at that time. I want to be clear on that.

There has been a change to tomorrow's Order of Business. The National Oil Reserve Agency (Amendment) Bill 2026, which will be allowed 204 minutes and a ten-minute wrap-up, will be taken instead of the statements on sports so there will be plenty of time for debate tomorrow.

I wish to inform the Ceann Comhairle that there is every possibility that I will be returning with a second updated Order of Business this afternoon with regard to the second financial resolution. The Order of Business stands. People want to know exactly what is happening.

Are the arrangements for the Order of Business agreed to?

On a point of order-----

What is the point of order?

The point of order is looking for clarification on the motion.

A point of order arises where a Standing Order has not been complied with. I ask the Deputy to resume his seat. There is no point of order. We will vote on the Order of Business. Is the Order of Business agreed to?

I ask for-----

There is no point of order.

-----clarity on what we are asking people to vote for. The proposal before us provides that all amendments will be disposed of and the only vote will be on the Government's proposal. The Government Chief Whip has just stated that there will be numerous votes after the 60-minute debate. I am looking for clarity. If the Government is accepting that there will be numerous votes on the amendments, I accept that.

Does the Government Chief Whip wish to respond? If not, we will move on.

The Order of Business stands.

The Order of Business stands.

What is it? Which one is it?

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

Are you getting rid of all the amendments?

She is not telling us.

I will put the question.