Alan Shatter
Question:7 Mr. Shatter asked the Taoiseach when the various initiatives, promised by him in his speech at his party's Ard-Fheis on Saturday, 9 March 1991 will be brought before Dáil Éireann.
Ceisteanna — Questions. Oral Answers. - Fianna Fáil Ard-Fheis Proposals.
These initiatives, in so far as they require action by the House, will be brought forward in the normal way as soon as the formal financial, legislative or other proposals are ready.
Could the Taoiseach clarify what he meant when he said at the Ard-Fheis that he wanted to bring to reality the society of our dreams? Could he indicate which particular dream he was having and in the context of the many promises of social legislation could he indicate what social legislation will be brought before this House this year?
I set out in my Ard-Fheis speech a comprehensive social agenda for progress. That agenda will be pursued. I set out the detail, either in my Ard-Fheis speech or in the Programme for Economic and Social Progress, of the specific items of social legislation. They will be brought forward in due course.
Does the legislation the Taoiseach is dreaming of include changes in the family planning legislation and would that include a reduction to the age of 16 for the purchase of condoms? Has the winter dream turned into something of a spring nightmare in regard to that proposal?
The Deputy is raising specific matters worthy of separate questions.
These matters are specifically contained in the speech.
The Deputy may not range over a while programme at Question Time.
I asked the Taoiseach to outline the initiatives he proposes to take.
I answered yesterday the question about family planning legislation.
Could the Taoiseach, in the context of his dream of modernising Ireland, indicate whether he has the support of the back benchers of his party in implementing the recommendations? In the context of the many promises the Taoiseach has made in the area of marriage laws, why has he not brought before the House legislation to implement the 50 or so different recommendations made by the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Marriage Breakdown in 1985? Will he indicate when such legislation will be brought before the House?
These matters should be pursued by way of separate questions.
If one were looking for obstructive back benchers this is not the side of the House to which one would look.
We are united.
The party opposite might have their own problems in that regard fairly soon. On the other issue, the Government are in the course of preparing a comprehensive White Paper on all areas of marital breakdown.
Does the Taoiseach agree that the difficulty he is facing with his own party derives from his own cynical opposition to every substantive measure of social reform before this House in the past ten years?
On the contrary. Since 1987 this Government and its predecessor have brought forward a comprehensive programme of advanced social legislation in a number of key areas. The record of this Government in that regard is second to none. It would be much more appropriate for Deputy Shatter to give full, enthusiastic support instead of generating an atmosphere of cynicism towards the comprehensive, progressive agenda which I laid out at the Fianna Fáil Ard-Fheis.
Nobody takes the Taoiseach seriously.