It is proposed to take Items Nos. 3, 9 and 10. By agreement Item No. 10 shall be taken at 3.30 p.m. today and the order shall not be resumed thereafter. Private Members' Business shall be No. 24.
Order of Business.
On the Order of Business, would the Tánaiste or the Minister for Communications assure the House, in order to allay rumours, that he is in full support of B & I in getting out of their debts and getting into a commercial position, as of now, because there are rumours with regard to that company. Perhaps the Minister for Communications would give the House that assurance.
I should like to facilitate the Deputy but it cannot be raised in this way at this time.
It is very serious.
I know but perhaps the Deputy would think of some other way of getting it before the House in an orderly way.
On 22 January last the Minister for Health moved here that the Social Welfare (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill — that is the equalisation of social welfare benefits Bill — Second Stage be ordered for Tuesday 29 January last. We have heard nothing whatever about it since. Could the Tánaiste tell us what has happened in this case?
I believe that it will be taken when the matter is agreed between the Whips.
Could we have some idea of when that is likely to be?
I cannot tell the Deputy now but I will communicate with him.
Might I ask the Tánaiste if it is proposed by the Government to amend the Worker Directors Bill in view of the fact that worker directors were asked to leave a board meeting of Bord na Móna last week when important matters were being discussed?
Unless it has been promised it would not arise now Deputy.
It was promised about two years ago by the Minister for Labour.
I can inform the Deputy that the matter has not been considered by the Government recently.
In view of the fact that the Tánaiste and I would have an interest in worker directors, perhaps he would now consider it because there is not much point in having worker directors if they are not allowed be in on most important matters.
Now that the Minister for Social Welfare has come into the House perhaps he could tell us whether he has closed down his Department because they appear to have cut themselves off from the outside world; they do not answer telephones ——
That is not in order on the Order of Business, Deputy.
Unfortunate people are not being paid. They must have closed down.
With your permission, Sir, I wish to raise on the Adjournment the frightening growth of violent crime in Cork in recent weeks and the apparent neglect by the Minister and the Taoiseach of the problems obtaining there.
I will communicate with the Deputy.
Might I remind you, Sir, that I did attempt to raise it yesterday but I was unsuccessful.
I am still living in hopes.
The Deputy will appreciate that I can still take one thing only at a time on the Adjournment.
That is precisely how important it is.
I might refer to Item No. 74 on today's Order Paper, a motion in the name of myself and Deputy Mac Giolla concerning the Social Welfare (Supplementary Welfare Allowances) (Amendment) Regulations, 1985. It is a motion seeking to disallow the regulations made by the Minister.
The Deputy cannot move the motion now.
Perhaps you would hear me out for a minute. We have discussed the matter with the Government Whip. We have been informed that the only way we can move it is in Private Members' time. As we do not have Private Members' time it means that we are precluded from moving this motion which has to be moved, if it is to be effective, within 21 days of the regulations being made. Can you advise us, Sir, how we can have this motion moved, which is an important one regarding supplementary welfare allowances?
Obviously the Deputy has a problem but I am afraid the Chair cannot solve it for him.
Might I ask the Tánaiste if the Government would be prepared to allow time to have this motion discussed?
Motion No. 74 is a Private Members' motion which will have to be taken in Private Members' time. The Government do not intend giving time to it.
I should like to seek your guidance on a matter of protocol in the House, Sir. Is it appropriate for the Minister for Communications to refer to the Opposition in very offensive terms as being irresponsible and hypocritical when we merely sought to raise in this House, in a mature and responsible way, the situation of a very important institution in this city? In view of the history of recent times, when a number of important national institutions have practically gone bankrupt overnight, it was inappropriate for the Minister for Communications to refer to our vigilance in regard to the Port and Docks Board in these derogatory and offensive terms.
I presume the Deputy is referring to interventions, cross-fire and debate on the Adjournment ——
And loss of rag ——
—— last evening.
