It is proposed to take Nos. 7, 8, 12, 1 and 2. It is also proposed, notwithstanding anything in Standing Orders, that (1) Nos. 7 and 8 shall be decided without debate, (2) the proceedings on the Report and Final Stages of No. 12, if not previously concluded, shall be brought to a conclusion at 1.30 p.m. by one question which shall be put from the Chair and which shall in relation to amendments, include only amendments set down or accepted by the Minister for Justice and (3) there shall be no Private Members' Business today and Government business shall be interrupted at 8.30 p.m.
Order of Business.
Is the proposal that Nos. 7 and 8 be decided without debate satisfactory and agreed?
This has been a good 24 hours for parliamentary democracy in that a Private Members' Bill promoted by Deputy Shatter has been accepted by the Government and you, Sir, have vindicated the rights of Members under Standing Order 30. I wish to record my appreciation of your decision in this matter.
Hear, hear.
I wish to congratulate Deputy Shatter on a record since this House was founded in terms of having Bills accepted while in Opposition.
Let us not forget what is in order at this time.
On this occasion Deputy Shatter is very much in order.
Are we having some sound off stage from the silent 33?
A Deputy
We are listening.
It is wonderful to have a chorus in here occasionally to join in.
Welcome back.
It is good to see Deputy Bhamjee in particular. We will have to arrange bird watching classes to enable Members to spot some of the more rare appearances here in this House.
The Labour Deputies should take out their consciences and put them on show.
Let us now come to deal with what is appropriate to the Order of Business.
Will the Taoiseach state why the Order of Business has not been circulated this morning to the Opposition, as is normal, to allow us to scrutinise the proposals he has just read out and which I have heard for the first time this morning?
A Deputy
The Deputy has been spoiled, that is what is wrong with him.
As I understand it this was agreed between the Whips.
I was outside the Government Whip's office five minutes before the bells had ceased to ring looking for a copy of the order and I was unable to obtain it.
It is circulated every morning.
I regret that it has not been circulated to us. It seems Government Ministers have a copy of the order in their hands and we do not.
From the sublime to the ridiculous.
Do we have agreement on the Order of Business?
I agree to Nos. 7 and 8 being taken without debate.
In relation to No. 12, is it agreed that the debate be brought to a conclusion at 1.30 p.m. by one question which shall be put from the Chair and which shall, in relation to amendments, include only amendments set down or accepted by the Minister for Justice? Agreed. Is it agreed that there shall be no Private Members' Business this evening and that the business of the House shall be interrupted at 8.30 p.m.? Agreed.
The Order of Business was not agreed with my party, we were not even consulted about it. In relation to the announcement the Taoiseach made earlier that there will be a working meeting between himself and the British Prime Minister, is that meeting taking place because of the failure at a senior level to agree on a communiqué? Can the Taoiseach indicate when a summit meeting will be held? The Taoiseach has raised huge expectations in relation to this matter and I would like him to tell us——
It is not in order now, Deputy. I call Deputy De Rossa.
In relation to promised legislation, the Taoiseach indicated in the Dáil yesterday that he intended to introduce an amendment to the Waiver of Certain Tax, Interest and Penalties Act, 1993. Will the Taoiseach now indicate to tax cheats that they are not covered by any legislative protection of confidentiality or indeed immunity from prosecution as and from midnight last night until such time as legislation is introduced in this House?
Let us not anticipate the debate we shall have this evening on that subject.
It is only fair that these people should be warned that they are not covered by legislation as and from midnight last night.
Please, Deputy De Rossa. Deputy Connaughton has been offering.
I wish to ask the Taoiseach and the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry about the conspiracy in relation to the non-payment of millions of pounds of grants to Irish farmers?
Deputies
Hear, hear.
That matter is not in order now.
The Minister is trying to put farmers on the bread line.
Deputy Connaughton will find ample ways and means of dealing with that matter. I am calling Deputy Pat Cox.
(Interruptions.)
All the Minister can do is smile. He seems to enjoy putting people on the bread line.
On a point of order——
I will hear no point of order. I am dealing with disorder from you, Deputy.
On a point of order——
No, no. The Deputy will please resume his seat.
A Cheann Comhairle, I am entitled to raise a point of order.
No, Deputy, you are not, when I am dealing with disorder on your part. Please resume your seat, Deputy.
I want to know why this Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry will not tell us why he is holding up millions of pounds of grants due to Irish farmers.
