It is proposed to take Nos. 2, 9 and 10. It is also proposed that No. 2 shall be taken without debate. It is further proposed that Private Members' Business, which shall be No. 19, shall be brought to a conclusion at 8.30 p.m.
Order of Business.
May I ask if the proposal that No. 2 be taken without debate is agreed? Agreed.
May I ask if the Taoiseach intends to make any time available in the House over the next few days to give information to the House about the proposed sale of ICI, thereby bringing to a conclusion a matter which caused this House difficulty some years ago?
This is a matter which should and could be raised in another way.
I am simply asking if the Taoiseach would consider bringing the matter before the House so that we can discuss it. It is a matter of some public importance.
I will consider the matter but I am surprised that the Deputy would want to bring it before the House.
May I ask the Taoiseach on the Order of Business and in his role as President of the EC if he has decided to have a special summit meeting of the EC Foreign Ministers or of the EC Council of Ministers in Dublin to discuss the implications of German monetary union? Has the Taoiseach as President of the EC made a decision in this regard?
Again, this seems to me not to be a matter for the Order of Business.
The Taoiseach was about to impart some information——
If the Taoiseach wishes to intervene at any time it is his prerogative to do so. Deputy Tomás Mac Giolla was offering.
With respect, a Cheann Comhairle, the Taoiseach was about to give us that information when you replied to me.
I have said what I have said.
Perhaps we will hear his remarks in this House rather than in the European Parliament.
This is more of this trespassing on my generosity.
I want to save the Taoiseach some embarrassment.
I have had in mind for some time the desirability of holding such a summit meeting but as the Deputy knows there are procedures which have to be gone through.
At the risk of trespassing once again on the Taoiseach's generosity, may I ask him if this House will have an opportunity of discussing the implications of what is happening in a European context at this stage?
I indicated yesterday in reply to a question from Deputy Dukes that I would consider making time available for a debate on developments in Eastern Europe.
In view of the fact that this House passed special legislation in 1985 to rescue ICI may I ask the Taoiseach to agree to Deputy Dukes's suggestion that the issue should be debated here before we decide on the sale of this company? It is a matter of interest to this House——
The Deputy is trespassing on a matter which I have ruled out of order. I am calling Deputy Jim O'Keeffe.
We passed legislation in 1985——
Please, Deputy Mac Giolla, do not persist. There are ways and means of raising such matters in this House. This is not Question Time——
It was this House who decided——
——and I will not permit the Order of Business to be used as a mini-Question Time.
I think this is a matter on which the House should decide.
Sorry, Deputy, I have called Deputy Jim O'Keeffe.
The issue I am raising is a matter on which the Deputies should decide, not the Government. We made the decision at that time——
Please, Deputy Mac Giolla, I have ruled on the matter and you may not pursue it now.
This matter must be pursued at some stage and quickly.
Deputy Mac Giolla must resume his seat.
It is here that the whole issue of ICI must be discussed.
I am surprised at the Deputy. He should now resume his seat.
A Cheann Comhairle——
Deputy Mac Giolla seems to be defying the Chair this morning.
The taxpayers have not been rescued and we must debate this matter here.
I am calling Deputy Jim O'Keeffe.
May I raise on the Adjournment the appalling figures now available which confirm the chaotic situation in the Land Registry and the total failure of the Minister for Justice to take the necessary steps to protect the system of land registration?
I will communicate with the Deputy.
Is mian liom arís do chead a lorg easpa áiseanna iar-bhun oideachais ar oileán Árainn Mhór a thógáil ar an athló.
Gheobhaidh tú freagra uaim ar ball, a Theachta.
With regard to the Decimal Currency Bill which has been circulated today, may I ask the Taoiseach if there is any truth in the reports that £3 million worth of pound coins have already been minted——
The Deputy should put down a question on that matter.
This makes a mockery of this Bill.
Deputy Pat Rabbitte was offering.
Since this House voted almost £150 million to bale out the Allied Irish Banks, surely it is in order that we should debate the sale of that asset, now that it is being——
Please Deputy Rabbitte. I thought the Deputy was raising a legitimate matter.
It is a matter of some interest to the taxpayers that——
Deputy Rabbitte will resume his seat; he is out of order.
I wish permission to raise on the Adjournment the failure of the Government to provide adequate places for homeless young people in the north side of the city, with particular reference to a 12 year old boy who is currently accommodated in Ballymun.
I will communicate with the Deputy.
(Limerick East): May I ask the Taoiseach if the Finance Bill will be published before the end of this tax year? The Taoiseach is probably aware that £40 million-£50 million worth of investment is being held up pending clarification of the business expansion scheme.
I will give the Deputy a date as soon as possible.
Deputy Paul Connaughton has been offering for some time.
On the Order of Business may I ask the Taoiseach if he is concerned at the negative approach adopted by his Minister for Agriculture and Food at the two day meeting of EC Agriculture Ministers this week?
Would the Deputy please desist as this is clearly not a matter for the Order of Business. Deputy Allen.
Furthermore, the Commissioner, Mr. MacSharry, indicated last night that no Government have looked for an increase. Would he tell the House what is going on?
I will not permit the Deputy or anyone else to make a speech on the Order of Business.
He is selling every farmer down the drain. It is time he copped on.
On a point of order, in relation to misinformation given by the Minister for Health, in reply to a question I put to him on 6 February on the filling of new posts and the replacement of consultants in the Southern Health Board the Minister said he was unaware of any submission made——
Deputy Allen, I am on my feet. You will have to raise that matter at another time.
The Minister said he had received no submission from the health board whereas in fact he has. The chief executive officer——
The Deputy should resume his seat.
