Defence Forces and quorum
The Leader said Craughwell would get a debate on the Defence Forces and then returned at length to the CPP quorum proposal, defending the reduction and insisting the calling of a quorum remained available. Craughwell and others objected throughout, but the Leader maintained the change was about ensuring the House could start its business.
The Senator will have an opportunity next week to have a debate with the Minister for Defence on the Defence Forces and the Air Corps.
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The Taoiseach is the Minister for Defence.
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No, the Minister with responsibility for Defence is Deputy Paul Kehoe. The Taoiseach will come to the House as well in-----
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There was a full moon this week. The remnants must be falling far from the-----
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The Taoiseach is the Minister for Defence.
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In fairness, he is not the Minister for Defence.
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I was responding to the issues raised by Senator Craughwell. The Committee on Procedure and Privileges, CPP, had a good discussion yesterday on the use of the quorum and the numbers required for a quorum. Senator Craughwell seems to be fixated on a narrow prism through his eyes of the quorum under the guise of the Judicial Appointments Commission Bill and the filibustering employed by himself and others during the last couple of sessions of the House. The quorum reduction proposed by the CPP is in keeping with the Dáil reduction in its quorum number.
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This stroke was pulled in the Dáil as well.
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Senator Craughwell is here long enough to know how the business works. I know he thinks the Independent group is the fulcrum around which everything else revolves.
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I am glad the Leader recognises it.
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The CPP represents all Members of the Seanad. As I said, we had a very good discussion at yesterday's meeting of the CPP. The facility about which Senator Craughwell speaks so passionately and which he wants to protect and preserve is not being done away with. The Senator will still be able to call a quorum whenever he so desires. That facility is not being diluted or taken away and so his contribution this morning around the quorum was, in part, misguided. I reassure the Senator that he will still have the opportunity to call a quorum. The point that has been made-----