I move: Tuesday’s business shall be Second Stage of the Employment (Contractual Retirement Ages) Bill 2025 (to adjourn after 2 hours). Tuesday's private members' business shall be Second Stage of the Water Services (Repeal of Water Charges) Bill 2025, selected by Sinn Féin. Wednesday's business shall be: - Statements on Tariffs (not to exceed 3 hrs and 32 mins) - Údarás na Gaeltachta (Amendment) Bill 2024 (Committee Stage, section 5, resumed) (to commence no earlier than 5.30 p.m. and to adjourn either at 9 p.m. or after 3 hours, whichever is the later). Wednesday's private members' business shall be the Motion re Protecting the Irish Economy against increasing Trade Tariffs, selected by the Independent Technical Group. Thursday’s business shall be: - Statements on Uisce Éireann (not to exceed 3 hrs and 32 mins) - Employment (Contractual Retirement Ages) Bill 2025 (Second Stage, resumed, if not previously concluded) (if not previously concluded, to adjourn at 6.58 p.m. or after 1 hr and 34 mins, whichever is the later). Proposed Arrangements for this week’s business: In relation to Tuesday’s business, it is proposed that: 1. the ordinary routine of business as contained in Schedule 3 to Standing Orders shall be modified to the extent that private members’ business may be taken earlier than 6.12 p.m. and shall, in any event be taken on the adjournment of proceedings on the Second Stage of the Employment (Contractual Retirement Ages) Bill 2025, or where those proceedings conclude within the available time, on the conclusion thereof, with consequential effect on the commencement times for the items following in the ordinary routine of business, namely, oral Parliamentary Questions to the Minister for Education, and topical issues, and on the time for the adjournment of the Dáil; 2. in relation to the proceedings on the Second Stage of the Employment (Contractual Retirement Ages) Bill 2025, the following arrangements shall apply: (a) the proceedings shall, if not previously concluded, be interrupted and stand adjourned after 2 hours and the order of speaking and allocation of time shall be as follows: (i) the arrangements for the first speaking round shall be in accordance with those contained in the table immediately below (to be read across, not down); (ii) any speaking slots on the first round which are not reached may be taken on Thursday in accordance with the agreed sequence; and (iii) members may share time; and (b) the proceedings shall not be resumed on Tuesday; and 3. notwithstanding anything in Standing Order 177(2), the proceedings on Second Stage of the Water Services (Repeal of Water Charges) Bill 2025 shall, if not previously concluded, be brought to a conclusion after 2 hours. In relation to Wednesday’s business, it is proposed that: 1. the ordinary routine of business as set out in Schedule 3 to Standing Orders is modified to the following extent: (a) the Dáil may sit later than 9.30 p.m. and shall adjourn on the conclusion of the weekly division time; and (b) the time allotted for Government Business shall be extended in accordance with the arrangements for that business, with consequential effect on the commencement time for the weekly division time, which may be taken on the adjournment of proceedings on the Údarás na Gaeltachta (Amendment) Bill 2024: Provided that where the proceedings on that Bill conclude within the allotted time, the weekly division time shall be taken on the conclusion thereof, with consequential effect on the time for the adjournment of the Dáil; 2. the Statements on Tariffs shall not exceed 3 hours and 32 minutes and the order of speaking and allocation of time shall be as follows: (a) the arrangements for the statements, not including the Ministerial response, shall be in accordance with the arrangements contained in the table immediately below (to be read across, not down); (b) following the statements, a Minister or Minister of State shall be called upon to make a statement in reply which shall not exceed 10 minutes; and (c) members may share time; and 3. the resumed proceedings on Committee Stage of the Údarás na Gaeltachta (Amendment) Bill 2024 shall commence no earlier than 5.30 p.m. and shall, if not previously concluded, be interrupted and stand adjourned either at 9 p.m. or after 3 hours, whichever is the later. In relation to Thursday’s business, it is proposed that: 1. (a) the ordinary routine of business as contained in Schedule 3 to Standing Orders shall be modified to the following extent: (i) the Dáil shall meet at 10.23 a.m.; (ii) Questions to the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence pursuant to Standing Order 47(1) shall not be taken, and Questions to the Minister for Environment, Climate and Communications pursuant to Standing Order 47(1) shall be taken as the first item of business; (iii) no motion for a Committee report pursuant to Standing Order 111 or private member's Bill pursuant to Standing Order 169 shall be taken; and (iv) topical issues may be taken earlier than 7.24 p.m. and shall in any event be taken on the adjournment of the resumed proceedings on Second Stage of the Employment (Contractual Retirement Ages) Bill 2025, or where those proceedings conclude within the allotted time, on the conclusion thereof, and the Dáil shall adjourn on the conclusion of topical issues; and (b) the Dáil on its rising shall adjourn until 2 p.m. on Tuesday 29th April, 2025; 2. the Statements on Uisce Éireann shall not exceed 3 hours and 32 minutes and the order of speaking and allocation of time shall be as follows: (a) the arrangements for the statements, not including the Ministerial response, shall be in accordance with the arrangements contained in the table immediately below (to be read across, not down); (b) following the statements, a Minister or Minister of State shall be called upon to make a statement in reply which shall not exceed 10 minutes; and (c) members may share time; and 3. in relation to any resumed proceedings on Second Stage of the Employment (Contractual Retirement Ages) Bill 2025, the following arrangements shall apply: (a) the proceedings shall, if not previously concluded, be interrupted and stand adjourned either at 6.58 p.m. or after 1 hour and 34 minutes, whichever is the later, and the order of speaking and allocation of time on the first speaking round shall be as follows: (i) the speaking slots from Tuesday’s arrangements for the first round shall be continued from the point at which they were adjourned; and (ii) members may share time; and (b) the proceedings shall not be resumed on Thursday.

Sentiment score: -0.03

With regard to committees, the Dáil reform committee, as agreed, will begin the process of establishing committees tomorrow evening, as Deputies are aware. The Government submitted the list of committees to the Dáil reform committee today and we are happy to discuss this at the meeting of the Dáil reform committee tomorrow evening. We will select the committees on Thursday morning, as was agreed with all the Whips last Thursday. Questions were raised about the HIQA report and agriculture. I know Deputy Collins raised the matter of agriculture last week too, but there is only a set amount of time every week. We have allocated three and a half hours to the tariffs discussion, which was the main focus of all the Whips when we met last Thursday. We will certainly, however, see if there is an opportunity to debate the HIQA report in the Dáil this week. I will have to discuss that with the Minister.

Sentiment score: 0.22