It is proposed to take Nos. 1, 9 and 18. It is also proposed that Nos. 1 and 9 shall be taken without debate.
Order of Business.
Is the proposal in respect of taking Nos. 1 and 9 without debate agreed?
I believe it is wholly inappropriate for this House to be asked to proceed with a debate on matters that in no way bear significantly on the matter raised here by Deputy De Rossa, namely, the continued slaughter of hundreds of Iraqi people——
(Interruptions.)
Deputy McCartan. This is grossly disorderly. You will now resume your seat or leave the House.
I also wish——
Deputy McCartan, you will now leave the House.
Not to debate an issue such as the slaughter of innocent civilians is——
Deputy McCartan, I ask you again to leave the House.
It is with great pleasure that I leave in view of the utter and inappropriate failure of this House to discuss this matter.
A Deputy
You are a disgrace.
You people are a disgrace.
Deputy McCartan withdrew from the Chamber.
It is a disgrace——
Deputy Byrne, please desist.
(Interruptions.)
I am asking that those people who told us we were a disgrace be asked to withdraw that remark.
Deputy Byrne is continuing to be disorderly. I take it the proposal to take Nos. 1 and 9 together without debate is agreed. Agreed.
On the Order of Business——
On the Order of Business there is a procedure in this House. I will call the Leader of the main Opposition Party if he offers.
I have two questions in regard to legislation I want to put to the Taoiseach. First of all, this is the tenth anniversary of the Stardust fire. Would the Taoiseach say whether the Government have given consideration to the amendments to the Fire Services Act recommended by the tribunal that examined that fire, and they will give it further consideration in view of the fact that the existing legislation has not been fully used and one order only made thereunder governing fire safety?
The second question I wish to put to the Taoiseach is whether he proposes — in view of various newspaper reports and others which have emanated from meetings which the Taoiseach has presumably attended — to set a date for the local elections; and, if so, when the relevant instrument will be laid before the House?
I am not certain that the matters referred to by the Deputy are in order now.
I think they are, Sir——
Deputy Bruton, there are so many other ways and means of raising such matters.
I think it would not be very difficult for the Taoiseach to give a very brief reply to the question I have posed.
I have no objection whatever to giving brief replies to these matters but my problem is to be orderly. If I answer a disorderly question then I too am being disorderly. The Deputy can take it that the Government will decide when the local elections are to be held and the date will be announced shortly.
As the Security Council of the United Nations is due to meet in private session today for the first time in many years, would the Taoiseach give the House some indication whether he will be making a statement when the Irish Ambassador to the United Nations reports back on the situation in relation to the serious civilian loss of life yesterday in Baghdad? Given that it is a secret meeting of the Security Council of the United Nations I feel the Taoiseach should make a statement as soon as possible on the implications of that meeting.
The Deputy has made a point but it is not relevant to the Order of Business.
First of all, on a point of order, may I express my grave dissatisfaction with you, Sir, in making a statement before——
(Interruptions.)
Perhaps, Sir, you might ask the unruly Deputies on that side of the House to maintain some order. I want to express grave dissatisfaction at your making a statement, before dealing with the matter I was raising, that I was in some way in breach of Standing Orders of by the length of my question or statement. May I make the point that I was in no way in breach of Standing Orders of this House in the question I raised or the statement I made? I think it entirely inappropriate for you, Sir, to line up with Deputies in this House attempting to restrict the democratic rights of Deputies.
Deputy De Rossa, the Chair was merely interpreting the view of this House. The subject matter to which you referred was before the Committee on Procedure and Privileges a few days ago and is still under consideration.
You had no right, a Cheann Comhairle, to make any such comment.
The Deputy may not tell the Chair what is right and what is wrong.
I am entitled to tell you, Sir, that I believe it is inappropriate for you to take sides on such an issue.
The Chair is not taking sides.
Please, Deputy De, Rossa, insolence of that kind will get you nowhere.
(Interruptions.)
May I now ask——
Please, Deputy De Rossa, the Chair will not be intimidated, brow-beaten or bullied by the Deputy.
A Cheann Comhairle, you are attempting to intimidate me by denying me my rights in this House.
There is no question of that, Deputy.
May I now ask the Taoiseach if he will deign to take at least an hour of the time of this House today to enable statements to be made on the appalling mass murder taking place in Iraq with which we are associated?
That is enough, Deputy De Rossa. I am now calling on Deputy Kavanagh.
(Interruptions.)
May I ask the Taoiseach whether he intends to introduce legislation in this session to ratify the European Convention on the Transfer of Sentenced Prisoners signed by Britain and Ireland and which has been ratified by Britain but not by our Government. Can he tell us whether it will be ratified in the course of this session?
There is another way of dealing with that, Deputy Kavanagh.
There is.
Would the Taoiseach clarify whether the Government intend to live up to their promise and introduce a local government reform Bill before the local elections in June?
Is this legislation promised?
Yes, off and on.
Obviously it is on again today.
The Deputy will be very pleased to know that, in pursuance of their commitment to reform in general, the Government intend to introduce legislation covering local governmental reform before the summer recess.
Can the Taoiseach indicate the approximate time that the relevant Bill will be introduced? Will it be introduced in good time so that the full implications of the proposed reforms will be known to the electorate for the local elections? Can he assure the House, for instance, that a Bill will not be sprung on us a week or two before the local elections?
There can be no elaboration now.
The Deputy can be assured that, as in all these matters, Government plans will be perfectly satisfactory to everyone concerned.
Like the milk board.
In relation to legislation would I be in order, Sir — and I would seek your guidance in this regard — were I to ask the Minister for the Environment when he proposes to bring the provisions of the Building Control Act into operation so as to give effect to its inherent protection?
It is not strictly relevant now, Deputy.
How would I be in order, Sir?
The Deputy could put down a question or raise the matter on the Adjournment with my permission. There are so many other ways.
If I put down a question, Sir, I will not be guaranteed the reply I will receive will be as satisfactory or effective as that which I might receive now.
Deputy, please, these are hypothetical matters we cannot go into now.
Would the Minister for the Environment do the Members of this House, and particularly the relevant spokespersons, the courtesy of circulating to them his policy statement on housing which he intends announcing to a press conference this afternoon?
The Deputy should know full well that matter was not relevant to the Order of Business.
I do not wish to delay you, a Cheann Comhairle, except to say that I think the Minister should do the House the courtesy of circulating his statement now before it is circulated to the press.
It is not relevant now, Deputy.
Since the Taoiseach has refused persistently to give a straight answer to questions about the circulation of the Bill on local government reform, can he say whether that Bill will be enacted, as promised, before the local elections?
The Deputy is entering into argument. This is not good enough. We have already had a question on that subject replied to by the Taoiseach.
Perhaps we would be occupying our time better by asking the Minister for Energy, since he appears to know more about it.
Let us please proceed to deal with the Order of Business proper.
A Cheann Comhairle, would you permit me to ask the Taoiseach whether he is agreeable to meeting the relatives of the victims of the Stardust disaster as I understand he has given them an undertaking concerning the formulation of a memorial and has——
Please, Deputy, let us proceed to business proper.
Perhaps the Taoiseach would care to answer.
I am calling item No. 1 report of the Committee of Selection.