It is proposed to take business in the following order: Nos. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 and 16 (Vote 49 resumed). By agreement Nos. 1 to 9 will be debated together after item No. 1 has been moved and items Nos. 2 to 9 to be decided without further debate. Private Members' Business will be No. 40.
Order of Business.
I take it that the arrangements for the taking of Nos. 1 to 9 are agreed.
I wish to raise on the Adjournment, with the permission of the Chair, the matter of the application for an increase in petrol retail prices sought by the oil companies.
I will communicate with the Deputy.
I sought to raise a Private Notice Question in connection with the harbour works in Dublin Bay but it was disallowed on the grounds, as I understand it, that it was not urgent. Will the Chair guide me as to how the matter can be raised because the people in that area consider it urgent?
The Deputy, who is an experienced Member and has some very experienced Members in his party, should make up his mind about that.
Perhaps if I raise the matter tomorrow morning the Chair will give me some guidance.
If the Chair was to give guidance and direction the Chair would be going from one trouble to another.
With the permission of the Chair I should like to raise on the Adjournment the decision of the Government to request the North Eastern Health Board to close down Monaghan County Hospital and sell it.
I will communicate with the Deputy.
I am anxious to learn if the Minister for Fisheries will make a statement on the outcome of yesterday's talks in Brussels.
I have not seen the Minister since the negotiations and I am not able to say what the position is. If the Deputy raises the matter with the Whips we may be able to sort it out.
Is it proposed to have a further meeting? This is the end of June and the quota being arranged is for 1983, not 1984. This matter is of vital importance.
With the permission of the Chair I wish to raise on the Adjournment the proposed strike by workers employed by co-operative societies which is due to take place this week and will have dire consequences for the dairy industry if it goes ahead.
The Chair will communicate with the Deputy.
I would like the Taoiseach to tell the House when it is intended to circulate the Criminal Justice Bill.
No decision has been taken on that. The Bill is being drafted at present. It is a very complex Bill and it will come back to the Government for further consideration. I would not like to give any date for that at the present time. As the Deputy knows, it will not, in any event, be taken in this session as the business arrangements between the Whips has been made already in relation to the items to be considered this session.
When will the circulation take place?
The circulation will take place in ample time before the next session of the Dáil and we will be anxious to get it debated and enacted as soon as possible in the next session.
Would the Minister for Industry and Energy like to make a statement in relation to discussions which took place at Barrettstown Castle yesterday relating to the proposed briquette factory in Ballyforan, County Roscommon?
That would not be in order. The Chair is quite prepared to allow to be raised on the Order of Business anything that is relevant but the matter which is now being raised is not relevant, I emphasise, on the Order of Business. If the Chair were to allow that we could be here until the Adjournment debate tonight answering things.
The Chair is aware that I had a question to the Minister which the Chair ruled out of order in relation to this matter. I reluctantly raise it on the Order of Business because the Chair decided he would not allow it to be raised other than that. I believe, at this stage, the Minister should make a statement in relation to this very important issue in my constituency.
Item No. 1. Joint Committee on the Secondary Legislation of the European Communities.
On a point of order, are you making a ruling that you will not allow the Minister to respond to a reasonable request in relation to a vital issue in my constituency and the East Galway constituency?
The Chair is simply ruling it out because it is not in order on the Order of Business. It is as simple as that.