It is proposed to take Nos. 4, 5, 16, 17, 18, 19, 7 and 8. It is also proposed that the Dáil shall sit later than 9 p.m. and business shall be interrupted at 10.30 p.m. tonight. It is further proposed that Nos. 17 and 18 shall be taken together for the purposes of debate. It is further proposed that Nos. 7 and 8 shall be taken not later than 10 p.m. and shall be debated together and the proceedings shall be brought to a conclusion not later than 10.30 p.m. tonight and the order shall not resume thereafter. Private Members' Business shall be No. 67.
Order of Business.
Is the proposal for the late sitting agreed? Agreed. Is the proposal that Nos. 17 and 18 be taken together agreed? Agreed. Is the proposal in respect of Nos. 7 and 8 agreed? Agreed.
On the Order of Business, could the Taoiseach inform the House whether, as reported today, the Government have set up a constituency review committee and, if so, what are their terms of reference?
Re-election.
That hardly arises now.
It is very simple.
It is an issue that could, indeed, have been put down for question in the normal way. I would expect that since it is a matter of some passing interest——
There was ample time for it.
——The Taoiseach might wish to tell us what are his intentions.
Mayo is a five-seater.
I hear it is agreed that Cork is to have five four-seaters.
On the Order of Business, notwithstanding the agreement between the Whips on today's Order of Business whereby it is being decided to take together the Broadcasting and Wireless Telegraphy Bill and the Sound Broadcasting Bill, I ask the Taoiseach and the Minister for Communications if they will agree to deferring the Sound Broadcasting Bill until such time as the Broadcasting and Wireless Telegraphy Bill becomes law. This would enable the House, having cleared the airwaves of illegal activity, to debate in a rational way and objectively the contents of the Sound Broadcasting Bill.
I put the question earlier and it was agreed without dissent.
I was on my feet at that time.
I did not catch the Deputy's eye, nor he mine.
The Whips have agreed on this, but I do not think that there is any difficulty. Both Bills will be taken and discussed together, but that is all. When they come into operation and so on is a different matter. The Deputy can make his point about the relative operation of the two pieces of legislation in the debate.
It may not be possible to alter the Order of Business. What I am concerned about is that we should first get rid of the pirate operators and, having done that, we could then proceed with discussion on the Sound Broadcasting Bill.
I have nothing further to say.
Is the Taoiseach in a position to tell the House what stage his consideration of a foreign affairs committee has reached? Some weeks ago it was at an advanced stage of consideration and then it was under active consideration. Could the Taoiseach tell us whether he has arrived at a conclusion?
I am going increasingly off the idea.
Could the Taoiseach tell us why, to use his own words, he is going increasingly off the idea since he assured this House earlier this year that in principle he thought it was a good idea and it was agreed between the parties?
That was last month.
I do not think I can make any announcement before the end of this session, but I am concerned, and I think all Deputies would be concerned, that the committees which we have should be operating satisfactorily. As I see it, there is a problem in even keeping the committees which we have going satisfactorily. I would like a little bit more time before adding another committee to the list.
Would the Taoiseach not agree that, if there is any problem with the existing committees, which I do not think is the reality, it relates to the provision of secretarial services for the committees? Since the Taoiseach is redeploying people left, right and centre from Departments all over the place he could certainly find it within the ambit of what he is doing to reinforce the administrative support of the committees of this House.
In deference to Deputy Dukes I will ask the Whips to meet either today or tomorrow to have a further look at the situation.
Can the Taoiseach tell us what are the Government's intentions in relation to the National Social Service Board——
That does not arise now, Deputy.
——as a result of last Wednesday night's vote? I call on the Government to reconstitute the board.
Deputy Allen knows full well that I have ruled that matter out of order.
Surely, when a decision made by the——
I am calling on Deputy Shatter. I must ask Deputy Allen to resume his seat.
You are being very protective of the Government.
That is an allegation which the Deputy must withdraw forthwith. This Chair stands on his own two feet. The Deputy must withdraw that remark.
I wish to refer to Item No. 6 on the Order Paper. May I formally move that item into Private Members' time?
