Sitting of Tuesday, 5 May 2026
Source: Hansard PDF (parliament.lk) ↗ ·No. 23546 ·English daily/uncorrected Hansard
Order of business
Speeches load per item. Summaries shown here are AI-generated and labelled; verbatim text is on each speech page.
- 1 Opening Opening: Message from the President - Public Security Proclamation 1 speeches
- 2 Papers Papers: Reports and Regulations Tabled 12 speeches
- 3 Committee report Committee Reports: Sectoral Oversight Committee Reports 4 speeches
- 4 Petitions Petitions: Citizens' Petitions (Four Petitions) 5 speeches
- 5 Oral question Oral Question Q.1 (233/2024): Establishment of Provincial High Court for Western Province 7 speeches
- 6 Oral question Oral Question Q.2 (361/2024): The Finance Company - Liquidation and Compensation to Depositors 6 speeches
- 7 Oral question Oral Question Q.3 (467/2025): Tourist Arrivals from 2010 - Details 10 speeches
- 8 Oral question Oral Question Q.4 (568/2025): Loans Obtained from State Banks by CEB 8 speeches
- 9 Oral question Oral Question Q.5 (642/2025): Committees Investigated into Nationwide Power Failure on 09.02.2025 9 speeches
- 10 Oral question Oral Question Q.6: Speaker's Personal Staff, Vehicles and Official Residence 17 speeches
- The Hon. Dayasiri Jayasekara, Attorney-at-Law SJB
AI summary Hon. Dayasiri Jayasekara submitted a detailed question to the Prime Minister and Minister of Education seeking information on the current Speaker’s personal staff, official residence arrangements, and staff appointed to the Speaker’s Residence. He also requested details on vehicles and fuel allocations provided to the Speaker and staff, and asked whether the Speaker has used a government apartment at Lauries Lane, including who bears its rent and utility costs.
Parliamentary Procedure Full speech → - The Hon. (Dr.) Harini Amarasuriya JJB
AI summary The Hon. (Dr.) Harini Amarasuriya provided answers regarding the current Speaker’s personal staff, official residence, fuel allowance and vehicles. She stated that the Speaker’s personal staff has 12 employees against an approved cadre of 20, the Speaker’s Residence has not been used for personal accommodation since 17 December 2024, and the residence has eight employees against an approved cadre of 15. She further said the present Speaker has limited his fuel allowance to 900 litres per month, equivalent to a Minister’s allowance, and that there were seven vehicles as at 31 March 2026, with further details to be provided.
Parliamentary Procedure Full speech → - The Hon. Dayasiri Jayasekara, Attorney-at-Law SJB
AI summary The Hon. Dayasiri Jayasekara clarified to the Prime Minister that his request concerned vehicle numbers, not vehicle number plates.
Parliamentary Procedure Full speech → - The Hon. (Dr.) Harini Amarasuriya JJB
AI summary Hon. (Dr.) Harini Amarasuriya provided details on the Speaker’s official facilities, stating that he uses a petrol Mitsubishi car and a diesel BMW car, for which Parliament pays only the fuel allowance. She said the official residence at No. 8-1, Lauries Lane, Colombo 04 was allocated to him from 8 January 2025 while he holds office, with 12.5% of his monthly allowance deducted as rent and utility bills paid by the occupant.
Public Finance Full speech → - The Hon. Dayasiri Jayasekara, Attorney-at-Law SJB
AI summary Dayasiri Jayasekara questioned the Prime Minister on the status and use of the Speaker’s official residence, stating that it is a gazetted official residence that cannot be assigned by a parliamentary committee to another person. He asked why, if the Speaker is not residing there, eight staff members had been appointed to the residence in the Speaker’s name, including seven new appointments, and sought clarification on what action the Government would take.
