It is proposed to take Nos. 4, 2, 3, 10 and 14. It is also proposed that Nos. 4, 2, 3 and 10 shall be decided without debate. Private Members' Business shall be No. 25.
Order of Business.
Is the proposal that Nos. 4, 2, 3 and 10 be decided without debate satisfactory?
May I ask the Taoiseach a question in relation to No. 2, the First Interim Report of the Committee of Public Accounts on the Appropriation Accounts, 1990, the report on the sale of Carysfort College? In view of the very serious nature of the allegations contained in the report I would ask the Taoiseach whether we will be afforded an opportunity of debating it a some stage, preferably in the near future.
I understand that the Whips have agreed this but we will consider the Deputy's request.
Will the Taoiseach consider a debate on the matter?
We will consider it, but as of now what is here has been agreed by the Whips.
Does that mean that the Taoiseach is not averse to a debate on it in the House?
The Whips will discuss the matter.
Is the proposal in regard to Nos. 4, 2, 3 and 10 agreed? Agreed.
The Government published the Health (Family Planning) Bill approximately eight months ago. In view of the growing health danger to young people posed by AIDS, may I ask whether the Government intend to take this Bill or an amended version of it in this House in the near future?
The matter will come before the House in due course.
What does "in due course" mean? In view of the alarm among young people concerning the spread of AIDS, surely this matter should be dealt with with a greater degree of seriousness.
I have allowed the Deputy to ask his question and he has received a reply.
May I seek clarification from the Taoiseach in relation to item No. 11 on today's Order Paper which relates to the debate we are due to have on Friday next? I am sure the Taoiseach will agree that the report of the inspectors warrants a full scale debate because it is extremely important and has very serious messages for the conduct of Irish business. Has the Taoiseach considered making the papers of the inspectors available in the Library of this House so that we can have a full debate on the matter and that there will be no prevarication or clouding of the important issues in this report?
I am not clear what the Deputy is requesting. Of course the report will be debated in full in the House and I expect a full and informed debate from all sides of the House in relation to it.
What I am suggesting is that the Taoiseach or the Government should place in the Library of this House the papers that are available to the inspectors, which I believe the court has ordered to be filed away for five years. If those papers were placed in the Library of this House there would be a much more informed debate on Friday next and there would be clarity in the debate rather than the clouding of issues as was the case last week.
The Deputy, as a lawyer, will fully accept that any orders made by the court in that respect must be respected by this House as well as by everybody else.
Can the Taoiseach indicate to the House, following his round of meetings with party leaders yesterday, when he expects to make proposals with regard to the Maastricht Protocol which must come before this House; and has he decided when legislation arising from the Supreme Court ruling will be published?
Has legislation been promised in this area?
No.
May I ask——
Sorry, the Deputy must raise the matter in some other way.
I am asking for clarification from you, a Cheann Comhairle. The Supreme Court made a decision with regard to the 1983 amendment to the Constitution and legislation is required arising from that decision.
I have asked that pertinent question and the reply was that no legislation has been promised in this area.
(Limerick East): I wish to raise a matter with the Taoiseach that I have raised twice previously. The Greencore report will be debated next Friday. There are 275 pages in that report, and it has not yet been distributed to Deputies. How can the House properly debate this report when copies have not yet been distributed? The report cost enough to produce. At a cost of £1.1 million, surely the Government can afford to print 166 copies.
And the Second Interim Report as well. Let us see all the reports.
The Minister for Finance advises me that there are now 100 copies available and the balance will be available as soon as they have been printed.
Will it be Friday afternoon? What about the weekend?
They will be available as soon as possible.
Does the Minister for Tourism, Transport and Communications intend to register a protest with the RTE Authority about the trial by television of the Ben Dunne affair that went out on last night's "Today Tonight" programme? That was lurid, sensational and unprofessional journalism.
I am sure Deputy Creed will find a suitable way to raise that matter. It does not arise now.
Does the Minister intend to register a protest?
No, Deputy; you may do so in a more formal manner.
