It is proposed to take Nos. 5, 6, 11, 12 and 4. It is also proposed, notwithstanding anything in Standing Orders, that the Dáil shall meet tomorrow at 10.30 a.m. and shall adjourn not later than 4 p.m.; that business tomorrow shall be confined to the Criminal Justice (No. 2) Bill, 1990, and the undisposed part of today's announced business and any divisions demanded tomorrow shall be postponed until 8.30 p.m. on Wednesday, 6 June.
Order of Business.
Are the times and arrangements for tomorrow's sitting agreed? Agreed.
On the Order of Business for today, I repeat that I am opposed to the ordering of No. 12 — the Fóir Teoranta (Dissolution) Bill — which I do not believe should be taken until the Companies Bill has come out of Committee. In the matter of promised — or, perhaps, more accurately, threatened — legislation is it the Taoiseach's intention that the broadcasting legislation which we discussed over the last two evenings will be enacted during this session?
Yes. The Bill will be circulated tomorrow and taken next week. I am quite certain that the Deputy, among others, will be very happy to have this legislation enacted.
Is it the Taoiseach's intention to stand his ground on this Bill or does he now find that the ground is going from under him? Will the provisions of this Bill last as long as the trees which Minister Burke had planted in Blakestown, Clonsilla——
We will not debate that matter now. Please, Deputy Dukes, there is no need for disorder.
Deputy Dukes is fortunate that I am an honourable man.
It is a corrupt Bill.
(Interruptions).
I find it very difficult to follow the Taoiseach's sweeping statement.
Make a fist of it.
I will do my best. In relation to the matter raised by Deputy Dukes on promised legislation, yesterday the Taoiseach said that the legislation would be enacted but we read today in the newspapers that our absent friends, the Progressive Democrats——
A Deputy
Our separated brethren.
From reading today's newspapers it appears that the Taoiseach's colleagues in Government — the Progressive Democrats — do not support this legislation.
This matter should not arise on the Order of Business.
I am merely looking for clarification.
The question is not in order now.
Perhaps, as the Taoiseach claims to be an honourable man, he will give a response and indicate whether there was a Government decision in relation to legislation and if the Progressive Democrats will support it in this House.
So are they all, all honourable men. Caesar said that and we all know what happened to him.
The legislation which will be circulated tomorrow is Government legislation.
The trees planted by the then Minister for the Environment were in my constituency for 24 hours. Will this legislation last as long as those trees? Will the Taoiseach clarify whether this corrupt legislation will be enacted in this session?
Please, Deputy Mitchell. The word "corrupt" should not be used in the House in that fashion.
(Interruptions.)
Deputies should restrain themselves. Please, Deputy Mitchell, resume your seat or I will ask you to leave the House.
On a point of order——
I will not entertain a point of order when I am dealing with disorder.
A Deputy
Perhaps the word "suspect" should have been used.
You asked me to leave the House but the Minister told lies and he should have been asked to leave the House.
Is the Deputy compounding the matter now?
You should ask the Minister to leave the House.
Please, Deputy Mitchell, do not pursue that line.
I wish to draw your attention to the Official Report of this House of 27 February——
No, I am dealing with the business of the House this morning and I will not rehash other items. I want to admonish you, Deputy, for alleging——
Will you admonish the Minister?
I will admonish you again. You should not have said that any Member of this House deliberately told an untruth or that he is a liar.
Deputies
Hear, hear.
I was very careful today — and on the last occasion — about the words I chose but this House was misled by the Minister.
The Deputy must desist.
Is it not obvious that he did?
I must ask you to withdraw the remark about the Minister deliberately misleading or lying, or else leave the House.
If the words you used are on the record of the House and attributed to me, the record is inaccurate.
Please, Deputy Mitchell, I have asked you to withdraw the remarks.
I must ask——
I am dealing with disorder and I will not be interrupted.
We have a right to ask a question.
We would all like to assist you in quelling disorder by taking away the reasons for it. Deputy Mitchell made an allegation some time ago and the Minister denied it. We now have before us the promise — or the threat — from the Minister of legislation which would do what Deputy Mitchell alleged the Minister intended to do——
That is the reality.
If Deputy Mitchell wishes to make a charge against a Minister or a Member of this House there are ways and means of doing it by a substantive motion. However, it has been the position of the Chair on all occasions when it was alleged that someone told an untruth or deliberately misled the House that it must be withdrawn and I insist on it being withdrawn.
A Cheann Comhairle, you will recall——
Deputy Mitchell, I will ask you finally: do you withdraw the allegation?
A Cheann Comhairle, perhaps you will allow me explain.
No, Deputy Mitchell, I have asked you——
You will recall, a Cheann Comhairle, that the Chief Whip and I went to your office on the very same day that——
Deputy Mitchell, I am asking you: are you withdrawing the allegation made?
Will the Minister explain to the House why he misled us on 27 February?
Deputy Mitchell, please leave the House, then.
On a point of order——
Please leave the House, Deputy Mitchell.
I want to raise a very brief point——
No, Deputy Shatter, resume your seat——
I want to raise a point of order——
No, you are not entitled to. The Chair is dealing with a point of gross disorder and will not entertain your point of order.
