Dáil Éireann debate -
Friday, 7 Jul 1995

Vol. 455 No. 6

Business of Dáil: Motion.

Minister of State at the Department of The Taoiseach (Mr. J. Higgins)

I move:

That, notwithstanding anything in Standing Orders:

(1) the Dáil on its rising on Friday, 7 July 1995, shall adjourn until 11 a.m. on Wednesday, 26 July 1995;

(2) the Dáil on its rising on Wednesday, 26 July 1995, shall adjourn until 11 a.m. on Wednesday, 20 September 1995;

(3) the Dáil on its rising on Wednesday 20 September 1995, shall adjourn until 12 noon on Wednesday, 11 October 1995;

(4) the following arrangements shall apply in relation to the sittings of the Dáil on 26 July and 20 September:

(i) business shall be interrupted not later than 5.20 p.m. on each day;

(ii) the sitting shall be suspended between 1 p.m. on each day;

(iii) there shall be no questions or private members business on either day with the exception that written questions only shall be taken on 20 September;

(iv) matters may not be raised under the provisions of Standing Order 30;

(v) the procedures relating to raising matters on the adjournment under Standing Order 20 shall apply except that the Ceann Comhairle shall advise the Dáil of the matters in respect of which notice has been given and those selected under Standing Order 20 (4) at the interruption of business on both days;

(vi) the business to be transacted shall be in accordance with the following timetable:

Date:	Proceedings:	To conclude not later than:
Wednesday, 26 July	Second Stage of the Fisheries (Amendment) Bill, 1995	5.20 p.m.
Wednesday, 20 September	Second Stage of the Energy (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill, 1995	5.20 p.m.

(vii) any divisions demanded shall be postponed until immediately after the Order of Business on 11 October 1995, and shall be taken in the chronological order in which they were demanded; and

(viii) subject to the agreement of the motion for the Second Reading of the Bill, the Energy (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill, 1995, and the Fisheries (Amendment) Bill, 1995, shall be referred to the Select Committee on Enterprise and Economic Strategy pursuant to Standing Order 94 (1) of the Standing Orders relative to Public Business and paragraph (1) (iii) of the orders of reference of that Committee.

Mr. D. Ahern

I move amendment No. 1:

To add the following to the motion:

"(5) Notwithstanding the provisions of paragraph (4) (iii) above,

(i) in the period from 8 July to 10 October, written questions shall be taken on any day on which a Dáil Select Committee or a Joint Committee sits and

(ii) Questions for oral answer to the Taoiseach shall be taken between 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. on 26 July and 20th September.".

There was an understanding on this matter between the Whips at our recent meeting but it was vetoed by the Taoiseach on the basis that——

Mr. J. Higgins

That is absolutely untrue.

An Ceann Comhairle

The House has already decided that this matter shall be dealt with without debate.

Mr. D. Ahern

The Taoiseach vetoed it.

Mr. B. Ahern

On a point of order, we have been asked by the Government and it has been agreed that the House will sit in July and September. It is impossible for the House to do its business if we are not allowed to have Question Time in some form or another.

Mr. Martin

It is a con job.

An Ceann Comhairle

Deputy Ahern, that is not a point of order.

Mr. B. Ahern

Last night we heard for the first time that the Taoiseach has activated himself in the Chilcott-Dalton talks. How can we make any progress on Northern Ireland or anywhere else if we are not allowed put down written questions?

An Ceann Comhairle

The House has decided this matter in respect of debate.

(Interruptions.)

Mr. B. Ahern

The House is either in recess or it is not.

Mr. Martin

It is a comouflage.

(Interruptions.)

Mr. Martin

It looks well outside.

Mr. B. Ahern

There will be no more sittings of this House until October.

Mr. D. Ahern

Jackboot tactics.

Amendment put.

The Dáil divided: Tá, 52; Níl, 67.

