It is proposed to take No. 11, Statements on the Interim Report of the Task-Force on Long-Term Unemployment, and No. 12. It is also proposed, notwithstanding anything in Standing Orders that the following arrangements shall apply in relation to the statements: (i) the opening statement of a Minister or Minister of State and of the main spokespersons for the Fianna Fáil Party and the Progressive Democrats Party shall not exceed 30 minutes in each case; (ii) the statement of each other Member called upon shall not exceed 20 minutes; and (iii) a Minister or Minister of State shall be called upon to make a statement in reply not exceeding 15 minutes. Private Members' Business shall be No. 20.
Order of Business.
Are the arrangements for dealing with the statements agreed to? Agreed.
When will the legislation to amend the 1962 Sanitary Services Act be introduced? Will local authorities retain the power to disconnect domestic water services under this legislation or will it merely delimit their powers?
The Leader of the main Opposition party is aware of the statement in the Programme for Government about delimiting the powers of local authorities. That matter will soon be considered by the Cabinet and it is hoped to bring forward the legislation shortly thereafter.
Will it be introduced during this session?
We will bring it before the House as soon as possible.
Will the Tánaiste arrange to circulate Opposition Deputies with the details of the resources, which we welcome, to be made available under the local loans fund? We have not been able to get any details and we would like a statement from either the Minister for Finance or the Tánaiste on whether this will affect the Exchequer borrowing requirement.
If a question is put down in the normal way the information will be forthcoming.
The difficulty is that if we put down a question in the normal way it will take more than a week to get the information.
The Deputy could put down a Private Notice Question.
I presume the information is freely available. I am asking for details so that we can make a sensible judgment on the matter.
The Deputy cannot debate the matter now.
On the point made by Deputy Ahern, I welcome the conversion of Democratic Left and the Labour Party to the privatisation of the local loans fund. May I ask the Tánaiste if the Government has agreed to bring forward legislation to provide for the holding of a referendum on the question of bail?
Is this promised legislation?
It was promised on television.
I am sure the Leader of the Progressive Democrats has read the Programme for Government which states that there will be an examination by the Law Reform Commission of legislation to allow courts to refuse bail where they consider it desirable. This issue is under consideration at present.
An examination by the Law Reform Commission is not the same. We have been promised a referendum later this year. When will the legislation to facilitate the holding of that referendum be brought before the House?
Deputy Harney is well aware that if we wish to change the laws on bail we will have to hold a referendum. When the report of the Law Reform Commission is submitted to us we will consider it and proposals will be brought forward in due course.
The legislation was promised.
In that context, may I ask the Tánaiste if the Government is united in its resolve to hold a referendum on the laws relating to bail?
The Deputy can be assured that we are united.
There have been conflicting soundings from the Minister for Justice, one of the Tánaiste's backbenchers and Democratic Left.
We have a united front.
Is the Government united in its resolve to hold a referendum on the laws relating to bail?
I call Deputy Tom Kitt.
This legislation was promised in public by the Minister for Justice and, in my humble opinion, the Tánaiste is obliged to reply to my question.
He has already answered the question, and I also dealt with the matter during Question Time.
I can assure Deputy O'Donoghue that we are totally united on this issue and that we shall have a degree of democratic flexibility.
That means there will be no referendum.
May I ask the Tánaiste when the freedom of information legislation will be introduced? Will he confirm or deny whether the Garda are questioning civil servants, programme managers and advisers about leaks of official information to the media?
The first part of the Deputy's question which relates to promised legislation is in order.
As the Deputy is probably aware from replies given in the House, we are preparing legislation on the freedom of information and I hope it will be introduced within a matter of months.
Given the remarks he has just made, which are studiedly ambiguous, will the Tánaiste confirm that there is no proposal to hold a referendum on the subject of bail, that despite what the Minister for Justice said, there is absolutely no proposal to hold such a referendum.
The Law Reform Commission could advise against it.
Will the Minister for Finance make a dull statement to the House today on the currency and interest rate situation? Will he confirm to the House that he cannot meet his budget targets because of rising interest rates——
He cannot do so at this time.