I hesitate to mention the matter, but if you continue to disobey me you must face the consequences, Deputy.
(Interruptions.)
Let us have order at this time. I am calling Deputy John Bruton.
May I just make the point to you, Sir, that the people to whom Deputy Connaughton is referring rely for their entire living on these payments?
Deputy Bruton, there are ample ways and means under the procedures of this House for dealing with the matter raised by the Deputy. I am calling Deputy Cox.
(Interruptions.)
At the outset I must say how much I welcome the fact that we have been offered the opportunity to debate the tax amnesty this evening. May I ask, Sir, in relation to the agreement to hold a debate, whether you are in a position to say what form that debate will take, whether it will take the form of a motion on which the House will then vote?
There will be no motion involved, Deputy. It is now a matter primarily for the Whips to decide on the procedure.
A Cheann Comhairle, it is important to stress that, when Deputy Shatter's Bill — the Landlord and Tenant (Amendment) Bill, 1993 — was accepted on Second Reading last evening, I contacted the Whips Office as late as 8 o'clock and was told that business this evening would be the Greyhound Industry (Amendment) Bill, 1993, running on instead of Private Member's Business.
(Interruptions.)
It is appropriate for the hares and greyhounds to run. I might place on the record that the first I heard about this changed arrangement was when I came into the House this morning, not having received the Order of Business, and was told by Deputy Enda Kenny that it had been agreed this morning between the Government Chief Whip and himself. It would be better in future that my party be contacted formally. I might add that I have been in my office since 9.30 a.m. and could have been contacted there.
The hare has escaped for the time being. I am calling Deputy Sargent.
On promised legislation, would the Taoiseach say whether the promised Waste Bill is at a sufficiently advanced stage to serve as a guide to the Minister for the Environment, who faces a crucial vote on a disgracefully amended Belgian proposal on the EU Directive on packaging and packaging waste at tomorrow's Council of Ministers' meeting? In addition, would the Taoiseach say whether he is aware at this stage of how our Minister for the Environment proposes to vote on the proposal tomorrow?
Please, Deputy Sargent. Clearly, that matter is not in order now.
A Cheann Comhairle, I might just clarify for the record the position in so far as references to the Whips agreeing business are concerned. Last week at the Whips meeting the business determined for this week was agreed between the Whips. At that stage it was not known that the Minister for Justice would accept the Private Members' Bill in the name of Deputy Shatter. Yesterday, as Whip of the Fine Gael Party, I consented to the two technical amendments to be taken this morning without debate which will be referred to the Select Committee on Social Affairs. The only communication I had from the Government, in so far as the non-taking of Private Members' Business this evening was concerned, was a telephone call this morning to say that it was proposed to take the Greyhound Industry (Amendment) Bill, 1993, in Government time until 8.30 p.m. this evening. In so far as the allowing of a request to move the Adjournment of the Dáil under Standing Order 30 was yours, Sir, and yours alone the decision was not within the range of responsibility of any Whip. It is for that reason I put this on the record for clarification.
On the Order of Business, in view of the fact that it has now been clarified that there will be no Private Members' Business this evening, would the Taoiseach say whether he would make available Government time to allow his Minister of State at the Department of the Environment with special responsibility for housing, Deputy Stagg, to either withdraw or substantiate his scurrilous and totally unfounded allegation——
Charges of that kind should not be levelled at any Member at this time. I feel sure Deputy Flanagan will find ways and means of venting his views on that matter.
——regarding nursing homes in this country being "corrals of death". Is he prepared to withdraw the allegation or substantiate it? I think it is correct to raise this on the Order of Business. A Cheann Comhairle, does the Taoiseach support the comments of his Minister of State?
Give way to your colleague there and obey the Chair.
May I ask the Taoiseach and Government whether they have repealed section 31 of the Broadcasting Act since there has been general alarm over the past four or five days that the media have carried more publicity on behalf of the IRA and Sinn Féin in this country while Opposition parties have been ignored? Would he say whether there has been a change of attitude on the part of the Government? Has the matter gone unnoticed by the Government?
Please, Deputy Harte. Perhaps you would raise that in another way.
In relation to the GATT talks and in order to allay the fears of thousands of family farmers in this country, can the Taoiseach and the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry assure this House that they are prepared to use the veto in order to protect a vital national interest——
It is not in order now, Deputy.
——and shown to be of such importance in the House yesterday? No responsibility; no commitment.
I come now to deal with item No. 7.