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:

- Motion re Referral to Joint Committee of Proposed approval by Dáil Éireann of the Protection of Young Persons (Employment in Food and Beverage Services Sector) Regulations 2026 (without debate and any division claimed to be taken immediately)

- Motion re Referral to Joint Committee of Proposed approval by Dáil Éireann of the

Horse and Greyhound Racing Fund Regulations 2026 (without debate and any division claimed to be taken immediately)

- Motion re Proposed approval by Dáil Éireann of the Marine Planning Policy Statement (without debate and any division claimed to be taken immediately)

- Motion re Report of the Committee on Standing Orders and Dáil Reform "Oral Questions to the Taoiseach and Topical Issues" (without debate and any division claimed to be taken immediately)

- Motion re Report of the Joint Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation, and Taoiseach under Dáil Standing Order 142 on COM(2026) 560 (without debate and any division claimed to be taken immediately)

- Finance (No. 2) Bill 2026 (Second Stage) (to conclude at the end of the first speaking round; not to exceed 3 hours and 34 minutes)

Tuesday's private members' business shall be the Motion re Drug Debt Related Intimidation and Community Safety, selected by Sinn Féin.

Wednesday's business shall be:

- State Apology to the family of the late Brian Stack (to conclude within 2 hours and 20 minutes)

- Defence (Amendment) Bill 2026 (Second Stage) (to conclude at the end of the first speaking round; not to exceed 3 hours and 34 minutes)

- Motion re Proposed approval by Dáil Éireann amending Regulation (EU) 2018/1727 as regards the extension of the timeframe for the establishment of the Eurojust case management system*

- Motion re Proposed approval by Dáil Éireann amending Regulation (EU) 2018/1727 as regards digital information exchange in terrorism cases*

- Motion re Proposed approval by Dáil Éireann for Directive (EU) 2017/541 of the

European Parliament on combating terrorism*

*Three separate motions to be debated together and brought to a conclusion within 60 minutes, with questions to be put on each motion separately; any divisions claimed to be taken immediately)

Wednesday's private members' business shall be the Second Stage of the Non-Binary and Intersex Recognition Bill 2026, selected by Independent and Parties Technical Group.

Thursday's business shall be:

- Statements on Children’s Health Ireland (to conclude within 2 hours and 25 minutes)

Thursday evening business shall be the Motion re Report entitled "Report on Civil Legal Aid", sponsored by the Committee on Justice, Home Affairs and Migration.

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 Government Business with consequential effect on the commencement times for the items following in the ordinary routine of business;

2. the proceedings on the Motion re Referral to Joint Committee of Proposed approval by Dáil Éireann of the Protection of Young Persons (Employment in Food and Beverage Services Sector) Regulations 2026 shall be taken without debate and any division claimed thereon shall be taken immediately;

3. the proceedings on the Motion re Referral to Joint Committee of Proposed approval by Dáil Éireann of the Horse and Greyhound Racing Fund Regulations 2026 shall be taken without debate and any division claimed thereon shall be taken immediately;

4. the proceedings on the Motion re Proposed approval by Dáil Éireann of the Marine Planning Policy Statement shall be taken without debate and any division claimed thereon shall be taken immediately;

5. the proceedings on the Motion re Report of the Committee on Standing Orders and Dáil Reform "Oral Questions to the Taoiseach and Topical Issues" shall be taken without debate and any division claimed thereon shall be taken immediately;

6. the proceedings on the Motion re Report of the Joint Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation, and Taoiseach under Dáil Standing Order 142 on COM(2026) 560 shall be taken without debate and any division claimed thereon shall be taken immediately; and

7. the proceedings on the Second Stage of the Finance (No. 2) 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 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.

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.; and

(b) the SOS, pursuant to Standing Order 25(1), shall be taken immediately following the State Apology to the family of the late Brian Stack, which shall be taken at the time when the SOS would normally be taken;

2. the State Apology to the family of the late Brian Stack shall not exceed 2 hours and 20 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 Second Stage of the Defence (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 first-round speeches 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

4. the proceedings on the Motions on Protocol 21 opt-in to EU Counterterrorism and Eurojust measures shall, if not previously concluded, be brought to a conclusion after 60 minutes and the following arrangements shall apply thereto:

(a) the three motions shall be debated together, with separate questions put on all proceedings thereon;

(b) the order of speaking and allocation of time shall be in accordance with the table below;

(c) members may share time; and

(d) any divisions 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 Motion re Report entitled “Report on Civil Legal Aid”, and on the time for the adjournment of the Dáil;

(b) the Dáil on its rising shall adjourn until 2 p.m. on Tuesday, 3rd November 2026; and

2. the Statements on Children’s Health Ireland 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.

Are the proposed arrangements agreed to?

Not agreed.

Do the Deputies have points to raise?

The Deputies know that is not in order.

I ask Deputies, except those who are entitled to speak, to resume their seats.

The Taoiseach has proposed-----

The signage is out of order.

-----the Defence (Amendment) Bill, which proposes getting rid of the triple lock, not to amend it or not to adjust it, but to get rid of it.