Tá

• Ahern, Bertie.
• Ahern, Dermot.
• Ahern, Michael.
• Ahern, Noel.
• Andrews, David.
• Brennan, Matt.
• Brennan, Séamus.
• Briscoe, Ben.
• Browne, John (Wexford).
• Burke, Raphael P.
• Byrne, Hugh.
• Callely, Ivor.
• Connolly, Ger.
• Coughlan, Mary.
• de Valera, Síle.
• Doherty, Seán.
• Ellis, John.
• Nolan, M.J.
• Noonan, Michael (Limerick West).
• Ó Cuív, Éamon.
• O'Dea, Willie.
• O'Donnell, Liz.
• O'Donoghue, John.
• O'Leary, John.
• O'Malley, Desmond J.
• O'Rourke, Mary.
• Flood, Chris.
• Foley, Denis.
• Geoghegan-Quinn, Máire.
• Harney, Mary.
• Haughey, Seán.
• Jacob, Joe.
• Kenneally, Brendan.
• Killeen, Tony.
• Kirk, Séamus.
• Kitt, Michael P.
• Kitt, Tom.
• Lawlor, Liam.
• Martin, Micheál.
• McCreevy, Charlie.
• McDaid, James.
• Morley, P.J.
• Moynihan, Donal.
• Power, Seán.
• Ryan, Eoin.
• Smith, Brendan.
• Smith, Michael.
• Treacy, Noel.
• Wallace, Dan.
• Wallace, Mary.
• Walsh, Joe.
• Woods, Michael.

Níl

• Ahearn, Theresa.
• Allen, Bernard.
• Barrett, Seán.
• Bell, Michael.
• Bhamjee, Moosajee.
• Boylan, Andrew.
• Bradford, Paul.
• Bhreathnach, Niamh.
• Bree, Declan.
• Broughan, Tommy.
• Browne, John (Carlow-Kilkenny).
• Bruton, John.
• Bruton, Richard.
• Burke, Liam.
• Byrne, Eric.
• Carey, Donal.
• Connaughton, Paul.
• Connor, John.
• Costello, Joe.
• Crawford, Seymour.
• Creed, Michael.
• Crowley, Frank.
• Deasy, Austin.
• Deenihan, Jimmy.
• Doyle, Avril.
• Dukes, Alan M.
• Durkan, Bernard J.
• Ferris, Michael.
• Fitzgerald, Brian.
• Fitzgerald, Eithne.
• Fitzgerald, Frances.
• Flaherty, Mary.
• Gallagher, Pat.
• Gilmore, Eamon.
• Harte, Paddy.
• Higgins, Jim.
• Higgins, Michael D.
• Hogan, Philip.
• Howlin, Brendan.
• Kavanagh, Liam.
• Kenny, Enda.
• Kenny, Seán.
• Lowry, Michael.
• Lynch, Kathleen.
• McCormack, Pádraic.
• McDowell, Derek.
• McGinley, Dinny.
• McGrath, Paul.
• McManus, Liz.
• Mitchell, Gay.
• Mulvihill, John.
• Nealon, Ted.
• O'Shea, Brian.
• Owen, Nora.
• Pattison, Séamus.
• Penrose, William.
• Quinn, Ruairí.
• Rabbitte, Pat.
• Ring, Michael.
• Ryan, Seán.
• Sheehan, P.J.
• Shortall, Róisín.
• Taylor, Mervyn.
• Timmins, Godfrey.
• Upton, Pat.
• Walsh, Eamon.
• Yates, Ivan.

Tellers: Tá, Deputies D. Ahern and Callely; Níl, Deputies J. Higgins and B. Fitzgerald.

Amendment declared lost.

Question: "That the motion be agreed to", put and declared carried.

The Taoiseach

I am probably not in order but I was asked a question about Arramara Teoranta by Deputy Geoghegan-Quinn. I did not have accurate information at the time but the Minister for the Marine has now informed me that the AGM of the company was held yesterday. In order to have freedom to make appointments to the board, he had to notify the existing ministerial nominees that they would not be reappointed at the meeting. He will now consider the appropriate appointments which will be made at a later stage. He had to take this step to give himself, as the new Minister for the Marine with responsibility in this area, the opportunity of making appointments.

Mr. N. Treacy

That is disgraceful.

Mr. D. Ahern

More jobs on the backs of board members.

(Interruptions.)

Mr. B. Ahern

I am aware I am out of order but it is also out of order to fire the board of semi-State company. We now know that the Government did not make the decision, rather it was made by the Minister for the Marine. This is a disgrace, given that the individuals concerned helped to turn the company around during the past few years.

Mr. N. Treacy

A Cheann Comhairle——

An Ceann Comhairle

There can be no debate now, Deputy.

Mr. N. Treacy

Arramara Teoranta is negotiating with international companies to seek investment. This is a disgrace.

Mr. R. Burke

The board, which has turned the company around to the point where it is now a profitable operation, has been fired and all the Minister of State, Deputy Rabbitte can do, is smirk. He has shown nothing but contempt since he took the shilling and ran to the other side of the House.

(Interruptions.)

The Taoiseach

The Deputy is generous with his moral indignation.

Mr. Lawlor

There is a fishy smell off this.