It is proposed to take Nos. 4, 14, 15 and 16. It is also proposed that the Dáil shall meet tomorrow at 10.30 a.m. and shall adjourn not later than 4 p.m.
Order of Business.
I have to ask the House if the proposal in relation to tomorrow's sitting is agreed? Agreed.
On the order of business, given that the Whips must meet within the next hour to consider the business for next week, can the Taoiseach give an indication as to whether he expects the Government to seek time to appoint Ministers next week?
Who will do the appointing?
(Interruptions.)
Deputy Quinn.
The Taoiseach's failure to give an answer does not show any great confidence——
The question has been posed——
In view of the fact that the Whips will meet within the hour, it would be useful to know if the Taoiseach feels there will be a requirement of time——
The Deputy has put his question to the Taoiseach and the Chair has facilitated him. Deputy Ruairí Quinn.
In view of the substantial and significant speech he made yesterday at the ICM seminar in UCD, may I ask the Taoiseach if he could indicate to the House when time will be made available to debate Maastricht prior to 9 and 10 December? Could he also indicate in his reply the proposals he intends bringing forward to establish a European affairs committee which I think is generally recognised by all sides to be extremely necessary?
I know there were other things on the Deputy's mind yesterday but I dealt with that matter yesterday. I suggested——
There was nothing on the Taoiseach's mind.
Nothing, it was as clear as a summer sky.
It was almost vacant.
(Interruptions.)
The Taoiseach emerged from a clear summer sky during the battle of Britain.
(Interruptions.)
The Deputy was dreary on television last night.
What did the Taoiseach think of Deputy Charlie McCreevy?
(Interruptions.)
Deputy De Rossa.
In view of the fact that the Minister for Finance. Deputy Reynolds, got his figures wrong in the budget——
A Deputy
Where is he?
——can he be certain he has got his figures right in the present heave against the Taoiseach? I notice that the Minister is not in the House at present.
The country and western brigade are missing this morning.
The Taoiseach has given us an indication that we will see the budget Estimates before Christmas. May I ask him if we will see them before the end of this month or has Government business been put on hold for the moment?
I have already said on a number of occasions that work on the Estimates is proceeding apace and is well advanced. I am sure the Deputy will appreciate that work on the Estimates this year is very difficult. The Deputy will understand that in one way the Estimates form the entire basis of the budget and, therefore, we are devoting a great deal of care and attention to them. I can assure the Deputy that this work is well advanced. I cannot yet say when the book of Estimates will be published but our ambition is to have it before the Christmas recess.
May I ask the Taoiseach when he expects the long promised phone tapping legislation (1) to be circulated and (2) to be debated and passed into law and whether he agrees that there is a case for putting the safeguards on phone tapping into place immediately on a non-statutory basis?
The Bill is on the list for this session.
Deputy Quinn.
May I ask the Taoiseach to reply——
The Deputy has posed his question. We cannot have elaboration now. Deputy Quinn.
I asked——
The Deputy has had his reply.
I am sorry, a Cheann Comhairle, but I have not. I asked when the Bill would be circulated, debated and passed into law and if the Taoiseach agreed that the safeguards on phone tapping should be put into place immediately on a non-statutory basis. I got a reply to the first part of my question but I did not get a reply to the other two parts.
This should not lead to argument or debate.
The Deputy is not entitled to receive a reply to the other parts of his question. The only information I am obliged to give the Deputy at this stage is that the Bill will be taken this session. Matters such as the timing of its passage through the House are matters for the Whips. With regard to the contents of the Bill, the Deputy will know that when he sees the Bill.
The Taoiseach is not keen to give any further information on phone tapping.
Deputy Quinn has been called.
I should like to get some clarification from the Taoiseach in relation to the specific matter I raised, the European affairs committee. When will that committee be re-established with their new terms of reference?
We are working on it at the moment.
Does that mean before Christmas?
I hope so.
Deputy Eric Byrne has been offering.
Will the Taoiseach allow the Minister for Finance, Deputy Reynolds, and the Minister for Labour, Deputy Ahern, some time off over the weekend to address the very serious CIE public transport strike which——
I thought the Deputy has something very relevant to raise on the Order of Business.
It is very relevant to those communters who are left without public transport.
It is not relevant now, Deputy. Deputy McCartan.
CIE are——
Sorry, Deputy Byrne, desist.
Perhaps the Taoiseach would like to reply.
I find the Deputy's phraseology peculiar — if the Ministers concerned would take time off to fix this strike.
It is the reality.
A Deputy
From all accounts he will need the votes.
In view of the absence of the Minister for Labour and the total indifference by the Minister for Justice to the administration of justice, may I ask the Taoiseach if he will intervene on behalf of the Government to try to resolve the long running courts dispute which is leading to chaos?
The Deputy knows that there are ample ways and means of raising such matters in the House.