The Ceann Comhairle should suspend. That is in breach of Standing Orders.

The Taoiseach's response earlier was quite desperate. He looked to me like he was flapping, to be totally honest. It reflects the fact he knows the public does not support getting rid of the triple lock. He knows that-----

The Deputy's party members are not in order. I ask them to put down those signs. They know they are not in order. I ask them to co-operate with the Chair. We need proper decorum in the Chamber. They know the signs are not in order. Please co-operate with the direction of the Chair.

I am entitled to raise-----

Yes you are but your time is up-----

The Taoiseach is constraining the time because he knows a considerable number of his own party have significant reservations about his proposal on the triple lock.

I am afraid Deputy Ó Laoghaire's time is up.

There is no reason the debate should not be adjourned tomorrow and continued next week.

No respect for the Chair.

I ask Deputy Ó Laoghaire to resume his seat. The Chair is on her feet. Deputy O'Laoghaire's time is up. I am resuming my seat and I ask Deputies to co-operate with the direction of the Chair. They know they are out of order. Please put down the signs.

The Government is out of order.

Everybody with the sign up is out of order. I ask Deputies to co-operate with the Chair, who needs to run the Chamber efficiently. The clock is being run down.

The guillotine is out of order.

In all jurisdictions, Sinn Féin decides what the rules are.

Taoiseach, I am in the Chair.

I ask the Taoiseach to co-operate as well.

No respect for democracy. The Government is selling out the people.

The Deputy does not care about the people.

I am asking Members for the last time. I am on my feet. I am asking for co-operation with the Chair. I thank Deputies for their co-operation. All Deputies, please put the signs down.

I will tell the Ceann Comhairle what is also out of order. It is the fact that the Taoiseach is hell-bent on breaking a commitment given to the Irish people to pass the Nice treaty and the Lisbon treaty. Has he any recollection of the Seville declaration? Does he not feel he is a custodian of a commitment given to the Irish electorate? It is shameful that he is rolling through the breaking of the triple lock.

There is a modest ask today before the debate takes on its full volume. We ask the Chief Whip not to end the debate on the Defence (Amendment) Bill tomorrow but instead to adjourn it. We can then have a proper Second Stage debate on the Defence (Amendment) Bill instead of ramming it through.

Irish neutrality does not belong to any single government. It belongs to the people. A commitment was made in the Nice and Lisbon treaties about the triple lock and the Taoiseach is in breach of that. When we stick up these signs, we are holding the Government to account for commitments that were made to the Irish people about neutrality, which is their property, not yours.

I support fellow Deputies who have spoken. We do need extra time. We need this to be debated properly. Irish neutrality cannot be thrown out the window. The whole country is upset and concerned about this and I ask the Taoiseach to reconsider this and give the people the extra time they need. That is what we need to do tomorrow.

Did Deputy Ó Laoghaire propose an amendment?

The amendment is that the debate be adjourned tomorrow.

No guillotine.

No guillotine. That is the proposition.

The question is that the proposed arrangements for the week's business be agreed to and the proposed amendment be negatived.

Can we hear a response from the Chief Whip? Allow us to have a debate.

We are having a debate.

No guillotine.

The Chief Whip has not responded.

I am now calling the Chief Whip.

Just adjourn it. We will debate it the following week.

Deputies can absolutely hear from the Chief Whip if they allow me to speak and do not try to shout me down. What is shameful about having a debate? The Bill to reform the triple lock will get a full three hours and 34 minutes of debate here on Second Stage tomorrow. It was explained by the Clerk of the Dáil at the Business Committee yesterday that voting has to be completed by 9 o'clock because of the work to rule that we are under orders on.

It is nothing to do with the work to rule.

Adjourn Second Stage.

Allow the answer.

The Dáil is being censored.

The Government is respecting industrial relations now.

Maybe I will hold up the sign. Will that do?

Yes, hold this one up.

Please continue, Chief Whip.

The Bill will then be referred to committee-----

So, last week's strikes were not warranted and industrial action was not warranted but now it has to be respected. Now, industrial action has to be respected.

-----where there will be opportunity for further debate. I reject the assertions the Government is in any way rushing this through.

You are.

The Order of Business stands.

Are the proposed arrangements for the week's business agreed to and the proposed amendments negatived?

Ceann Comhairle, that is absolutely disgraceful. All we are asking for is to allow this Dáil to debate it. This should be put to the people.

Are the arrangements agreed to?

Not agreed.

This should be put to the people. The people should be able to vote on this. At the very least, the debate must not be guillotined.

They are agreed to. I cannot hear objections because I cannot hear the Deputies. Are the proposed arrangements agreed to?

They are not agreed to.

Not agreed.

I am putting the question, Deputy Murphy.

Not agreed.

I am now putting the question. The question is, "The amendment proposed to the arrangements on the Order of Business is hereby negatived and the proposed arrangements for the week's business are hereby agreed to."

Not agreed.

What is the Government so afraid of? Why are they opposed to a debate? They are afraid of their own backbenchers.