The Order of Business shall be No. 43, motion re the non-use of motor vehicles, to be taken on the conclusion of the Order of Business without debate; No. 1, motion re committee membership, to be taken at the conclusion of No. 43 without debate; No. 2, Houses of the Oireachtas (Inquiries, Privileges and Procedures) Bill 2013 - Committee and Remaining Stages, to be taken at 11.45 a.m. and to conclude no later than 1.45 p.m., if not previously concluded; No. 3, Electoral, Local Government and Planning and Development Bill 2013 - All Stages, to be taken at the conclusion of No. 2, with the contributions of group spokespersons on Second Stage not to exceed eight minutes and those of all other Senators five minutes, and Committee and Remaining Stages to be taken immediately on the conclusion of Second Stage; and No. 4, motion re the earlier signature of the Electoral, Local Government and Planning and Development Bill 2013, to be taken at the conclusion of No. 3 without debate.

I advise Members that we intend to sit on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday of next week to complete all business awaiting disposal.

I do not support the proposal that No. 1 be taken without debate. We should be afforded the opportunity to discuss this matter. Deputy Denis Naughten was removed from committee membership yesterday without any consultation with him. That is not the way to conduct business in the Oireachtas.

Yesterday we learned, without any debate in either House, that 3,000 families currently in receipt of one-parent family payment will see cuts of €50 per week arising from the decision by the Minister for Social Protection to remove them from the scheme. It is most concerning that this is being done without any reference to this or the other House. A cut of €50 is a substantial reduction in weekly income for the households concerned. It is clear that the Government sought to get this through the gap, so to speak, just as the Dáil was rising for the recess yesterday. It is a convenient coincidence of timing that the Minister will not have to answer questions in regard to it. In that context, I propose an amendment to the Order of Business that the Minister come to the House today to explain why she considers it equitable and fair that €50 per week is being taken from 3,000 lone parents.

I remind Senator Darragh O'Brien that we had a very full discussion on the changes to the one-parent family payment during the recent debate on the Social Welfare and Pensions (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill, in the course of which the Minister, Deputy Joan Burton, outlined the proposal for an amended form of jobseeker's allowance to allow flexibility for single parents.

She did not tell us she was going to do this.

We had a full debate on the issue.

I commend the Minister, Deputy Burton, on the launch yesterday of the Pathways to Work programme. She is making strenuous efforts to ensure we have as many measures as possible in place to enable people to return to employment or engage in upskilling and training. This, coupled with the announcement earlier this week of a refocused prioritisation of job creation, is very welcome. On the other hand, reports that the IMF is urging that there be no easing off on austerity in the coming budget, despite the fact that the Government is set to exceed its deficit reduction targets this year, are regrettable.

The Government's own Fiscal Advisory Council has advised the same.