agenda.ie a guide to what's going on in Leinster House

Even though the month is close to conclusion, today marks the Dáil’s first Friday sitting, and so there’s a special sitting to deal with backbench and opposition legal proposals. The government also takes the opportunity of the special sitting to progress the Fiscal Compact referendum.

10:30am – Order of Business – Unusually for a Friday sitting, members will get a chance to lob in a few more queries about the status of other promised legislation. Given the relevance of the Fiscal Compact to today’s business, it will likely be the Tánaiste Eamon Gilmore presiding.

10:51am – Referendum on the Thirtieth Amendment of the Constitution (Treaty on Stability, Coordination and Governance in the Economic and Monetary Union) Bill 2012 (second and remaining stages) – The final discussion on getting the Fiscal Compact out of the Dáíl’s doors and sent to the Seanad. The proposed regime means that if the opposition have any proposed amendments (there were none proposed as of last weekend) they’ll be taken today. If Second Stage hasn’t been concluded by 1:30pm, there’ll be one ‘catch-all’ vote to wrap up the whole thing.

1:30pm – Private Members’ Business [Tommy Broughan] – Burial and Cremation Regulation Bill 2011 (second stage) – The lottery of opposition business means there is, again, no time for a government backbencher to bring forward any legislation. Instead, it falls to former Labour member Tommy Broughan to bring forward proposals for a Burial and Cremation Regulatory Authority. That would ensure the “sustainable planning, building and operation of all cemeteries and crematoria”, and require cemeteries and cremators to be centrally registered. If a vote is called, it’ll be taken on Tuesday and members will end a lengthy week at 4:30pm.

All of the day’s business can be viewed on our Dáil streams for web and Facebook.