It is proposed to take Nos. 10, 11 and 6. It is also proposed that No. 10 shall be decided without debate. Is the proposal in respect of No. 10 agreed? Agreed.
Order of Business.
I understand that the Government at about this time will decide on the date of the resumption, and I would ask the Taoiseach and the Government if they would agree to an earlier than usual resumption of the Dáil after the summer recess this year, in view of the fact that a large part of the Government's legislative programme for this session has not been completed at this point, for example, the Fisheries (Amendment) Bill, the Turf Development Bill, the Pensions Bill, the Land Commission Bill, the Criminal Law (Rape) Bill, the Radiological Protection Bill, and the Criminal Justice (Evidence) Bill. None of those Bills has passed through this House although it was planned to have them processed by the end of this session. Will the Government consider, in the interests of their legislative programme and the business of the House, having an early resumption, perhaps in early September this year?
That has to do with the business of the House. It is in order.
A record number of big legislative items were processed through this House in the last six months, 16 in fact.
A Deputy
In the last two weeks.
(Interruptions.)
Some questions have been asked. Let us listen to the reply.
This appeal from Deputy Bruton would fall on more receptive ears had we received, during the onerous period of the Presidency, more co-operation from the Opposition.
Would the Taoiseach not agree that he might receive more cooperation——
I understand that the matter to which the Deputy refers will come before the House tomorrow and may be commented upon then.
——from this side of the House if he forebore from using guillotines to put legislation through and to prevent proper discussion thereon.
I would ask the Taoiseach——
Macho Bruton.
Could I ask the Taoiseach if he is in a position——
(Interruptions.)
Your record in the last 24 hours deserves scrutiny.
I beg your pardon?
The Taoiseach's intervention last night has not helped and it had profound and damaging effects on this House.
(Interruptions.)
Let us not personalise matters now.
(Interruptions.)
If that is your feeling, it is not shared by your party leader or any of the other party leaders.
Deputies
Hear, hear.
Is the Taoiseach in a position to advise the House on whatever developments have taken place towards the release of Mr. Brian Keenan? Will the Taoiseach afford the other parties in the House an opportunity to join with the Minister for Foreign Affairs in condemning the continued air raids by the Israelis on the bases in the Lebanon which are clearly designed to jeopardise his release?
I hesitate to rule the matter out for obvious reasons, but strictly speaking it is not in order now.
It is a matter of great concern, and I just wonder if the Taoiseach has anything further to add to his statement of the other day in terms of what is happening.
I have said that it is not in order.
The Foreign Affairs Estimate will be taken today.
I would raise with the Taoiseach item No. 7 on the Order Paper, the Committee on Crime, and I would urge the Taoiseach to accept the addendum to the terms of reference proposed by Fine Gael. I would like to see this committee on crime established before the end of the session. I am sure the Taoiseach will agree that the Opposition cannot really accept a pussycat committee with restrictive terms of reference, a Government majority and now a proposal——
Deputy O'Keeffe, this matter has been adverted to very often recently. We cannot have a rehash of it every day.
Can we get the committee up and running? All the Taoiseach has to do is to accept the addendum to the terms of reference proposed by Fine Gael. I would urge the Taoiseach to indicate now if he will.
I know that circumstances alter cases, but the terms of reference are precisely the terms of reference of the committee set up by Fine Gael.
Not so.
Deputy Shatter has been offering.
I wish to raise on the Adjournment again the failure of the Minister for Health to implement the recommendations of the Law Reform Commission in relation to foreign adoption orders.
I will communicate with the Deputy in respect of that matter.
Will the Taoiseach say whether it is intended that he or the Minister for the Environment will make a statement in the House today on the Estimates with regard to the extraordinary failure of building societies to reduce mortgage interest rates and pass on the benefits of the general reduction to home owners?
That is a matter that can be raised on the Estimate today.
It is a very serious issue and the Minister is doing nothing.
The Deputy will have an opportunity to advert to it on the Estimate.
(Interruptions.)
