It is proposed to take item No. 8.
Order of Business.
At the time of failure of an application to extradite somebody to Britain approximately a year-and-a-half ago the Government indicated that it was undertaking a review of the remaining loopholes in extradition law with a view to promoting amending legislation. Would the Taoiseach say what is the position in regard to that review with a view to closing the remaining loopholes in extradition law between this State and the United Kingdom?
I should inform the Deputy that work is being carried out on that matter in the Department of Justice.
I am glad to hear that. Can the Taoiseach indicate when that work commenced and is likely to be completed in the form of legislation?
I have not available to me at present the date on which it started but the Deputy can take it that work is proceeding.
I want to draw the attention of the House to the fact that, on Fridays, this House has no facilities under Standing Orders for raising matters of an urgent nature. For example, there is no provision for matters to be raised under Standing Order 30, no arrangements for Adjournment debates or Private Notice Questions. These are matters we should address since we have now established a regular sitting day on Friday. There should be procedures put in place for urgent matters to be raised. I am raising this in the context of the extraordinary burst of slaughter in Northern Ireland yesterday, which this House should condemn. I should like to express my concern and horror at what is happening in Northern Ireland, particularly what happened there yesterday, which was every bit as bad as what happened in Warrington this time last week. I feel very strongly that this House should be on record as expressing its concern about these killings in Northern Ireland. We tend to shrug——
I have allowed the Deputy some latitude.
Unfortunately, we tend to shrug our shoulders when we hear of killings in Northern Ireland although, as I have said, we are as concerned about them. It behoves us all to exert whatever influence we can——
Deputy, I am very concerned about these matters myself. It places the Chair in a very difficult and embarrassing position when a Member raises such delicate and serious matters at this time, which is inappropriate. There ought to be a better way of dealing with such matters.
I agree.
In respect of what the Deputy said about Friday sittings, Members' inability to raise matters on the Adjournment, Private Notice Questions and so on, I might point out that these are matters for the Committee on Procedure and Privileges. We are at present conducting our affairs in an atmosphere in which Dáil reform has been mentioned a lot. That is a matter that can be taken up in the ordinary way but I would dissuade Members from embarrassing the Chair by raising sensitive, tragic episodes of this kind when it is so inappropriate to do so. There ought to be a better way.
A Cheann Comhairle, I must ask you to appreciate——
I think the Deputy is trying to use a period of time here this morning to raise a matter that he, as well as all other Members of the House, knows is a matter for the Committee on Procedure and Privileges. This is a special sitting. The Deputy knows well how it is being classified. We are in the process of Dáil reform. There are ways and means of raising the matter rather than coming in here and endeavouring to do so in a disorderly fashion, endeavouring to bring the notice of the House to the matter when he well knows that I, on behalf of the people of Ireland, and the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs, condemned outright what was, I suppose, the blackest week for deaths in relation to the Northern Ireland problem — there were the victims of bombs in Warrington last week, five killed in Northern Ireland yesterday, amounting in all to six people killed yesterday. We condemned it outright on behalf of everybody. It is not right for the Deputy to come in here and endeavour to say that this House and Government are ignoring the situation. We have condemned both occurrences outright and will continue to do so.
Let us deal with this in a solemn and respectful way. I do not want to be involved with Members of the House in an unseemingly fashion in a delicate matter of this kind. I would ask Deputy De Rossa to desist from any further reference.
I am seeking to raise a matter.
You have raised it, Deputy. It must rest now where it should, with the Committee on Procedure and Privileges and Dáil reform.
I made the point in relation to the inability of this House to discuss these things purely as a setting for the point I wanted to make in relation to the House needing to have the facility——
I wish the Deputy would desist. None of us would wish the matter to become controversial.
Of course. I am simply asking you to let me finish a sentence——
I must ask the Deputy to please resume his seat. The Deputy has adequately made his point.
I realise the difficulties expressed by Deputy De Rossa in relation to raising specific issues. In view of the extraordinary and tragic circumstances that have arisen, I would ask that we be allowed a debate on Northern Ireland next week as a matter of urgency to highlight the tragic nature of recent events and bring to the notice of the people of this country Members' expressions of sympathy and condolence with the families of the victims.
It has been agreed already.
The matter has been raised on the Order of Business for the past few days. I have intimated to the House that I believe it is one for the Whips. The Taoiseach concurred with me in that regard yesterday on the Order of Business. I do not know what has transpired in the meantime.
If the Whips agree, the Government has no objection to this debate being held next week. The Whips have discussed the matter and I believe they were more inclined to hold it the following week but, as I said, the Government has no objection to the debate being brought forward to next week.
In view of the fact that we are to have a debate on Northern Ireland and of the demand by the people that there should be some practical and definite response from the political establishment to the great sense of outrage which people feel about what has happened, may I ask the Taoiseach if he would be more specific when he contributes to the debate next week as to when exactly the legislation dealing with extradition will come before the House? I realise that at this stage he cannot advance any further on what he has said but may I ask him, in view of the urgency of the matter, if he would make a specific statement, with a timetable, on that subject when he contributes next week?
The Deputy can take it that the Minister for Justice will contribute to that debate.