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Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 29 Oct 1987

Vol. 374 No. 8

Order of Business.

It is proposed to take Nos. 15, 16, 17 and 1.

On the Order of Business, I wish to raise a matter with the Taoiseach. The Government announced yesterday the appointment of a new Garda Commissioner — a Garda Commissioner designate would be more accurate — to whom I wish every good fortune in his new responsibilities. Will the Taoiseach indicate to the House why the Government have appointed a Garda Commissioner designate who, when he takes up office, will have only a relatively short time to serve?

Strictly speaking, the Deputy should find another way of raising that matter.

It is a matter of some considerable importance and there should be an explanation from the Government as to why this course of action was taken, irrespective of the personalities involved. Will the Taoiseach not answer?

It is out of order.

Is it the intention of the Taoiseach or the Government that this House will have an opportunity of discussing the whole question of the financial services development in Dublin? Will the Taoiseach bring forward a White Paper on financial services?

Is the Deputy referring to financial services in the Custom House Docks site?

I will consider what way the fullest possible information can be given to the House.

By way of discussion?

I should like your guidance in relation to something that happened last night when the Oireachtas and Ministerial Pensions Bill, 1987, was defeated. The motion for Second Reading was put to the House and was accepted. It says:

Dáil Éireann, conscious of the fact that the whole question of pay and conditions of Oireachtas Members, including pensions now paid to former Office holders, is before the Gleeson Committee...

I have ascertained the position from the Department of Finance who told me that these matters are not before the Gleeson Committee and that the terms of reference do not provide for the committee to make any recommendation on pensions paid to former office holders. What will happen in these circumstances? Will new terms of reference be given to this committee or will the present position be allowed to stand with the result that the committee cannot deal with these questions?

The matter to which the Deputy refers is now a resolution of this House and what happens after that is not a matter for the Chair.

It is a resolution of the House which cannot be put into effect because it purports to refer to the fact that this matter is already before the Gleeson Committee, when it is not before them.

To effectively pursue the matter, the Deputy should table a question.

Could the Minister for Finance or a member of the Government tell me what the Government propose to do now in relation to these developments?

It is not in order now, there are ways and means open to the Deputy of clarifying the matter.

It seems extraordinary that the Government have no view on the matter which seems to bear out our feeling that there is a great anxiety in the House to sweep the matter under the carpet and hope that it will go away, but it will not.

It is not the responsibility of the Chair.

Has the Taoiseach given further consideration to the establishment of a Joint Oireachtas committee on foreign affairs?

I have already indicated several times to the Deputy that if and when a decision on that matter is taken it will be conveyed to the House in the normal way.

Will the Taoiseach say when we will have the Adoption Bill before the House? It was promised last June.

I will communicate with the Deputy.

In view of the widespread anxiety and concern among youth and sporting organisations due to the fact that there is no allocation for their activities in the Estimates for 1988, when will the Taoiseach be in a position to relieve their anxiety by announcing the allocation of the national lottery proceeds——

That does not arise on the Order of Business.

In the last session I asked the Taoiseach a question concerning the ratification of the European Patent Convention which, I readily acknowledge, has dragged on for years under the aegis of successive Governments, including that of which I was a member.

(Interruptions.)

The Government of which I was a member acted collectively and we all took a proprietary interest in it unlike the conduct of the Government where one Minister contradicts another.

(Interruptions.)

If I may cut through the nervous laughter on the other side of the House, I should like to ask the Taoiseach a question. When does the Taoiseach expect that this legislation will br brought forward?

With the greatest possible degree of honesty and frankness, at this stage I do not know. I will see what information I can get for the Deputy.

Can we take it that the press briefing Mr. Mara, the Government Press Secretary, is going to give to British journalists later will repair the damage that was done the night before last?

We ought to pose serious questions.

I want to know if it is intended to introduce legislation to establish the promised product identification centre and, if so, when. Secondly, I want to raise on the Adjournment the question of the port development site project and specifically concerns that have been expressed about the criteria for adjudicating on major contracts about to be placed in that respect.

I will communicate with the Deputy in respect of that matter.

I would appreciate an answer to the first part of my question.

Will the Deputy repeat the question?

I admit it is hard to recall the Government's programme — I am sure they do not want to recall it too often — on which they were elected in which there was a commitment to introduce a product identification centre. I wonder whether anything is happening in that respect or whether it will be forgotten about.

Surely the Deputy ought to put down a question in respect of that matter.

I understand it might require legislation and I am asking whether it is intended to introduce legislation to bring that about. That is perfectly in order, with respect, a Cheann Comhairle.

I wish to raise on the Adjournment the matter of which I gave you notice yesterday — that is, the disqualification from unemployment assistance of an individual who took two hours basic reading and writing courses and another individual who taught voluntarily a class for two hours a week.

I will communicate with the Deputy.

When can we expect to see before the House the Children Bill which was promised some time ago by the Minister for Health?

We dealt with that matter yesterday.

The matter was dealt with yesterday, I gather.

I wish to raise on the Adjournment the changes in the administration of the refund of drugs scheme of the Department of Health.

I will communicate with the Deputy.

I wish to raise on the Adjournment the threat to public health of the expected flu epidemic this winter, especially in light of the shortage of hospital beds and the shortage of supplies of vaccines to GPs for public medical card patients.

I will communicate with the Deputy.

Even though the information——

Deputy Pat O'Malley was on his feet.

I wish to raise on the Adjournment the appointment by the Government of communications consultants on an exclusive contract basis.

I will communicate with Deputy Pat O'Malley in respect of that matter.

Much has been repeated in this House and I wish to ask the Minister when the Children Bill will be brought before the House.

The Deputy is engaging in repetition and he has already had a reply to that question.

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