It is proposed to take business in the following order: No. 26 (Votes 27, 48 and 48, Supplementary). Private Members' Business will be taken from 6 p.m. to 7.30 p.m.
Order of Business.
I asked the Taoiseach yesterday if he was in a position to announce the items of legislation he wishes to have put through before the end of the session. Could he give that information now?
I have some information about that. The Bills which we will require to pass through the House before the Easter Recess are: the Agricultural Credit Bill, the Wireless Telegraphy Bill, the Electoral Amendment Bill, which, for the benefit of some observers, has nothing whatever to do with the referendum.
A general election?
No, in relation to the curing of the Supreme Court decision. Many people are reading a lot into it, but I want to point out that it——
You are just getting ready for a general election.
We are always ready.
Is that why you shook hands with him last Sunday week?
There is a number of other Bills we would like to get but they are not as essential as the three I have mentioned. These other Bills are: the Prices (Amendment) Bill, the Restrictive Trade Practices Bill, the Dangerous Substances Bill on Committee Stage and the Immature Spirits Bill. This will depend of course on whether there is time available and we have already indicated to the Opposition that the last week or two weeks, as the case may be, can be taken up by a debate on the Common Market White Paper. Although Deputy Corish is absent, I told him that I would try to answer his question as well as regards the publication of the Book of Estimates. The Minister for Finance announced last week that he was not yet in a position to indicate the date of the Budget but I want to say that the Book of Estimates will be published as usual about a week before the Budget date and that date will be announced in good time.
It was always published in February until this Government came into office. What is the delay about the Electoral Bill?
There were some amendments which were not ready for putting before the House. It is a very simple Bill——
I know it is, but why has it been delayed a month between Second Reading and Committee Stage?
There is nothing sinister in it, I can assure the Deputy.
I am not saying there is. I asked for simple information and the Taoiseach twists it.
I said it was for the benefit of some commentators who see something in it.
Could the Taoiseach say if he has yet reached agreement on the Committee for the North?
Not quite. I am waiting for some word from Deputy Corish.
Is that because the original suggestions were not acceptable?
There were no original suggestions. The point outstanding at this stage is the composition of the Committee and I have made a suggestion to Deputy Corish. There was no question of not accepting a suggestion. The three of us talked around numbers as constituting the Committee and we are waiting to hear from Deputy Corish.
Is there one of the parties not prepared to accept that there should be equal representation?
Two of the three parties will not accept it.
May I now come back to my other question, as to why the Estimate volume is not produced before the beginning of the financial year? Every county council in the country have been producing their estimates for weeks back and here we have the Central Government Estimates, which were always produced in the middle of February, being produced some time in May, long after the financial year has started. It is a disgraceful business.
Things seem to have gone very wrong since the Deputy left the Department of Finance.
Indeed they have, and the Department of Finance has no power whatever.
Talking of the Department of Finance, could I inquire what the position is about the Ministers and Secretaries Bill in connection with the Public Service Department? The Taoiseach will recall that this was recommended by the Devlin Committee Report which is now so long ago that I do not know whether it is 1½ or 2½ years—I think it is 2½ years—and he will recall that the Bill was promised to us last April. Now we find that it is not mentioned in a list of proposed legislation or even desirable legislation. In view of the urgency of getting it established and that the Government has held up the changes in the public service for 2½ years, could he tell us when the Bill will be brought in?
I will consult with the Minister for Finance on that.
Could the Taoiseach give us any information as to when the EEC Referendum will be held and whether the Budget will be introduced before or after?
This is totally out of order. It does not arise.
The House is entitled to know this.
I could tell the Deputy but I would be ruled out of order.
If the House agrees, the Taoiseach could answer.
(Cavan): In relation to legislation considered to be urgent, could the Taoiseach tell us when it is proposed to take the Second Stage of the Local Government (Planning and Development) (No. 2) Bill of 1969, which was introduced in 1969 as a result of the pressure——
Yesterday questions like this were asked of me and I said that if they were repeated or if I was given notice I would try to help Deputies, but I cannot go over the whole range of this document and answer every item on it. If the Deputy would like to ask a question the appropriate Minister will be here tomorrow morning and it will be easy to get the information.
(Cavan): I appreciate that. I have raised this matter on several occasions. It is one of the most urgent Bills on the Order Paper. It has been stalled for two years, planning is in chaos and everyone is completely dissatisfied with the appeals system.
I have told the Deputy that he should repeat his question tomorrow when the Minister is here.
Is the Taoiseach aware that on two occasions the Minister for Health gave an undertaking that he would introduce legislation here in the current session to combat the increasing problem of illicit drug trafficking? Although this undertaking was given on two occasions, the legislation is not included in the Taoiseach's list.
I can assure the Deputy that there is no one more assiduous in his duties than the Minister. Whatever legislation he has will be introduced at the earliest possible date.
The trouble is that he does not get his own way often enough.