Skip to main content
Normal View

Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 31 Oct 1985

Vol. 361 No. 4

Order of Business.

It is proposed to take Nos. 6, 18, 19, and 20.

With regard to item No. 6, we agreed to take this matter on short notice. I would point out that we have no documents whatever as yet and no indication as to what it is about. The motion refers to the terms of an agreement and contract. Perhaps the Taoiseach would give an indication as to what is involved.

If it is agreed to take it perhaps that could wait until it is called.

It is very hard to agree to take something when one does not know what it is about.

The Opposition are in some difficulty as this is something that has arisen at short notice. I understand that the documents have been laid before the House probably in the very recent past. I would be glad to facilitate the Opposition in any way I can.

Will they be in Chinese or translated?

The documents before the House will be in English. I realise the difficulty and if I can help the Leader of the Opposition I will do so because I am grateful to him for his courtesy in agreeing to take this motion. It will be of great value and importance to this country to have this arrangement. I recognise that the Deputy has not received the documents, nor had a chance to look at them.

This side of the House have no wish to be disruptive in this matter because it is very important that cultural relations between Ireland and China should be pursued effectively. Many people are slightly worried about the implications of disturbing these warriors and horses of the Qin Dynasty. We on this side of the House would be prepared to risk any supernatural manifestations that might confront us from these developments. However, this is not a very satisfactory way of doing business. On this occasion, in view of the fact that this is an artistic and cultural matter we are prepared to facilitate the Government.

Another matter I wish to raise with the Ceann Comhairle relates to Question Time. I would direct the Chair's attention to a process which is taking place. On two occasions I have put down questions to the Taoiseach, one in regard to the outrageous statements of the Chief Constable of the RUC and another in relation to the unfortunate and unhappy events in Árus an Uachtaráin last Monday. Both of those question were transferred by the Taoiseach to other Ministers.

The Deputy may——

Just a second. Please let me finish. I do not like this habit of the Chair's of interrupting people. Before the Chair rules me out of order——

I am not ruling the Deputy out of order but the Deputy has referred to my habit of cutting in.

I was always taught that it was bad manners to interrupt somebody who was speaking. That is probably old fashioned now.

Deputy Haughey and myself are in the same category.

(Interruptions.)

Once it becomes clear to the Chair that the matter is not in order it would be a dereliction of duty on behalf of the Chair if he were to allow the Deputy in possession to proceed. If Deputy Haughey wants to raise something about the practice of transferring questions from the Taoiseach to another Deputy and to correct, as he would see it, a tradition which has been here since the twenties, then the Order of Business is not the place to do it.

I would respectfully submit to the Chair that he could not possibly be in a position to know whether or not my questions are in order until I have finished making my submission. I want to direct the Chair's attention to the fact that this is not just a matter of the Taoiseach transferring questions, though I regard as a serious dereliction of parliamentary duty the fact that the Taoiseach did that in both those instances. However, my point is that the Taoiseach or his Department left it to the last moment to effect the transfer to other Ministers, and in both these cases the transfer resulted in the postponement of my questions almost indefinitely. The question in regard to the unhappy ceremony in Árus an Uachtaráin was transferred to the Minister for Labour. The Minister for Labour's questions were taken yesterday. That means that my question on a reasonably topical matter cannot now come before the House for about a month. That makes a mockery of the Government's intentions to make this House more relevant to contemporary events. The second question was transferred to another Minister and this had the same effect.

The new procedure for Question Time has a very important bearing on the transfer of questions from the Taoiseach to other Ministers and can result in questions being put back to a point where they are hopelessly out of date by the time they are arrived at in this House. The whole matter could be solved if the Taoiseach would accept questions which are legitimately addressed to him and not attempt to dodge them. I want, Sir, to direct your attention to this new situation and the fall-out it is having in regard to questions being transferred.

In an orderly manner without dealing with the question of the transfer of the question itself, I want to say that if the new procedure introduced has had an unintended effect — I am not clear that that is the case and I do not quite see how it is — the Whips should discuss it. Certainly we would not wish the new procedure to have a disadvantageous effect to the Opposition of a kind that was not intended.

The Taoiseach says that he does not understand how it had that effect. Regarding the scandalous remarks by the Chief Constable of the RUC, I addressed a question on that matter to the Taoiseach when it was particularly relevant and urgent. The Taoiseach's office delayed dealing with that question until Friday. On Friday they indicated that it had been transferred to the Minister for Foreign Affairs. The draw for questions to the Minister for Foreign Affairs took place on Thursday. Therefore, my question not alone was not answered by the Taoiseach but it did not go into the draw for the Minister for Foreign Affairs to whom it had been transferred. Exactly the same thing has happened in regard to my question to the Taoiseach which has been transferred to the Minister for Labour. I am prepared to accept, if the Taoiseach says so, that this is not a device to put these questions away into the future, but that is how it works in both these cases.