Since the matter which the Deputy refers to is a Private Members' Bill under Standing Orders the Second Stage must be taken in Private Members' time. I would like the Deputy to now formally move that the Second Stage be taken in Private Members' time.
I do not want to impede Deputy Shatter but I would like to have a discussion, again between the Whips, about how we might handle that Bill. There may be another way of dealing with it.
On that basis we will leave the Bill on the Order Paper and I will not formally move it at this moment into Private Members' time. We will leave it there until next week.
I hope the Minister for the Environment has not gone off the idea but he has been promising legislation in this session following on the Raglan House explosion. Will the Minister say when the legislation will be published?
As I have stated before, it was my intention to introduce legislation in this session and it is my intention to introduce it next week if at all possible.
Could I ask the Taoiseach whether the possibility of a constituency review is delaying the introduction or the circulation of the Homeless Persons Bill and if not——
An intelligent answer.
I was against the tide the last time but I will be with the wind this time. Could I ask you——
It might be a three seater.
Could the Minister for the Environment now indicate to the House when it is proposed to circulate the Homeless Persons Bill?
I cannot imagine what the relationship between the constituency arrangements and the Homeless Persons Bill is but——
A two seater in County Mayo.
Remind me about that but, as I said before, it was my intention to introduce that legislation in this session. Every effort is being made to introduce it next week. There are some drafting difficulties and if they are overcome it will be introduced.
Do you need help?
I want to raise on the Adjournment a matter of parliamentary privilege, the refusal of the Taoiseach to answer Dáil questions properly tabled to him. You say, A Cheann Comhairle, you have no control over the transfer of questions by the Taoiseach but I am told——
The Deputy may not argue that matter here today.
I am told that when I table a question to the Taoiseach on this matter he has no official responsibility to the Dáil——
I am sorry Deputy, but the Chair has no control over the matter. You will have to find some other way to raise it.
I want to find out who has control and who has the responsibility. Who is responsible for the continual transfer of questions which are directed to the Taoiseach to other Ministers? If you say you have no control and if the Taoiseach in reply to the last question I put down says he has no responsibility, I want to raise this matter on the Adjournment and have it thrashed out.
I will communicate with the Deputy in respect of that matter.
Lest any false impression be conveyed by my inability to deal with the point raised by Deputy O'Keeffe — because it is out of order — I would like to make the point that there has been absolutely no change whatever in the system and the procedure. In fact, I am following exactly the procedure followed by my predecessor, Deputy Garret FitzGerald, when he was Taoiseach, the Taoiseach before him and the Taoiseach before him. If anything, I am probably a little bit more liberal in answering questions than any of my predecessors.
Deputies
Hear, hear.
I am calling on Deputy David Andrews.
A Cheann Comhairle——
I am sorry, Deputy, but I have called Deputy Andrews.
It would seem that this matter could be properly teased out on the Adjournment.
I have called Deputy David Andrews.
I do not accept the reply of the Taoiseach.
Order, please.
A Cheann Comhairle, did I hear you say that you will consider my application for the Adjournment?
I said that I will communicate with the Deputy.
With your permission, a Cheann Comhairle, I would like to raise on the Adjournment the treatment of Martina Shanahan who has been charged with two others in connection with offences allegedly committed against the British Secretary of State for Northern Ireland.
I will communicate with Deputy Andrews in respect of that matter.
May I ask the Taoiseach in regard to promised legislation whether we will see the Children (Care and Protection) Bill introduced in this session?
Not in this session. We have not been doing too badly. We have been going ahead with Bills as quickly as we have been able to.
In the interests of preserving local democracy, would the Taoiseach care to make a statement on the announcement by the Minister for Agriculture and Food and the Minister for Health that they intend to abolish the committees of agriculture and the local health committees?
The Deputy should put down a question in respect of that matter.
Does the Taoiseach support that line of action by his Ministers?
Can the Taoiseach tell us whether he has yet set the date for the budget and can he inform us when it is likely to be?
It will be introduced in plenty of time.
We will now have a statement from the Taoiseach.