Last night the Minister for Justice announced that he was not going to involve himself directly in the dispute, as we have asked him to do in this House. I am now asking the Taoiseach if he will——
The Deputy knows it is inappropriate to raise such a matter on the Order of Business. Deputy Jim Higgins.
Rape trials are being adjourned and people are not being brought to trial. The whole situation is ridiculous.
The Government are ridiculous.
Deputy McCartan has made his point.
In view of the fact that the Industrial Relations Bill, 1990, enshrines the principle of secret ballots, may I ask the Taoiseach if it is a principle with which he generally agrees?
Please, Deputy Higgins.
I asked the Taoiseach on yesterday's Order of Business——
The result of the last Fine Gael secret ballot was very peculiar.
(Interruptions.)
I asked the Taoiseach a question on yesterday's Order of Business about motion No. 49 on yesterday's Order Paper. He promised to communicate with me but I know yesterday was a difficult day. This motion refers to the disabled persons (maintenance allowances) regulations. It is a statutory instrument which, if it is to be annulled, must be annulled within a specific number of sitting days. I sought permission from the Taoiseach to give Government time to debate this matter. It is a Government statutory instrument and we need Government time to debate it, otherwise it may not be annulled.
The Government have no intention of annulling them.
I understand there is already a legal problem about this instrument and that a High Court case is pending.
The Deputy has made his point.
Will the Government provide time?
In view of the growing concern on both sides of the Border about the Du Pont incinerator for the burning of toxic waste and the role which the Government are suspected of playing on this matter and in view of the fact that the Minister for the Environment has not made it clear will the Taoiseach, if he is still speaking to the Minister, get him to make a statment or will the Taoiseach clarify the position?
That was the subject of discussion in this House quite recently.
The Minister for the Environment has not made the position clear and I am asking the Taoiseach to do so.
No, Deputy Harte, the matter may not be raised now.
A Cheann Comhairle, may I ask you in your capacity as Chairman of the Committee on Procedure and Privileges and, presumably, as Chairman of the broadcasting committee of the House, whether RTE may edit the radio report of the Dáil from an entertainment value point of view or should edit it from a reporting point of view? I am quite serious in asking this question. Those who listened to the "Morning Ireland" programme this morning heard that yesterday's proceedings in the Dáil were dominated by the argument between the Taoiseach and Deputy Spring. There was no mention of the fact that some of us spent six or seven hours debating the Committee Stage of the Criminal Damage Bill, or of Question Time or of the fact that there was a vote on a Private Members' Bill.
I have allowed the Deputy some latitude. I am sure he feels strongly about the matter——
Excuse me, a Cheann Comhairle——
——and there are ways and means of communicating his concern in the matter through the appropriate channels in this House such as the Committee on Procedure and Privileges and the broadcasting committee.
A Deputy
Surely this is the place.
As Chief Whip I supported the introduction of broadcasting of the Dáil proceedings. I am concerned that if the committee are not doing their job this matter will be approached from an entertainment as distinct from a reporting point of view. I am asking the Chair, in his capacity as chairman of that committee, to see to it that the proceedings of the Dáil are reported and that people are made aware of what goes on in this House.
I will bring the Deputy's strong views to the attention of the Committee on Procedure and Privileges and the broadcasting committee of the House.
When are you going to call a meeting of the Committee?
I gather there may well be a meeting next week.
Are you calling it?
No, this will be held in the normal way.
Who is calling the meeting?
I understand that a meeting is likely to be held next week to consider the Houses of the Oireachtas draft Estimate for 1992. We are awaiting information from the Minister for Finance in the matter.
Who is calling the meeting?
I will be calling the meeting at the request of the Members concerned.
In relation to the point raised, there is a little confusion. There are two committees, one is the broadcasting committee which is in existence but the other, the Broadcasting Control Committee, is not in existence yet. It has the job of monitoring but has never met. The job of that committee is to monitor the broadcasting of the proceedings of this House. May I ask when that committee will meet and be up and running to do the job given to it by the House.
This matter has been discussed by the Broadcasting Control Committee and the Committee on Procedure and Privileges and steps are being taken to set up that committee very shortly.
It does not exist.
Since the Chair is looking into the matter raised by Deputy Barrett will he also look at the contractual obligation to cover the committee of the House. That is part of the contractual obligation——
The Deputy is well covered.
Yet, committees of the House are never covered. This is an important point; it is not a funny matter. The Committee of Public Accounts receive plenty of coverage. We work very hard.
The Chairman does.
The problem is that committees of the House are not being covered.
Perhaps the Deputy's colleagues will raise the matter at the meeting.
I am asking the Chair as he is raising the matter which Deputy Barrett addressed, if he will raise this matter which has been referred to over the years?
The Deputy can submit the matter for consideration for the agenda of the meeting in question.