Last week, Senator McDowell predicted, correctly, that the need for a money message would be wheeled out in relation to my National Minimum Wage (Protection of Employee Tips) Bill 2017, and that happened last night. I will not mention all of the Bills that have had money message requirements attached to them because I only have two minutes, but prominent ones include the Control of Economic Activity (Occupied Territories) Bill 2018, the International Protection (Family Reunification) (Amendment) Bill 2017, the Petroleum and Other Minerals Development (Amendment) (Climate Emergency Measures) Bill 2018, and now last night's Bill. I was with a host of trade unionists in the Public Gallery last night when this happened. Their jaws dropped and they asked for an explanation of what this money message was. An article in The Irish Times last week by Eoin Daly and David Kenny got it right when it claimed that it is effectively a universal veto. It disregards how people vote in either Chamber, and if the Government does not want it to happen, it simply dispatches with democracy.

It is also illegal.

It is illegal, as the Senator correctly pointed out. I am calling for a debate on this but I want more than that. It is time that all of us across Opposition groups acknowledge that we cannot put up with this anymore. This is an absolute outrage. It is the antithesis of democracy, and the Leader laughing at this is disrespectful.

I am laughing at the Senator and his response to democracy.

It is absolutely disrespectful.

Through the Chair.

The people in the Chamber last night-----

You-----

The Leader will have an opportunity to respond.

There were dozens of trade unionists in the Public Gallery of the Chamber last night who were absolutely disgusted with the cynical approach of the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection, Deputy Doherty, and the Government. The Government could not win the argument or the vote, so instead it took its ball off the pitch. This is playground politics of the worst kind. I am calling on my comrades in Fianna Fáil, the Labour Party, and on the Independent benches to have a meeting to discuss this because it is not good enough. It is undermining both this Chamber and the Dáil, and it is time all of us worked together to bring it to an end.

How much of that has now been spent since January?

I have been reminded that the money message is a Dáil procedure rather than a Seanad procedure but I acknowledge the point that it effectively-----

There is not much point in us having Bills in this House.

Exactly.

I take Senator McDowell's point, and it is well made.