Is that not a point of order?
It is not a point of order as far as I am concerned.
It relates to misinformation given by the Minister for Health.
There are other ways of raising such matters. There is such a thing as a Committee on Procedure and Privileges in this House.
The chief executive officer said that the submission was with the Minister for quite some time.
I wish to raise on the Adjournment the adverse weather conditions at sea as a result of which the fishing fleet at Howth has been unable to put to sea for the past six weeks. Between 100 and 200 families are without income and the Government have done nothing to help them.
I will be in touch with the Deputy concerning that matter.
May I return to the matter raised by my colleague, Deputy Allen? It is only right, Sir, that Deputy Allen should have the opportunity to make the point in the House and to say what his complaint is before it is decided whether or not the matter should go to the Committee on Procedure and Privileges.
Deputy Allen gave me no notice of his intention to raise any such question here this morning.
It may have been inadvertence on the part of the Minister in which case he would wish to correct the record in the House without the matter going to the Committee on Procedure and Privileges.
Ministers too are entitled to notice.
Is that not the point in raising it in the House?
Notice is a very important aspect of questions, Deputy.
Are you saying, Sir, that now the matter has been raised in the House the Minister is under notice that we may expect him to come back to the House on the matter?
I am saying no such thing.
How then, Sir, can we give notice in the House?
There is a Question Time system in this House.
This is not a matter for Question Time. This is apparently a misleading answer to a question put in the House. If there has been inadvertent misinformation the Minister should have the opportunity to correct it. If it was deliberate, then the House deserves to know that.
I am saying it is not in order now.
I would like to raise two issues. First, I seek, for the seventh time, to raise on the Adjournment the present problems facing Fingal Community College. Second, on promised legislation, I ask the Taoiseach to tell us when he intends to bring forward legislation to provide for the establishment of representative groups in the Defence Forces.
Deputy Ryan——
Would he not in the interim recognise the other ranks associations——
Deputy Ryan——
——and meet with them to defuse the situation before the legislation comes before the House.
I will not call on the Deputy a third time to resume his seat. He may not ignore the Chair. He should resume his seat. I will communicate with him in respect of the matter he seeks to raise on the Adjournment.
It is promised legislation.
(Interruptions.)
Is it promised legislation?
It is. It was promised last Tuesday.
Strictly speaking, it is not legislation which has been promised in the House. Legislation will be forthcoming, if not this session then next session.
Will the Taoiseach take on board the point made?
Deputy Ryan should now resume his seat forthwith. Deputy Garland.
It is a legitimate question.
I would like to raise on the Adjournment the question of the permitted aluminium levels in the water supply in the Dublin area as set by the EC which have been exceeded quite frequently.
I will communicate with the Deputy.
I wish to raise on the Adjournment the serious issue of the continued deterioration of the pier and breakwater at Ballycotton and the possible obstruction to the activities of the life boat.
I will communicate with the Deputy.
I seek to raise on the Adjournment the working conditions of supervisors in the Probation and Welfare Service working under the community services scheme in Dublin.
I will communicate with the Deputy.
Ag deireadh na hoibre inniu ba maith liom an cheist a thug mé fógra duit faoi inné a thogaint suas, is é sin, an mhí-chinnteacht atá ann faoi scéim theilifís na Gaeltachta agus an t-athrú polasaí, b'fhéidir, atá i gceist idir na moltaí atá á meas faoi láthair taobh istigh den Cabinet.
Gheobhaidh tú freagra uaim ar ball, a Theachta.
Go maith.
Can the Taoiseach tell us if he considers that an amendment to the 1985 Act will be required before the sale of ICI is allowed to go ahead?
Deputy Gilmore.
It relates to the potential need for amending legislation. Surely, we are entitled to a reply.
The Deputy must raise that question in another way.
Parliamentary democracy does not lie lightly on their shoulders.
(Interruptions.)
Is the Taoiseach not going to consult with the House?
Deputy Mac Giolla, I am on my feet and I have called another Deputy, Deputy Gilmore.
On the Order of Business——
Can the Taoiseach inform me if amending legislation will be required?
The Deputy should put down a question.
On the Order of Business, surely it is in order for the House to know whether or not the Government intend to amend the 1985 Act on the ICI.
The Deputy should resume his seat forthwith.
I wish to seek to raise a matter on the Adjournment.
I have ruled on that matter, Deputy.
I wish to raise a matter on the Adjournment.
I will consider the matter, Deputy.
You have not heard what it is yet, a Cheann Comhairle. I wish to raise on the Adjournment the resale of Carysfort College.
I am concerned that the Deputy is treating the Chair with a certain amount of insolence.
I wish to raise on the Adjournment the rescue services' continued reliance on the Royal Air Force on an almost daily basis.
I will be in touch with the Deputy concerning that matter.
I wish to raise on the Adjournment the Government's attitude to the farm price talks in Brussels. I hope you will consider this matter very favourably as there are many farmers in your own constituency who are worried about the present position.
I will communicate with the Deputy.
I would like to raise on the Adjournment the continued delays and postponements and the failure to meet targets in the provision of a community school in Cashel.
I will communicate with the Deputy in respect of that matter.
I wish to raise on the Adjournment the destruction caused by the recent storms at the Maharees, County Kerry.
I will be in touch with the Deputy concerning that matter.
I wish to raise on the Adjournment the impact of interest rates on the accelerated scale of repossession of homes by various financial institutions at present.
I will communicate with the Deputy.
I wish to raise on the Adjournment the confusion in the fish farm-fish hatchery business and threatened closure of the Salmara operation at Carrigadrohid.
I will communicate with the Deputy. Can we now proceed to the Order of Business proper?