The Chair will appreciate that the Minister has misled this House about fundamental Government——
If the Deputy persists in refusing to obey the Chair I must ask that he be named.
A Cheann Comhairle, I want to say this: if there is anything I have said or done that breaches the order of this House I will withdraw it but I do not believe there is.
Deputy Mitchell, I have asked you to withdraw the allegation of untruth or deliberately misleading the House.
But I do not believe that anything I have said was out of order.
A Cheann Comhairle, I believe that Deputy Mitchell should — in the interests of order — withdraw the word "lies". It is a longstanding tradition in this House that that word is not used.
(Interruptions.)
Deputies
He did.
Bullyboy tactics.
(Interruptions.)
No, it is the recognised procedure in this House. I have dealt with the matter with Deputy Jim Mitchell before. I must now ask him finally to withdraw the allegation of lying or of deliberately misleading the House or else leave the House.
(Interruptions.)
I am sorry, I must now ask that the Deputy be named. I must now ask that Deputy Jim Mitchell be suspended from the service of the House.
(Interruptions.)
Sorry, a Cheann Comhairle, I must ask you to reconsider your position. The Minister will bring legislation before the House to do something which Deputy Jim Mitchell alleged he intended to do, which the Minister has only said he intends to. There is no allegation of lying there. But the Minister did not tell the House what he had in mind.
I am sorry, I must now ask that Deputy Jim Mitchell be suspended from the service of the House.
(Interruptions.)
What a regime.
A Cheann Comhairle, I have already indicated, if you will allow me, that I am prepared to withdraw anything I said that is out of order.
Withdraw the words "lies" and "deliberately misleading the House", Deputy.
If those words were used by me, Sir, I will withdraw them.
Of course they were used.
I accept that.
A Cheann Comhairle, I would like to raise a point of order——
If it is in relation to the matter with which we have just dealt, Deputy Shatter, no.
(Interruptions.)
Sir, on a point of order, some weeks ago, inadvertently, the Minister for Defence — in response to a parliamentary question — gave this House an incorrect reply. Very correctly he came before this House some days later and put the record straight. He did that, Sir, at the invitation of Members on this side of the House.
What is the Deputy getting at?
Sir, with all due respects to the Minister, he did——
I thought you had a point of order to raise, Deputy Shatter.
It would appear equally that if the Minister for Communications gave this House information that he says was inadvertent——
Deputy Shatter, please resume your seat.
——as opposed to misleading the House he should be given an opportunity——
That is not a point of order.
——to make a similar statement in this House to explain his replies in February last.
Deputies
Hear, hear.
(Interruptions.)
They have all their friends in place.
In view of the continued attacks on old people in my constituency, particularly in the vicinity of Mount Argus, Grove Road, and Mount Jerome Cemetery, when visiting graves of their loved ones, I should like to raise on the Adjournment the crime situation obtaining.
I will communicate with the Deputy.
A Cheann Comhairle, may I raise on the Adjournment the problem of funding for CBF — the meat marketing board — to promote Irish beef on the French and United Kingdom markets?
I will be in touch with the Deputy concerning that matter.
A Cheann Comhairle, may I please seek your assistance? As you will be aware, there is at present a bread price war which is causing deep concern to many people employed in that industry. I have a problem in asking you, Sir, whether I may raise this matter on the Adjournment because there is at present no director of consumer affairs, the Government not having appointed somebody to replace Mr. Jim Murray. Therefore, there is nobody to whom this matter may be referred.
Deputy Barrett, I indicated yesterday — in connection with the subject matter to which you refer — that I will communicate with you. There are other Deputies interested in this matter who have conveyed their interest to me.
If you feel I can raise it on the Adjournment, I should like to do so.
I will be in touch with you, Deputy Barrett.
A Cheann Comhairle, may I attempt for the third time to raise on the Adjournment the position in relation to St. Helen's national school in Portmarnock, County Dublin in respect of which the Minister for Education has not paid amounts owing to a builder and in respect of which the local parish priest has received a civil bill to appear in court.
I will communicate with the Deputy.
A Cheann Comhairle, may I raise on the Adjournment the matter of those solicitors who qualified through the Incorporated Law Society Law School from 1984 to date in view of certain questions that have arisen in regard to their position?
I will communicate with the Deputy concerning the matter.
May I seek your permission to raise on the Adjournment the serious incidence of the increase in crime, of over 30 per cent, in my constituency?
I will communicate with the Deputy.
May I seek your permission to raise once again on the Adjournment the question of the protection of the liberal ethic in medicine provided by the Adelaide Hospital tradition being guaranteed in plans for the future major teaching hospital in Tallaght?
I will communicate with the Deputy.
A Cheann Comhairle, arising out of continued tragedies, and near tragedies, occasioned by house fires, may I have your permission to raise on the Adjournment the question of compulsory installation of smoke detectors in all new houses and public authority houses?
I am aware of the Deputy's interest in the matter and will communicate with him.
A Cheann Comhairle, may I raise on the Adjournment the failure of the Minister for the Environment to implement the provisions of the Building Control Act and the problems that failure is causing the building industry?
I will communicate with the Deputy.