I take the Leader of the Opposition's point. I appreciate it now and I believe the matter should be discussed between the Whips to ensure that the new procedure has not a disadvantageous effect which was not intended.

Certainly it should not be discussed here.

I want to give notice of my intention to raise on the Adjournment the subject matter of the Gaisce President's award ceremonies in Áras an Uachtaráin last Monday.

I will communicate with Deputy Haughey. In regard to the matter he raised, the new system of Question Time has been in operation for a relatively short time. Of course, it has teething problems as any new system has. If Deputies would bring this before the Committee on Procedure and Privileges it could be ironed out there. That committee met yesterday, but it is not appropriate to try to argue it out across the floor on the Order of Business.

On that point let me point out that that is not a very satisfactory remedy for us on this side of the House. At the meeting of the Committee on Procedure and Privileges yesterday for the first time ever the Government forced through a proposal of their own by using their majority on the committee. That does not hold out much sustenance for this side of the House.

Is the Taoiseach aware that his ill-considered and ill-named package of measures last week on job creation has resulted in 2,000 people being put out of work in the glass industry?

That does not arise on the Order of Business. Deputy Burke will have to find another way of raising it.

This is a very serious matter. An order by the Minister is needed to bring this operation into effect.

Is Deputy Burke giving notice that he wants to raise something on the Adjournment?

I will raise it on the Adjournment with your permission.

I will communicate with Deputy Burke.

(Interruptions.)

In reply to a question of mine in June last the Minister for the Environment promised what he called comprehensive new air pollution legislation which he said would be introduced in the autumn. Let me ask him when it is intended to have that brought before the House.

It will be introduced in this session.

I would like to ask the Taoiseach when he proposes to introduce legislation to deal with the jury system. I think he and some of his Ministers promised that that legislation would be introduced in the near future.

That legislation is in the course of preparation. The issue is legally complex. The text is awaited from the Attorney General at present. I cannot give an exact time, therefore, for the presentation of the Bill, but the Government attach great urgency to it and we will get it through the House as soon as possible.

Is there a possibility that it will be introduced in this session?

That has been our intention and desire and unless some insuperable legal problems arise we will certainly want to do so.

I would like to raise one further matter. Early in August a committe of inquiry into the building societies was set up and it was suggested that the report would be before the Government by the end of September. I would like to ask the Taoiseach if the report has been brought to the Government and if the intention is to place it on the table of the House and give the House an opportunity to discuss it.

I do not think it arises on the Order of Business. It is not promised legislation.

I understand that it would require some amending legislation if changes are to be introduced. Perhaps the Taoiseach could indicate if the date, the end of September, has been complied with for the finalisation of the report.

It does not arise on the Order of Business.

I would like to ask your advice about a statement that was made here by Deputy De Rossa yesterday about white slavery in the US.

I am sorry, Deputy, that does not arise. We cannot have a post mortem on something that happened yesterday.

I would like to put it on the record of this House——

You cannot do it in this way.

I do not think that any such thing happens.

You have another way of dealing with this.

An Irish girl working in the US for 12 hours a day seven days a week at $50 a week — that statement is irresponsible.

Last week I raised the question of the legislation for the reform of the unsatisfactory local government situation in Dublin. Before the summer recess the Taoiseach promised the legislation in the autumn session. Would the Taoiseach like to clarify the situation?

I am anxious to do so, as I mentioned to the Deputy privately. The day before yesterday I said in a reply that it would be introduced early next year. The answer I gave in June was that I hoped to introduce it in this session. Shortly after that it became clear that this would not be possible. I thought I had said that to the House but I find I was incorrect in my recollection. It will be introduced early in the next session. I am glad the Deputy has given me the opportunity to clarify that.

I want to ask the Taoiseach if the Local Radio Bill has been withdrawn or, if not, when it will it be resumed in the House.

It is not withdrawn and its further procedure in the House is a matter for discussion between the Whips.

(Limerick West): Can either the Taoiseach or the Minister for Agriculture confirm or deny press reports to the effect that the Government intend to prevent the implementation of the EC young farmer establishment aid scheme——

This does not arise.

(Limerick West):——and its inclusion in the farm improvement scheme and is it the intention to announce shortly the new farm modernisation scheme?

This does not arise on the Order of Business.

(Limerick West): In that case, I should like to raise the matter on the Adjournment.

The Chair will communicate with the Deputy.

I wish to pursue the matter of the report on the building societies because what other avenue has a Deputy available to him when a major inquiry is promised into such a matter?

If the Deputy comes to my office, I will discuss the matter with him.

The least one might expect is an indication as to whether the report has been finalised and whether we may expect it or the amending legislation to be brought before the House.

This is not an appropriate time to deal with the matter.

When major statements are made outside the House concerning the merger of two of the largest building societies and when a major inquiry in that regard is commissioned by the Government surely it is right and proper to ask the Taoiseach whether the report has been finalised.

The Deputy will have to find another avenue for raising this issue.

Top
Share