I want to ask the Taoiseach about the publication of the White Paper on the Maastricht Treaty. Will recent developments in relation to the Protocol affect the date of publication? When can we expect to have the White Paper?
I answered that question yesterday. The White Paper will be circulated as soon as possible. I do not expect the amendment to the Protocol to interfere with that at this stage.
In view of the fact that the first the Oireachtas heard of the Protocol was when it was announced in Brussels, that the House did not have an opportunity to debate the Protocol and that neither we nor you, Sir, were told in the two major debates in the House of the intention to lodge such a Protocol, can the Taoiseach give an assurance that, before any proposed revision of the Protocol is circulated in Brussels by the Minister for Foreign Affairs on 6 April, this House will have an opportunity to debate it and, perhaps, put the Government on the right course for a change?
I totally regret the implication that the Government were not on the right course the last time. They were on the right course.
They made a complete mess of it. Everyone in the Government made a complete mess of it.
Does the Deputy want an answer?
That must be the understatement of the century that the Government were not on the right course. Never has the Government been proved so completely wrong.
Please, Deputy Quinn, you posed a question. Let us hear the answer.
The Deputy, I hope, is aware that the first draft was shown to the leaders of the Opposition parties yesterday and they will be kept fully informed. We will consider having a debate if that is found necessary at the end of the day.
Will the Taoiseach take the earliest opportunity to pass on to the Garda authorities our congratulations and thanks on their seizure of the massive 3,500 pound bomb in Donegal last night, which seizure prevented death, destruction and carnage?
Deputy Currie knows that raising that issue now is not in order. I call Deputy Richard Bruton.
Let the man finish his statement and do not interrupt. You constantly interrupt Members on this side of the House.
The Deputy should desist from heckling the Chair from a seated position. It shows a total disrespect for the Chair.
The Chair should show some respect for elected Members of the House.
Deputy, do not taunt me in that fashion.
I want to ask the Taoiseach about promised legislation to abolish ground rent from the end of 1996. Is that legislation in preparation? Would it be possible to give some indication of the heads of that legislation to many people who are confused about their legal rights in the run up to the abolition of ground rents?
I take it that legislation has been promised in that area.
The legislation is in the very early stages of preparation and, consequently, I am not in a position to give any indication in relation to the heads of the legislation at this stage.
Would the Taoiseach comment on the reports, which have not been denied, over the weekend that the Minister for Health is about to appoint his close friend, Mr. Noel Hanlon, as chairman of the VHI.
Please, Deputy Lee, why not put down a question on that matter?
If, in future, the Taoiseach proposes to disclose the content of his discussions with Opposition leaders, he should, first, say in advance that he proposes to do so and, second, ensure that he is accurate in anything he says. the Taoiseach did not show me the wording of the proposed amendment. He mentioned orally to me a wording he had in mind; but did not, as he stated here, show me any such wording.
(Interruptions.)
If the Taoiseach intends to have discussions of that kind, those participating in the discussions should understand in advance the basis on which those discussions are taking place and the basis on which any subsequent disclosures for his own benefit of the content of those discussions are to be made by him. It is important that we maintain——
It was done for the benefit of the House, not anyone else.
I have allowed the Deputy to put a question but he is embarking upon a speech.
This is an important matter and I am sure all in the House would agree that it is more in the Taoiseach's interest than in anyone else's that there be discussions on an agreed basis. I, therefore, urge the Taoiseach to exercise due care.
I regard it as unworthy of Deputy Bruton to be nitpicking as he has been here today.
(Interruptions.)
To leave Deputy Bruton easy, I will show him in writing what I told him orally yesterday, if that is what he wants.
That is not what the Taoiseach said two minutes ago.
I am proceeding to the Order of Business, Item No. 4.
On the Order of Business, a Cheann Comhairle, may I ask the Taoiseach when we can expect publication of——
No, Deputy. I called you earlier but the matter you raised was not in order. Item No. 4.
A Cheann Comhairle, promised legislation——
I am sorry, I did not observe the Deputy.
When will we have the Housing Bill which has been long promised?
I am sorry, Deputy. That question has been asked often.
Very shortly.