On Tuesday night an amendment to the Finance Bill was agreed in the Dáil. Amendment No. 3 was proposed by Joan Burton.

The Minister shall within one month from the passing of this Act prepare and
lay before Dáil Éireann a report on a cost-benefit analysis of tax expenditures
provided for by this Act, setting out the costs of tax foregone, and the benefits in terms of job creation or otherwise.

Here’s the Leas Ceann Comhairle Brendan Howlin putting it to the house.

( from Alexia Golez on Vimeo.)

On Wednesday morning, the government proposed an order of business which would have seen the Amendment debated again. Over night it seems the government had realised it did not intend to accept the amendment and they wanted to have a second go at it. It’s a bit like Wonder Woman’s golden belt – put it round the amendment and everyone will forget it was ever spoken about and the issue could be voted on again – the right way this time – well the defeated way if you were the government.

Now the opposition weren’t too happy about that plan and Ceann Comhairle Seamus Kirk got himself into a terrible mess trying to put the order of business to the house.  There was a precedent being set here, the government are defeated on something and they want to have a second go at changing it.

Later yesterday the debate on the Finance Bill was restarted and still the government were trying to get Amendment No. 3 re-taken. The opposition continued to protest. Minster for Finance Brian Lenihan then had to intervene and say that matters should proceed as the opposition wanted and that the amendment would go to the Seanad and he would have it re-amended to increase the timescale involved.   Brian Lenihan should have been paying attention when the amendment was put to the house if they didn’t want it to be accepted.

All this a day after Ombudsman Emily O’Reilly made a stinging attack on the powerlessness of parliament and the role of the Executive in policy making without debate or consultation.