This is an urgent issue on which the Government seems to have given up completely.
Please, Deputy. I call Deputy Michael Smith.
Will the Tánaiste say why the Government swallowed hook, line and sinker the EU stance on the dispute between Spain and Canada about the Spanish fishing vessel——
That matter is not relevant to the Order of Business.
In the context of promised legislation, will the Tánaiste, out of respect for the House, give a date for the publication of the Education Bill? Given the recent leaks about the White Paper on Education, will he confirm that an inquiry into Government leaks is not under way?
The Deputy did not do his homework.
Yes, I did.
The Minister for Education is completing her work on the White Paper which will be brought to Government in due course, and obviously legislation will follow.
She is being helped by John Walsh.
I hope the legislation will be introduced before the end of the year.
What about the White Paper?
The Deputy did not do his homework.
Can we have a date for the publication of the White Paper?
The Deputy should do his homework.
There is no respect for this House.
This is a very disruptive class.
The principal is speaking.
Is the Tánaiste aware that the failure of this and the previous Government to bring forward comprehensive legislation to minimise waste has given rise to enormous grief in Mulhuddart where it is proposed to locate a 347 acre dump? There are those in the Department of the Environment——
Does the Deputy have a question in regard to promised legislation?
It is promised legislation, it is called a waste Bill. There are officials in the Department of the Environment who recall being asked to prepare such legislation as far back as 1963. What is the position on this matter?
The Minister for the Environment is considering a waste Bill. I understand this legislation is at an advanced stage of preparation and that the Minister intends to bring it before the House very shortly.
Will the Tánaiste say if the Government has responded, through diplomatic channels, to the comments made by the parliamentary chairman of the Christian Democrats that Ireland, Austria, Finland and Sweden will eventually have to join NATO? It is important that we know whether the Government has formally responded to those very serious comments?
That matter is not appropriate at this time.
I am sure the Tánaiste would love to reply.
If he did so he would be out of order.
We will enter NATO by stealth.
A Deputy
The good old days.
Given his reply to the question on the promised referendum on bail, will the Tánaiste agree that the Law Reform Commission could very well recommend that a referendum is not necessary and that the legislative changes could be made in other ways? Will he also agree that the Minister for Justice pre-empted the decision of the Law Reform Commission?
I call Deputy Martin Cullen.
Will the Tánaiste reply?
Can we take his silence as acquiescence?
The Deputy should know that the right to silence does not automatically mean anything.
Will the Government avail of the opportunity in the Finance Bill to reduce the excesses announced by the Minister for Finance in his Budget Statement so as to remove the need for a current budget deficit this year? This would have a very positive effect and stabilise the position of the punt.
Ten out of ten, Deputy.
(Interruptions.)
Deputy Síle de Valera has been offering.
On promised legislation, will the Tánaiste advise the House when legislation relating to the National Library and the National Museum will come before the House?
I am reliably informed that legislation is at an advanced stage.
How advanced is "advanced"?
How reliable is "reliably"?
I will communicate with the Deputy.
When will the Electoral Bill come before the House? Will the Tánaiste explain the delay in bringing it forward as it had been substantially drafted last December?
I understand that the matter of bringing that legislation before the Dáil shortly is being sorted out between the Whips.
The Minister for Justice promised a referendum on our bail laws.
The Deputy should ask a question relevant to the Order of Business.
It is relevant.
I will judge that.
The Tánaiste should answer a straight question: will there be a referendum on bail laws in accordance with a statement made by the Minister for Justice? This is promised legislation and the Tánaiste is obliged to answer.
I answered that during Question Time.
The Minister did not.
I understand this matter was dealt with comprehensively by the Minister for Justice during Question Time.
And on television.
I attempted, in my humble way, to deal with it on three occasions. I am sure that Deputy O'Donoghue — as a solicitor — is well aware that if we change our laws on bail it must be done by way of referendum.
That is a very evasive answer.
I am sorry, Deputy, there will be no argument now.
Kerry v. Kerry.