Parliamentary Procedure Full speech → - The Hon. (Dr.) Harini Amarasuriya JJB
AI summary Hon. (Dr.) Harini Amarasuriya stated that the three official residences attached to the relevant offices are not being used for private residence but are maintained for official state functions, meetings, and events. She cited recent and routine uses of the President’s House, Araliyagaha Mandiraya, and the Speaker’s Residence, and noted that maintenance is necessary due to the size of the premises, with staffing currently below the approved cadre.
Public Finance Full speech → - The Hon. Dayasiri Jayasekara, Attorney-at-Law SJB
AI summary Hon. Dayasiri Jayasekara questioned the allocation and use of official residences connected to the Speaker, stating that the Speaker’s Residence remains in use for official functions while the Speaker also occupies another official residence at Lauries Road. He further alleged that a ministerial official residence in the same complex had been allocated to the Speaker’s Private Secretary, tabling letters from the Ministry of Public Administration to support this. He asked for an explanation, arguing that maintaining multiple official residences in this manner was improper.
- The Hon. (Dr.) Nalinda Jayatissa JJB
AI summary The Hon. (Dr.) Nalinda Jayatissa clarified the Government’s policy decision to relinquish Ministerial Official Residences, noting that maintenance remains a State responsibility until the properties are repurposed, with some already converted into High Courts and other economic uses planned. He said the Speaker’s Residence is not being used as personal accommodation, and its staff are retained only for maintenance while the Parliamentary Staff Advisory Committee considers alternative uses.
- The Hon. Speaker procedural
- The Hon. Dayasiri Jayasekara, Attorney-at-Law SJB
AI summary Dayasiri Jayasekara objected that a question directed to the Prime Minister was being answered by the Government Chief Organizer. He stated that Sri Lanka has 47 ministerial official residences and noted that only three have been allocated to the High Courts.
Parliamentary Procedure Full speech → - The Hon. Speaker procedural
- The Hon. Dayasiri Jayasekara, Attorney-at-Law SJB
AI summary Dayasiri Jayasekara questioned the allocation of a Ministerial Official Residence to the Speaker’s Private Secretary, citing a Public Administration Ministry advertisement regarding remaining residences for retail leasing. He referred to the Minister of Finance’s stated position that public resources should not be used unnecessarily and asked why such a residence had been granted in this case.
- The Hon. (Dr.) Nalinda Jayatissa JJB
AI summary Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa rejected the claim that a member of the Speaker’s staff had been allocated a Ministerial Official Residence, stating that no such allocation had been made. He said such facilities are not granted for trivial reasons, but only where they serve purposes beneficial to the economy.
Parliamentary Procedure Full speech → - The Hon. Ravi Karunanayake NDF
AI summary Hon. Ravi Karunanayake rose on a point of order. No substantive argument, proposal, or policy issue was presented in the quoted remarks.
Parliamentary Procedure Full speech → - The Hon. Speaker procedural
- The Hon. Ravi Karunanayake NDF
AI summary Ravi Karunanayake responded briefly to a question by suggesting that the matter could best be resolved by visiting his next-door house. No substantive policy issue, proposal, or legislative matter was raised in the statement.
Parliamentary Procedure Full speech → - The Hon. Speaker procedural
- 11 Oral question Oral Questions Q.7-Q.9: Education Statistics, Aquaculture, CEB and SriLankan Airlines 13 speeches
- 12 Procedural Procedural: Points of Order and Privilege Question (Dayasiri Jayasekara) 15 speeches
- 13 Oral question Questions under Standing Order 27(2): Debt Service Payment and Central Bank 15 speeches
- 14 Procedural Procedural and Main Business: Adjournment Motion Request and Agriculture Statement 33 speeches
- 15 Debate Debate: Port City Economic Commission Regulations and Orders 49 speeches
- 16 Procedural Procedural: Adjournment Motion Introduction 16 speeches
- 17 Adjournment Adjournment Debate: Failure to Report Foreign Debt Repayment Diversion to Parliament 127 speeches
- 18 Procedural Closing: Written Answers and Hansard Publication Information 5 speeches