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Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 19 Oct 1983

Vol. 345 No. 1

Messages From Seanad.

Seanad Éireann has passed the following Bills without amendment: Building Societies (Amendment) Bill, 1983; Turf Development Bill, 1983; Fisheries (Amendment) Bill, 1983; Local Government (Planning and Development) Bill, 1983.

Seanad Éireann has made orders appointing select committees of the House to be joined by select committees appointed by the Dáil to form the Joint Committee on Legislation, the Joint Committee on Small Businesses, the Joint Committee on Women's Rights and the Joint Committee on Marriage Breakdown. The full text of the messages will be set out in the Official Report and in the Journal of the proceedings of the House.

Following is the text of the messages from the Seanad:

Cléireach na Dála:

Seanad Éireann has made the following Order:

(1) That a Select Committee consisting of seven members of Seanad Éireann be appointed to be joined with a Select Committee to be appointed by Dáil Éireann to form the Joint Committee on Legislation—

(a) to invite submissions in writing, or orally if considered necessary by the Committee, from interested persons or bodies on Bills or other proposals for legislation (other than measures arising out of or relating to the Budget) referred to it by either House or Motion made by or with the consent of a Member of the Government and to provide a record of same for the information of each House;

(b) notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in Standing Orders relative to public business, to discharge the functions devolving by virtue of those Standing Orders on the Standing Joint Committee on Consolidation Bills;

(c) to examine the reports of the Law Reform Commission and to report its opinion and recommendations thereon to each House;

(d) to keep the law under review and to formulate proposals for law reform and to report thereon to each House;

(e) to consider any Bill referred to it by either House with the concurrence of the other; and

(f) to examine and report to each House on any statutory instrument laid or laid in draft before either House, other than regulations made under the European Communities Act, 1972, and to recommend, where it considers that such action is warranted, whether the instrument should be annulled or amended.

(2) That the Joint Committee have power to appoint sub-committees and to refer to such sub-committees any matters comprehended by paragraph (1) of this Order.

(3) That the Joint Committee or any of its sub-committees shall, unless they decide otherwise, hold their meetings in public under the conditions specified in Standing Order 76.

(4) That the Joint Committee have the power, subject to the consent of the Minister for the Public Service, to engage the services of persons with specialist or technical knowledge to assist it or any of its sub-committees in its consideration of any matter comprehended by paragraph (1) (c) or (1) (d).

(5) That the Joint Committee, or a sub-committee to which a statutory instrument is referred, have power to require any Government Department or other instrument-making authority concerned to submit a Memorandum explaining any Statutory Instrument which may be under consideration or to depute a representative to appear before it as a witness for the purpose of explaining any such statutory instrument.

(6) That the Joint Committee have power to report to each House from time to time any Memoranda submitted or other evidence given to it or to the relevant sub-committee in explanation of a statutory instrument.

(7) That any Member of either House may attend and be heard in the proceedings of the Joint Committee or a sub-committee in relation to a matter comprehended by paragraph (1) (a) subject to the prior consent of the Joint Committee.

(8) Where a Bill is under consideration in accordance with paragraph (1) (e) of this Order a Member of the Government in charge of the Bill or a Minister of State nominated by him shall for that purpose be an ex-officio member of the Joint Committee or any relevant sub-committee and members of either House, not being members of the Joint Committee or relevant sub-committee, may attend and be heard at meetings held for the purpose of such consideration without having a right to vote.

(9) That the Joint Committee and any sub-committee appointed, previous to the commencement of business, shall elect one of its members to be Chairman, who shall have only one vote.

(10) Subject to paragraph (8), all questions in the Joint Committee and in each sub-committee shall be determined by a majority of votes of the members present and voting, and in the event of there being an equality of votes the question shall be decided in the negative.

(11) Subject to paragraph (6), that every report which the Joint Committee proposes to make under this Order shall on adoption be laid before both Houses of the Oireachtas forthwith whereupon the Committee shall be empowered to print and publish such report together with such related documents as it thinks fit.

(12) That the quorum of the Joint Committee shall be seven of whom at least three shall be Members of Dáil Éireann and one shall be a Member of Seanad Éireann and that the quorum of each sub-committee shall be three of whom at least one shall be a Member of Dáil Éireann and at least one a Member of Seanad Éireann.

M. Mac Mathúna,

Leas-Cléireach an tSeanaid,

7 Iúil 1983.

Cléireach na Dála:

Seanad Éireann has made the following Order:

(1) That a Select Committee consisting of seven members of Seanad Éireann be appointed to be joined with a Select Committee to be appointed by Dáil Éireann to form the Joint Committee on Small Businesses to examine and report to each House, with its recommendations, on the following matters:

(i) a common definition of small businesses having regard to the criteria applied by State agencies, the Small Firms Association of the CII and definitions used in other EEC countries;

(ii) the development of the small business sector of the economy;

(iii) the means of facilitating the financing of small businesses with particular reference to existing loan schemes;

(iv) the provision of finance for innovation, research and development for small businesses with particular reference to EEC initiatives, including the setting up of an industrial innovation and development fund;

(v) existing export financing arrangements to see if they are adequately tailored to the needs of small businesses;

(vi) the small industry programmes of the Industrial Development Authority and the Shannon Free Airport Development Company Limited;

(vii) ensuring greater linkage between new foreign industry and small domestic businesses;

(viii) the use of State purchasing decisions as an encouragement to the development of small businesses;

(ix) improving the marketing capability of small businesses;

(x) existing management training techniques insofar as small business are concerned and, in particular, the retraining of management;

(xi) the working of the Committee of Enquiry to be established by the Minister for Finance, which is to recommend a simplified tax regime for family businesses.