The building societies should be called in.
Deputies
Hear, hear.
(Limerick East): Will the Taoiseach be in a position to make arrangements to put an order before the House tomorrow to give trustee status to certain financial institutions? The Minister for Finance might have the information.
It is not promised legislation.
It is strictly not in order now. The Deputy will find an opportunity of adverting to it today or tomorrow.
(Limerick East): I do not think so.
I should like to ask the Taoiseach if in view of the serious repercussions facing Irish farmers following the infamous meeting in the United States yesterday at which the United States demanded the total abolition of subsidies, and got agreement to that in principle——
I should like to tell Deputy Sheehan that shortly we shall have a discussion on the Estimate for the Department of Agriculture and Food and the Deputy will have an opportunity, perhaps, of adverting to that issue then, but he may not do so now.
I should like to ask the Taoiseach to make a statement on the matter. Will the Taoiseach consider calling an emergency meeting of the EC Council of Ministers before the next meeting of GATT on 23 July?
The Deputy should desist. He has made his point and he may not continue with that train of thought.
The Taoiseach should consider calling that meeting to ensure the future of the small farmers is protected before they are wiped out of existence.
The Deputy should resume his seat.
I am only asking the Taoiseach a question.
I have a distinct feeling that my colleague from south west Cork is having a pre-holiday joust with me before we adjourn.
It was the Taoiseach who had a free holiday when he was President of the EC.
A little light humour is very welcome but we must get back to serious business.
I should like to raise on the Adjournment, as a matter of urgency, the subject matter of Question No. 40 on the Order Paper of 4 July.
I am aware of the Deputy's interest in the matter and I will communicate with him.
In view of the day that is in it could we use this occasion to commemorate, if not celebrate, an event which occurred 300 years ago, which was of great historical significance not only to the people of this island but to the people of Britain and the rest of Europe, and of particular significance to a section of people of a different tradition in Northern Ireland? Could we also use the occasion to rededicate ourselves to finding a solution based on partnership between the two great traditions on this island?
That is a matter that should be dealt with by way of question or motion; it does not arise now.
I should like the permission of the Chair to raise on the Adjournment the proposed division of mountain commonage by the Land Commission in Mulrany, County Mayo, against the wishes of the users of that commonage.
I will communicate with the Deputy.
I should like to repeat my request to raise on the Adjournment the lack of public information in relation to the back to school payment for children and the dispute currently taking place in the Eastern Health Board which is preventing the processing of any claims for those payments.
I will communicate with the Deputy.
On the Order of Business, I asked the Taoiseach a week or two ago about the Government's work in the area of child care and juvenile justice and his office were kind enough to tell me that they were doing nothing about it and did not have any plans to do so. I suggest that over the summer the Taoiseach's office should address this matter.
The Deputy is embarking upon a speech and that is not in order.
The Taoiseach should consider appointing a junior Minister to the Department of Justice to ensure that this very necessary proposal is before the House in the autumn.
The Deputy is completely out of order in making a speech at this stage.
I should like the permission of the Chair to raise on the Adjournment the financial crisis being faced by many of our youth organisations because of the failure of the Government to make their annual financial allocation.
I will communicate with the Deputy.
Is it the Government's intention to introduce legislation to update the laws relating to the annulment of marriage?
That does not arise now.
Now that the Broad-casting Bill has been safely put through the House perhaps the Minister for Justice will give some consideration to the point I have raised.
I should like permission to raise on the Adjournment the subject matter of Question No. 40 of 21 June which refers to what appeared to be contradictory conclusions arrived at by ERAD in relation to herd tests carried out on a farm in County Galway.
I will communicate with the Deputy.
I should like to raise on the Adjournment the decision of the Minister and the Defence Forces to withdraw the good service conduct medal and the proposals being considered for its replacement and the need to have a medal struck relating to the Nobel peace award to the UN peace keeping forces.
I will communicate with the Deputy.
I should like to ask the Taoiseach how imminent his imminent anouncement is regarding the setting up of the second Commission on the Status of Women.
