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(Speaker Continuing)
[The Taoiseach:   ] I believe it would. It may burn up the money quicker than it does now and we have to take those concerns into account. We are training more general practitioners, GPs, have increased the number of training places and, thankfully, those training places are being filled. We are in negotiations with the Irish Medical Organisation, IMO, to restore funding for general practice and to link that to important reforms, including extending eligibility, moving to greater chronic care, medicines management and use of IT. Where I disagree with Deputy Harty in his strong advocacy for Sláintecare is that it is pretty unequivocal that it wants, as well as the 1 million people who already have free GP care, to have an extra 500,000 next year and 500,000 more after that. I think the Deputy is mistaken on that and that we need to do the other thing first.
An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business
Deputy Maria Bailey: The business this week shall be as set out in the first revised report of the Business Committee, dated 5 March 2019. Today's business shall be No. a11, motion re sittings and business of Dáil for 5 to 7 March 2019, to be taken without debate and any division demanded thereon shall be taken immediately; No. b11, motion re instruction to committee of the whole Dáil for the Withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union (Consequential Provisions) Bill 2019, to be taken without debate and any division demanded thereon shall be taken immediately; No. 11, motion re financial resolutions for the Withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union (Consequential Provisions) Bill 2019; No. 12, motion re Istanbul Convention; No. 13, motion re proposed approval by Dáil Éireann of the terms of the convention on social security between the Government of Ireland and the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, back from committee; and No. 30, Withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union (Consequential Provisions) Bill 2019 - Committee and Remaining Stages.
Wednesday’s business shall be No. 30, resumed.
Thursday’s business shall be No. 30, resumed. Private Members' business shall be No. 211, motion re local drugs and alcohol task forces.
An Ceann Comhairle: Is the proposal for dealing with today's business agreed?
Deputy Mary Lou McDonald: Not agreed.
Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett: Not agreed.
An Ceann Comhairle: I call Deputy McDonald.
Deputy Mary Lou McDonald: The purpose of this emergency legislation is to guard against the worst effects of a hard Brexit. I think everybody in the House has co-operated with Government because we recognise the necessity for contingencies for such a scenario. It is inexplicable therefore how so many of our amendments, moved in that spirit of being prepared, have been ruled out of order. They have covered such things as equality of citizenship and dealing with green card measures to support agriculture. I could go on. Some 25 of our amendments have been ruled out of order. It raises a question for us as to the quality of this debate and exchange and the robustness of the legislation. We were encouraged to co-operate with the Government, which is fine. We were told that we would be listened to and there would be an opportunity for substantive amendments to be brought forward, yet here we are, with 25 amendments on critical issues that have simply been set aside. Speaking to some colleagues earlier, they now regard the debate as something of a sham because it is a precooked outcome from the Government and we are to operate as some kind of elaborate rubber stamp. On that basis, we do not support the proposition. I would like substantiation of how so many of these amendments represent a charge on the State. They have been ruled out of order wholesale and we are very disappointed.
An Ceann Comhairle: It is not normal to discuss the ruling out of amendments on the floor of the House, but to be helpful, I should point out that the ruling out of amendments is nothing whatsoever to do with Government. Some 74 amendments were tabled to the Bill. They got the highest level consideration from the Service before they were ruled upon. Some 38 of the 74 have been ruled out of order. Each Deputy who submitted an amendment has received correspondence setting out clearly why they were considered to be out of order. I have written to Deputies to say that I am available after this sitting to meet with any Deputy who wants to discuss the ruling out of an amendment.
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