(2) That the Joint Committee have power to appoint sub-committees and to refer any matter comprehended by paragraph (1) of this Order to a sub-committee.

(3) That the Joint Committee and each sub-committee, previous to the commencement of business, shall elect one of its members to be Chairman, who shall have only one vote.

(4) That all questions in the Joint Committee and in each sub-committee shall be determined by a majority of votes of the members present and voting and in the event of there being an equality of votes the questions shall be decided in the negative.

(5) That the quorum of the Joint Committee shall be four of whom at least one shall be a member of Dáil Éireann and one shall be a member of Seanad Éireann and that the quorum of each sub-committee shall be three at least one of whom shall be a member of Dáil Éireann and one a member of Seanad Éireann.

(6) That every report which the Joint Committee proposes to make under this Order shall on adoption by the Joint Committee be laid before both Houses of the Oireachtas forthwith whereupon the Joint Committee shall be empowered to print and publish such report together with such related documents as it thinks fit."

M. Mac Mathúna

Leas-Chléireach an tSeanaid

7 Iúil 1983.

Cléireach na Dála:

Seanad Éireann has made the following Order:

(1) That, for the purpose of facilitating consultation between the Houses of the Oireachtas and representatives of organisations concerned with the position of women in Irish society, a Select Committee consisting of six members of Seanad Éireann be appointed to be joined with a Select Committee to be appointed by Dáil Éireann to form the Joint Committee on Women's Rights.

(2) That the Joint Committee shall—

(a) examine or propose legislative measures which would materially affect the interests of women;

(b) consider means by which any areas of discrimination against women can be eliminated and by which the obstacles to their full participation in the political, social and economic life of the community can be removed;

(c) consider specific economic and social disadvantages applying to women in the home and bearing in mind the special nature of their contribution to the community, to recommend effective policy and administrative changes to help eliminate these disadvantages

and report to the Houses of the Oireachtas thereon.

(3) That the Joint Committee shall have power to send for persons, papers and records and, subject to the consent of the Minister for the Public Service, to engage the services of persons with specialist or technical knowledge to assist it for the purposes of particular enquiries.

(4) That the Joint Committee, previous to the commencement of business, shall elect one of its Members to be Chairman, who shall have only one vote.

(5) That all questions in the Joint Committee shall be determined by a majority of votes by the Members present and voting and in the event of there being an equality of votes the question shall be decided in the negative.

(6) That the Joint Committee shall have power to print and publish from time to time minutes of evidence taken before it, together with such related documents as it thinks fit.

(7) That four Members of the Joint Committee shall form a Quorum, of whom at least one shall be a Member of Dáil Éireann and at least one shall be a Member of Seanad Éireann.

(8) That the Report of the Joint Committee shall, on adoption by the Joint Committee, be laid before both Houses of the Oireachtas forthwith, whereupon the Joint Committee shall be empowered to print and publish such Report together with such related documents as it thinks fit."

M. Mac Mathúna,

Leas-Chléireach an tSeanaid.

12 Iúil 1983.

Cléireach na Dála:

Seanad Éireann has made the following Order:

(1) That a Select Committee consisting of five members of Seanad Éireann be appointed to be joined with a Select Committee to be appointed by Dáil Éireann to form the Joint Committee on Marriage Breakdown to consider the protection of marriage and of family life, and to examine the problems which follow the breakdown of marriage, and to report to the Houses of the Oireachtas thereon.

(2) That the Report of the Joint Committee shall be laid before both Houses of the Oireachtas within a period of one year.

(3) That the Joint Committee shall have power to send for persons, papers and records and, subject to the consent of the Minister for the Public Service, to engage the services of persons with specialist or technical knowledge to assist it for the purposes of particular enquiries.

(4) That the Joint Committee, previous to the commencement of business, shall elect one of its Members to be Chairman, who shall have only one vote.

(5) That all questions in the Joint Committee shall be determined by a majority of votes by the Members present and voting and in the event of there being an equality of votes the question shall be decided in the negative.

(6) That the Joint Committee shall have power to print and publish from time to time minutes of evidence taken before it together with such related documents as it thinks fit.

(7) That five members of the Joint Committee shall form a quorum, of whom at least one shall be a Member of Dáil Éireann and at least one shall be a Member of Seanad Éireann.

(8) That the Report of the Joint Committee shall, on adoption by the Joint Committee, be laid before both Houses of the Oireachtas forthwith whereupon the Joint Committee shall be empowered to print and publish such Report together with such related documents as it thinks fit."

M. Mac Mathúna,

Leas-Chléireach an tSeanaid.

12 Iúil 1983.

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