We are 99 per cent there.
Will we have the other 1 per cent before tomorrow?
The Deputy will understand that I am not a totally free agent; I have to have nominations.
(Carlow-Kilkenny): In view of the fact that summer is on its way, that for generations people have been swimming and boating in Fenniscourt Rock and that the Minister gave me wrong information in a reply to a question I tabled, I should like to ask the Chair to give me my last opportunity on the Adjournment to defend the rights of the people of Carlow to continue to use that facility.
I will be in touch with the Deputy concerning the matter.
Is the Deputy suggesting that the Minister misinformed him about the weather?
(Carlow-Kilkenny): He certainly did not crack it.
I should like to raise on the Adjournment the difficulties arising for farmers who received their headage grant application forms on Thursday of last week with a deadline for completing them of the following day, Friday.
I will communicate with the Deputy.
On the Order of Business, I should like to ask the Taoiseach if he is in a position to confirm recent reports which suggested that the Commissioners of Irish Lights and the Naval Service were used to erect a mooring at Inishvickillane for his boat.
That does not arise now and the Deputy knows that. The Deputy should desist. This is completely out of order.
It is a matter of public interest.
The Deputy has many ways of raising this matter but it is not in order to do so now.
I wish to raise on the Adjournment recent reports which suggest that public funding was used by the Naval Service and the Commissioners of Irish Lights to erect a mooring at Inishvickillane to moor the Taoiseach's boat.
The Deputy need not introduce a preamble.
These rumours are totally without foundation and I am surprised at Deputy Taylor-Quinn indulging in this type of carry on.
Will the Taoiseach clarify the matter?
One should not heed newspaper reports.
I should like to raise on the Adjournment the need to have the criteria for the assessment of small holders' assistance reviewed in the light of the serious drop in the price of milk, cattle and sheep.
I will communicate with the Deputy.
On the Order of Business, when Committee Stage of the Child Care Bill was completed some time ago the Taoiseach indicated that we would take Report Stage after the summer recess. As there is support from all sides of the House for this badly needed Bill I should like to ask the Taoiseach to seriously consider allowing the Dáil to return in September so that Report Stage of the Bill can be completed before we get into the usual heavy autumn schedule of Dáil business.
But the Deputy would not be available then.
Can we have a response from the Taoiseach?
I should like to ask the Taoiseach if, in view of the serious implications for Ireland of the Houston Agreement yesterday between the World economic leaders in regard to the likely outcome of the GATT talks in so far as agriculture is concerned, and in view of the fact that the Dáil plans to go into a long recess which will not end before the crucial decisions have been finalised, he will agree even at this late stage to arrange a debate on this subject. Will the Taoiseach agree to set up some consultative mechanism so that the democratic representatives of the House will have their views taken into account before the livelihoods of Irish farmers are taken away?
That does not arise now, and the Deputy knows that. The Deputy may well have an opportunity today or to-morrow to raise that issue.
I should like to point out to the Deputy that the first item today is the Vote for Agriculture and Food.
And the debate is curtailed to one hour.
The Taoiseach will be aware that that concerns the expenditure of the Government on agriculture and it does not concern EC policy.
Is the Deputy not aware that he can raise anything on that Vote that relates to agriculture?
I can raise it but I cannot have it dealt with.
We cannot debate the matter now. I am proceeding to deal with Item No. 10.
A Cheann Comhairle——
The Taoiseach rose.
I am sorry, Taoiseach, but I did not observe Deputy Cowen rising. I am calling him.
Having regard to the fact that the responsible Minister is away on official business, may I ask the Government, with the co-operation of Opposition spokespersons, if it would be possible tomorrow to take the two amendments to the Turf Development Bill which were accepted by the Minister in the Seanad to ensure the legislation will be passed before we rise for the summer? Bord na Móna have informed me that they would like to see this done before we rise.
The question is in order.
It is a matter for the Whips.
I will refer the matter to the Whips.