It is proposed to take Nos. 12, 13, 5, 14, 1 and 7. Private Members' Business shall be No. 24.
Order of Business.
I would like to raise a matter on the Order of Business concerning a reply given by the Minister for Finance in the House on Thursday, 5 November to a series of questions during the course of which reply the Minister recalled that he had said that the Government were discussing arrangements with the Central Bank to fund voluntary redundancies in the public service and that when the total cost had been determined and the funding arrangements had been finalised, he would present full details to the House. It now appears that an arrangement has been cobbled together or arrived at in some way.
I am affording the Deputy an opportunity to raise a legitimate matter on the Order of Business. This does not seem to be such.
I want to ask if the Taoiseach will arrange for the Minister for Finance to come into the House today and give the full details now that it appears that the arrangement has been made.
That matter can be raised in the ordinary way.
Can the Taoiseach tell us——
I cannot allow the Deputy to canvass the matter just now. It is not in order.
Will the Taoiseach tell us whether the Minister will come into the House today to give us the details?
The Deputy was totally misinformed.
Will the Minister tell us then what the real information should be or does he know?
The Deputy should put down a question on the matter.
We shall have to pass on from this matter. I have allowed Deputy Dukes some latitude.
In the last number of months I have attempted to get information from the Minister for Health in relation to waiting lists for people from Kerry who are attending hospitals in Cork but this information has been refused. Another Deputy from Kerry has been similarly refused by your good self in relation to the Minister for Health answering the question. It appears from the newspapers today that the Minister for Health has no difficulty in answering identical questions in relation to the Eastern Health Board. I ask you, sir, to look at this matter. The Deputies from Kerry are entitled to get the information, as has always been the practice in this House. The Minister for Health should——
The Deputy knows full well that the Chair and his staff are most anxious to facilitate Members in eliciting information. I shall look into the matter to which he refers.
I would appreciate that.
With special preference for Kerry Deputies.
Has the Taoiseach considered the suggestion which I made yesterday afternoon that an event be organised whereby the public can show their revulsion at the events in Enniskillen and their sympathy with the victims and relatives of those involved?
I did not hear the Deputy.
A suggestion was made in the debate yesterday afternoon, for which there seemed to be much support, that some event be organised whereby the public can show their feelings in regard to the Enniskillen massacre. Has the Taoiseach considered the manner in which such an event could be organised?
That hardly arises now, Deputy.
May I raise the matter on the Adjournment?
I will communicate with Deputy Mac Giolla in that regard.
May I ask the Minister for the Environment if he has now received the report from the board of An Foras Forbartha and if, as promised in this House, having received it he will make it available without delay to the Members of this House?
Perhaps the Deputy would put down a question on that subject matter.
Rather than taking up the time of the House and your own good time perhaps the Minister could indicate yes or no. That would improve the efficiency of this House.
Nevertheless, it is not a matter that arises on the Order of Business.
Do you not think that since it has arisen from previous parliamentary questions and general legislation, it is appropriate at this time for me to ask that simple question?
No; there are other means of raising that matter, Deputy Quinn.
I do not mean to be disorderly. I request your guidance on this matter. Perhaps we should change the rules in this House because it seems that on previous occasions questions of a noncontentious kind have been asked and have been answered. In the first instance the Minister offered to indicate to the House that he would make the report available when he received it. I have no way, other than going through a long process, of asking that question. I would have thought that, to make our business more orderly and more efficient, this is not an unreasonable way to make that request.
The Deputy has made his point and there are other ways of ventilating his grievance.
I asked the Taoiseach some time ago about the legislation to amalgamate the Institute for Industrial Research and Standards and the NBST. He acknowledged that there was some urgency with this matter as these agencies are now working in a form of statutory limbo. Can the Taoiseach indicate if any progress has been made with this legislation which I understand he hopes to be in a position to present before Christmas?
That is still the intention. The legislation is in the final stages of examination at present.
A book has been opened in the Mansion House today in which the people of Dublin can express condolences with those who are bereaved as a result of the horrific and barbarous events which occurred in Enniskillen on Sunday last. I do not think it should go without notice in this House that it is a tragic coincidence that ten days ago Sinn Féin, the political wing of the IRA, held their Ard-Fheis in the Mansion House. I would like to ask the Government, and the Taoiseach in particular, if they would consider introducing legislation to prohibit the fellow-travellers of the IRA from using public buildings in this State——
The Deputy is clearly abusing the privilege of the Order of Business of this House.
This is a serious matter.
It is quite out of order at present and the Deputy knows that.
I think it is appropriate——
I will not allow the Deputy to persist in this matter.
We should draw to the attention of the Government to the fact that today the Members of this House——
The Deputy has already done so and he now proceeds to make a speech.
——will sign a book of condolences in the Mansion House in which those responsible for perpetrating the acts of violence held their Ard-Fheis ten day ago.
Over the past 20 years under the Deputy's administration they have been holding their Ard-Fheis there so he should not be hypocritical.
Legislation has been promised by the Minister for the Environment on several occasions following the explosion at Raglan House to deal with the building by-law regulations. This is a very serious matter and there are only about five or six weeks left in this session. Can the Minister indicate when we may expect this legislation?
In this session, I expect.
When? This session is coming to a close.
Having listened to a news bulletin last night I realise that the Minister for Agriculture and Food has done a U-turn on the Estimate for ACOT and AFT. Will he tell the House where the extra money is to be found?
That is not relevant now.
We are entitled to know. This Estimate has been changed.
When is it proposed to introduce legislation in this House to give effect to the fusion of ACOT and AFT?
It is hoped that legislation will be introduced in this session.
Is it hoped or is it intended?
It is intended — hoped and intended.
In relation to a matter I raised, I ask permission to raise that matter on the Adjournment.
I will communicate with the Deputy.
Has a sub-committee of the Cabinet been formed for the purpose of reviewing the legislation with regard to ground rents? Is it the Government's intention to introduce legislation to abolish ownership of ground rents in public hands and, if so, when?
The question of a sub-committee of the Cabinet does not arise in any event.
There was an indication given by Deputy Woods, Minister for Social Welfare, to a constituency organisation that the Government were intending to introduce legislation with regard to the abolition of ground rents owned by local authorities and other State bodies. I wonder if that is a fact and if we can expect legislation in that regard?
No such legislation was promised.
(Interruptions.)
Is it the Government's intention to introduce the third of the children Bills, the Children (Juvenile Justice) Bill, following the redrafting of the Children (Care and Protection) Bill? The issues raised in the House yesterday at Question Time would indicate that it is very much needed.
I do not think we will be doing it this session but I will let the Deputy know when we hope to bring it in.
Can the Taoiseach indicate when the proposed Companies Bill will be before the House?
It is in the Seanad at the moment, as the Deputy knows. We are doing our best to get it down here as quickly as possible.
Can the Taoiseach or the Minister for Finance inform the House as to what is at issue between the tax officials in the office of the Revenue Commissioners in Sullivan's Quay in Cork where at present they are refusing to handle applications from farmers?
The Deputy will find some other means of raising that matter and he will find the Chair helpful.
Is it intended to make time available in the House to discuss the special report submitted to the House by the Ombudsman?
I dealt with that yesterday.
When is it proposed to bring the Local Radio Bill before the House?
This session.
In view of the statement made by the Minister for Justice in the House last night that arms were illegally imported into this country——
That is out of order.
Would the Taoiseach tell the House——
It is out of order. I am calling item No. 12.