Does the Taoiseach propose to bring in a Bill which will allow for the setting up of and expenditure by the tribunal in relation to hepatitis C victims before Christmas?
Order of Business (Resumed).
That matter is currently the subject of debate in the House on Private Members' Time and all the relevant information is being provided. The tribunal will be established this year and will follow the form of well established precedent as far as tribunals of this kind are concerned. It will function this year and the Government is prudently providing the necessary money to enable it do so. The credibility of the tribunal with the women who need compensation would be greatly diminished if the Government did not make such financial provision.
The Government will spend £10 million.
The credibility of the tribunal is enhanced by the fact that substantial financial provision is being made this year.
Nonsense.
(Interruptions.)
Order, please.
The Opposition who are now complaining about financial provision being made for the tribunal would complain if financial provision were not made for it.
The Government has no credibility.
It is a disgrace to the women of Ireland.
They would claim the tribunal was not properly funded and would not be in a position to meet legitimate claims made on it. As regards the women who were infected——
It is disgraceful that the Government should use the women in this way.
(Interruptions.)
——through a service administered by the State, this Government is taking on its responsibilities in a serious way.
Nonsense.
It is making financial contributions to ensure that the body can function with the maximum credibility. Fianna Fáil should desist from this self-defeating and self-injuring process.
Deputies
Bluff.
The party of blue shirts is in power.
Order, please. There was a lot of disorder yesterday and today. I appeal to Members to have some regard for the dignity and decorum of the House. Let us conclude the Order of Business and deal with the Business of the House proper without further gross disorder of the kind experienced yesterday and today.
Decorum and Deputy Cowen are strangers.
The way the Taoiseach is using the unfortunate women whose health has been affected to excuse his dodgy accounting practices is disgraceful.
That is a laugh.
A Deputy
Damage limitation.
Fianna Fáil did the damage.
As the Taoiseach is so concerned about the matter why does he not set up the tribunal on a legislative basis as requested?
This is not the time to raise that matter.
As the result of a court decision the petitioning system is in abeyance. Members of the public who petition against fines are imprisoned without the fines being decided on by the Department of Justice. Will the Taoiseach promise that this will not occur over Christmas and will he introduce legislation to correct the position in the new year?
That matter is not in order now. The Deputy should find other ways and means to deal with it.
I have noted what the Deputy said and will discuss the matter with the Minister for Justice. Either she or I will revert to the Deputy.
The Appropriation Bill is listed for tomorrow. No Member has received a copy of the Bill. As a former Minister for Finance the Taoiseach will know that the Bill is an important document because it legalises both the original and Supplementary Estimates. When will the Bill be published and when will we receive it?
I am sure the Deputy will remember it is not possible to produce the Appropriation Bill until the Estimates and Supplementary Estimates have been passed. As soon as they are approved by the House the Bill will be available.
In order to facilitate an effective debate on the Estimates next week will the Taoiseach make available to the Opposition over the weekend a draft copy of the proposed Estimates to be published on Monday?
The Estimates will be published in full on Monday and will be available to the Opposition to enable them to debate the matter on Tuesday. I have no doubt they will be able to absorb all the relevant information between Monday and Tuesday. We are facilitating the Opposition by providing time for the debate. Each of the Estimates will be debated in committee. Thanks to reforms introduced by the previous Government, with the strong support of the then Opposition, we have a more effective way of examining Estimates.
What we are not discussing is the £110 million.
It was a joke this week.
We continually hear of concern for Irish prisoners held overseas, particularly in the UK. Will the Taoiseach comment on the report on conditions for prisoners here? Does he accept there is cause for great concern?
I am sorry, I cannot facilitate the Deputy now, it is clearly not in order.
Since the Taoiseach has not introduced the promised legislation on Sunday trading, will he at least avail of the opportunity today to urge both parties in the Dunnes' Stores dispute to accept yesterday's Labour Court recommendation?
Extraneous matters are being raised now.
The Taoiseach could at least urge both parties to accept the Labour Court recommendation, as this is his last chance to do so. Does he refuse?
I ask the Government for time to discuss Item No. 28 on today's Order paper, which is an important matter. What has happened today has caused much concern to constituents along the Border. The Taoiseach is on record as saying——
I have allowed the Deputy to raise the matter. He may not go on to make a speech.
I am asking the Taoiseach because he has said it is a priority of the Government to keep within the 2 per cent extra spending——
The Deputy is completely out of order now.
——rather than drawing on tax.
I am proceeding with the business of the House.
I have been offering for some time.
A Cheann Comhairle——
Could I ask the Taoiseach——
Deputy McDaid, you will now resume your seat.
Obviously, a Cheann Comhairle——
Resume your seat forthwith.
It is on today's Order Paper——
Leave the House, Deputy.
I am not pressing the issue——
You are taking issue with me in a very serious way.
I want to inform the Taoiseach that this will be a priority in Private Members' Time.
On a separate item, under promised legislation, could the Taoiseach indicate at what stage the Freedom of Information Bill is and confirm whether the heads of that Bill have been circulated to each Minister?
The heads of that Bill have been approved by the Cabinet. I understand arrangements are being made to discuss the Bill with one of the committees of the House.
The Irish Times.
Members of the relevant committee will, under the new procedures, have an opportunity to discuss the relevant procedures before they are put in final statutory form.
The editorial board of The Irish Times saw them before everyone else.
That exercise will not delay the drafting of the legislation.
I am sure Members will join me in expressing sympathy to the families of the two young fishermen who drowned in the sea off Ardmore, County Waterford, at the weekend. At least 12 men in small boats involved in fishing activities, whether as fishery officers or fishermen, have died along this stretch of coastline in recent years. There are two Government commissioned reports relating to fisheries in that area: first, the Kirwan report on the Ballycotton disaster not yet published, and second, the salmon review body report. I ask the Government to publish the Kirwan report in the near future and for a debate in the House on both reports. What we have seen along the coastline of County Waterford and east Cork amounts to legalised or institutionalised thuggery on the part of certain servants of the State.
I have allowed the Deputy some latitude having regard to the sadness of the tragic matter raised but he will appreciate it is not in order now. However, he has made his point.
It is not appropriate for me not to respond to attacks on servants of the State. I have confidence in the people who work for the State. Having said that, I will examine the points made by Deputy Deasy.