The people opposite have not got much left.
Order, please. The Chair listened attentively to the debate. He did not consider that his intervention was called for. There may have been charges or remarks of a political nature which are not out of order, Deputy, and——
I accept that charges of a political nature are acceptable in this House. Indeed I am sure I have been the subject of more of them than most. But you Sir, in exercise of your prerogative, decided that this matter was worthy of the Dáils attention and suitable to be raised on the Adjournment. Do you not think, Sir, that the description of the Minister for Communications that our raising it was irresponsible and hypocritical was, if nothing else, a reflection on your decision to allow it be raised on the Adjournment?
I would not think so, Deputy.
Might I ask you, Sir,——
I cannot allow a discussion on it now, I am sorry.
Would the Chair, in the manner in which he has been seeking to conduct our proceedings, if asked for an opinion deplore these intemperate remarks by a Minister on an important occasion such as this?
(Interruptions.)
A Deputy
It is what is called robust debating when Deputy Brian Lenihan indulges in it.
I will deal with everything on its merits as it arises and if my intervention is called for I will intervene. Deputy De Rossa.
(Interruptions.)
I must return to the point I made earlier on item No. 74. Both myself and Deputy Mac Giolla are being denied the right in this House to move this motion on regulations which affect fuel vouchers for unemployed people and people on disability benefit.
I do not want to cut the Deputy short. I fully appreciate the Deputy's problem but there is nothing that I, as Ceann Comhairle, can do within Standing Orders. I cannot allow the Deputy in an effort to get it raised to make his case, because that would be getting around Standing Orders.
The case I am trying to make is that we are being denied the right to move this motion. I can find nothing in Standing Orders which precludes us from moving this motion. It is simply, apparently, the unwillingness of the Government to allow it to be moved.
(Dún Laoghaire): I would ask that that remark be withdrawn. The Government are not precluding anybody from moving anything. There are quite a number of Private Members' motions on the Order Paper for months. It is not my fault that The Workers' Party did not get sufficent numbers to be able to demand Private Members time in this house.
I will not have an acrimonious discussion.
Under the Social Welfare (Supplementary Allowances) Act this House is entitled to disallow regulations made by the Minister. Unless we are allowed move this motion we are being denied the right to disallow the regulations by the Minister.
I do not want to get into an argument with the Deputy. I cannot help the Deputy under Standing Orders——
And the Government are not prepared to.
If you get a certain number of people, you can take the necessary steps.
I appeal to the Government to allow time or to move the motion themselves. There is a 21 day limit and this is an attempt by the Minister to overcome a High Court decision. This motion must be moved within the next few days.
I have made the position quite clear. Deputy Tunney.
Will the Tánaiste say what is the present position regarding the promised legislation on the national lottery?
There will be legislation. We hope to have it before the summer but, if not, it will be in the autumn session.
The Tánaiste would want to hurry it up because nobody will have money to buy tickets.
We will send you a few free tickets.
When do the Government intend introducing legislation to create a new port authority at Rosslare as promised in Building on Reality.
I would like to——
Deputies
We want an answer.
I am about to answer. It appears that it was necessary that some British legislation be also enacted in relation to a a port for Rosslare. I will communicate with the Deputy in relation to the time scale involved.
Is the Tánaiste aware of the substantial reduction in the number of sailings to and from Rosslare in the recent past ——
That is not in order. Deputy Frank Prendergast.
——and that will cause substantial job losses?
I wish to raise on the Adjournment the situation in relation to the recent statement by the director of Aughinish Alumina in relation to the supply of natural gas.
I will communicate with the Deputy.
With regard to the legislation for Rosslare Harbour, does the Tánaiste know if any move has been made in the House of Commons on the reciprocal legislation?
There have been discussions with the British Government on this matter and the discussions are ongoing. I hope to make interim arrangements in advance of legislation.
We have had a reasonable session on the Order of Business. Item No. 3.