It is proposed to take Nos. 4, 5, 10, 2 and 11. It is also proposed, notwithstanding anything in Standing Orders, that: (1) business shall be interrupted not later than 4.45 p.m.: (2) Nos. 4 and 5 shall be decided without debate: (3) statements on No. 10 shall conclude within 1 hour and 30 minutes and the following arrangements shall apply; (i) statements shall be confined to the Taoiseach, the main spokesperson for the Fine Gael Party, the Progressive Democrats Party and the Technical Group, and shall not exceed 20 minutes in each case; (ii) a Minister or Minister of State may be called upon to make a statement in reply not exceeding ten minutes: (4) the Select Committee on Legislation and Security shall commence consideration of the Committee Stage of the Criminal Procedure Bill, 1993, on Tuesday next.
Order of Business.
Is the proposal at No. 1, that business shall be interrupted not later than 4.45 p.m. today, satisfactory and agreed? Agreed. Is item No. 2, that Nos. 4 and 5 shall be decided without debate, satisfactory and agreed? Agreed. Are the proposals for dealing with item No. 3, that is, statements on No. 10, satisfactory and agreed?
I do not want to make a song and dance about this.
I am tone deaf, as the House knows, unlike the Taoiseach who is very musical. There is a provision in the Order of Business for the Minister to be called upon to make a statement in reply. The last time we had a procedure of statements in regard to the national plan the Tánaiste replied with a statement that had clearly been written before the debate took place and contained no reply to any of the speakers who spoke in the debate. I ask that the Minister, or Minister of State, who is replying be here for the debate and endeavour to reply to any points made that require a reply rather than reading a prepared script.
Deputies
Hear, hear.
The Deputy can be assured that the Minister, or Minister of State, who is replying will be replying to some points raised, maybe not to the satisfaction of Deputy Bruton.
Is the proposal for dealing with the statements agreed? Agreed. Is the proposal for dealing with item No. 4 satisfactory and agreed?
On that matter, the committees meet next week, and this item rosters the Select Committee on Legislation and Security. Are you happy that RTE should continue to cover the business of this House by remote control from Donnybrook and that we seem unable to make facilities available within the House to RTE personnel to adequately and properly represent the affairs of this House?
If the Deputy had given me prior notice of his intention to raise this matter I would now be able to give him a responsible reply. I will look into the matter.
In regard to item No. 3, which is in my name, is the Taoiseach aware that it is a regular occurrence throughout Dublin for business people to experience two and three hold-ups within weeks of each other? Will the Taoiseach agree to take this Bill in Government time or allow it to be sent to the Select Committee on Legislation and Security so that the true levels of crime can be adequately measured?
This is a matter for Private Members' Business. It is a matter for the Deputy to get the agreement of his party in that regard.