Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 8 Oct 2024

I move:

That, notwithstanding anything in Standing Order 34(a) or in the ordinary routine of business as contained in Schedule 3 to Standing Orders, Leaders' Questions pursuant to Standing Order 36 shall be taken now, followed immediately by the Order of Business pursuant to Standing Order 35, following which the ordinary routine of business shall be taken, subject to the arrangements agreed on the Order of Business.

The reason the Chief Whip is asking the Dáil to approve a new start time is to enable the Taoiseach to both take Leaders' Questions and catch a plane to the United States. The Taoiseach will be flying over to meet President Biden, ostensibly to celebrate 100 years of diplomatic relations, but in reality to celebrate Joe Biden's presidency before he leaves office.

I will be brief. The Taoiseach should not be celebrating the presidency of a man who is arming and financing a genocide against the Palestinian people. There should be no farewell drinks for President Biden, and no place at Shannon Airport for US planes bringing arms to Israel. There is a huge gap between the Taoiseach's words and the Taoiseach's actions on this issue. If I cannot call a vote on the Taoiseach's visit-----

Revelations published on the front page of The Sunday Times that a Member of the Oireachtas has been recruited by Russian intelligence have been scoffed at, laughed at and dismissed by many since, but this is a matter of the utmost importance and seriousness. I have not seen anything, either internally from the Oireachtas or politically, in terms of how we are actually going to counter and deal with this. I would like to hear something either from the Ceann Comhairle or the Taoiseach as to how we are going to manage and deal with this in our own House.

I think it is time now to stop all the tricks and the games of snakes and ladders and have a bit of cop-on and respect for the people, as well as this House. Call the election. Let the dog see the rabbit. Let us out there, rather than playing games up and down, backward and forward, running over to Joe Biden and back. He is afraid he will not be Taoiseach again and that he will not be over there in March.

First, I am concerned to hear Deputy Barry would like to have a vote on my movements and where I can or cannot go. That certainly does not work.

Second, I could have easily done what many taoisigh do regularly when attending official business and sent someone in here to deputise on my behalf. What I did was to ask the House to agree to take Leaders' Questions early because I need to leave the House. If the House does not wish me to take Leaders' Questions, I can leave the House and someone will deputise on my behalf, but I take my duties in this House seriously and, therefore, I asked the House to reconvene an hour earlier for Leaders' Questions, which I would now dearly love to take.