It is proposed to take No. 13 — Statements on the Northern Ireland Peace Process.
Order of Business.
There is nothing to put to the House.
Is it intended to introduce the malicious injuries Bill shortly?
It is not proposed to do so.
Why not? I understood some time ago that the Government was to introduce it shortly.
Because of the resumption of violence by the IRA.
Was the decision about the Bill made in advance of last Friday?
That decision was made after the IRA decided to resume killing.
I think it was the right decision. While it is understandable that 500 soldiers are being brought back to Northern Ireland, it is regrettable at a time when troops had been withdrawn to barracks and sent back to Britain. It is ironic that those who wished to see the British Army out of Ireland have succeeded in bringing them back in greater numbers. Will the Taoiseach say if a date has been set for the meeting between himself and the British Prime Minister?
These matters are before the House.
The Taoiseach will not be speaking again.
A debate is ensuing.
Will the Taoiseach say if the meeting has been arranged?
I will be speaking again as the order indicates.
Sorry, the Taoiseach is responding to the debate.
During the debate on the Finance Bill the Minister for Finance indicated that its heads would be published within two weeks. Will the Bill be published soon or will it be like the third banking force that we can expect it in the near future?
Today.
What is the position in relation to the referendum on Cabinet confidentiality? Is legislation being introduced in that regard?
I have told the House already the Government has approved the outline of such a proposal and the drafting is now under way.
What are the Taoiseach's views on the fact that a number of party hacks from Democratic Left's so-called research unit, will be privy to memorandum of Government documents. Is this breaking the Cabinet confidentiality rule?
Please, Deputy.
Before any more troops are brought back into Northern Ireland what is the Taoiseach's opinion about asking the UN to come in at this stage?
I am sorry, let us not anticipate the debate which will ensue shortly.
Earlier in the week the NESC issued a report on job-sharing which, according to the media, has the Government's full support. Will legislation be introduced on job-sharing? Does it make sense for the Government to be seen to support job-sharing while in its Departments it is doing everything possible to block and obstruct applications even where the full criteria are met?
Is legislation promised in this area? I think not.
Will the Taoiseach give an assurance, on behalf of the Minister for Health, that all available industrial relations machinery will be put at the disposal of health care workers to avoid considerable disruption in health centres and hospitals in Dublin over the next number of weeks?
I should like to help the Deputy in regard to that matter but it is strictly not appropriate to the Order of Business.
Will the Taoiseach or the Minister for Foreign Affairs tell us whether they were informed beforehand that 500 more troops were being brought back to Northern Ireland?
I am sorry, Deputy, I have ruled that matter out of order.
In view of the fact that the Taoiseach will be replying later today will he tell us in his reply whether he was informed——
If the Deputy has not contributed to the debate, he may yet be afforded an opportunity of doing so.
When can we expect the governance of universities Bill to be brought before the House?
In the second half of this year.
Before Christmas the Taoiseach said it would be in the spring.
I did. I am saying now it will be in the second half of this year.
That was optimistic.
It was.
In view of the commitment the Taoiseach gave several months ago and the fact that the travelling community, in general, is becoming a target for scurrilous articles, will he give a commitment to ensure there will be an early debate on the task force report on travellers, published in July 1995, on which no action has been taken?
How stands this Bill?
This is not a Bill, I understand it is a proposal for debate. We will consider it and perhaps the Deputy would ask his party Whip to raise the matter with the Whips in the normal way. I will certainly take an interest in what the Deputy has said. It is a valid point.
May we come to item No. 13?
Ba mhaith liom cúpla focal a rá anseo ar maidin faoin rí-rá agus an raic a bhí ar siúl anseo le seachtain anuas nó mar sin.
Sheol mé litir chugat ar an Luan ag rá go raibh brón orm má chreid daoine áirithe gur dhein mé iarracht dul amú a chur orthu. Ní raibh sé riamh ar intinn agam é sin a dhéanamh, agus ba mhaith liom a rá anseo ar maidin nach raibh sé sin ar intinn agam. Aon duine sa Teach seo a chreideann gur dhein mé iarracht é sin a dhéanamh tá brón orm faoi sin freisin.
Ba mhaith liom a rá freisin gur tharraing mé siar an litir a sheol mé chugat ar an Mháirt ag gearán faoin masla a thug an Teachta Joe Walsh dom nuair a thug se "bréagadóir" orm. Tuigim gur dhein sé é sin i lár díospóireachta teasaí agus dá bhrí sin tá mé ag tarraingt an ghearáin sin siar ó oifig an Cheann Comhairle.
Ba mhaith liom a rá freisin go maithim Michael McDowell ar na maslaí a thug seisean dom agus éinne eile a thug maslaí dom le seachtain nó dhó anuas. Déanfaidh mé gach dícheall a bheith níos umhalchroíoch as seo amach.
(Cur Isteach.)
B'fhéidir nach bhfuil duine ar bith eile sa Teach seo a bhfuil níos mó grá acu don teanga náisiúnta ach creidim go bhfuil mí-úsáid bainte ag an Aire Rialtais, Prionsias De Rossa as Gaeilge na tíre seo ar maidin mar go bhfuil fhios aige ina chroí nár thuig chuile dhuine an méid a bhí le rá aige i nGaeilge ar maidin chomh cruinn agus chomh beacht——
Surely Fianna Fáil understood.
——agus a lán acu ar do chlé agus ar do dheis, a Aire. Tá sé do-chreidte go dtabharfadh Aire Rialtais nó aon bhall den Teach seo eolas mí-chruinn don Teach nuair a thuigeann siad go bhfuil an t-eolas ceart á chur faoi cheilt acu agus go scríobhfaidís litir chugatsa ag rá má chreid duine éigin gur thug siad eolas mí-chruinn go bhfuil siad sásta leithscéal a ghabháil. Nuair a thug mise eolas mí-chruinn don Teach seo, nuair a thug an Teachta Brian Cowen eolas mí-chruinn don Teach agus nuair a thug a lán daoine eile eolas mí-chruinn don Teach bhí orainn, ar mholadh uaitse agus nuair a thuig muid é muid féin, teacht os comhair an Tí seo, an leithscéal a ghabháil as Gaeilge nó as Bearla, ach ar a laghad go mbeadh eolas roimhré ag teachtaí Dála an Tí faoi i dtreo is go mbeadh deis ag daoine teacht isteach agus éisteacht leis.
Creidim go bhfuil sé de dhualgas, ortsa, a Cheann Comhairle, a chinntiú go dtabharfadh an tAire Rialtais, Proinsias De Rossa, leithscéal tábhachtach sa Teach seo a mbeadh deis ag chuile dhuine roimhré teacht agus éisteacht leis agus freagra a thabhairt air.
Iarraim ort, a Cheann Comhairle, a chinntiú go dtabharfar eolas roimhré go bhfuil an leithscéal sin á thabhairt agus go mbeidh deis ag chuile dhuine sa Teach, go háirithe an Teachta Joe Walsh agus an Teachta McDowell a bheith anseo chun éisteacht leis.
(Cur Isteach.)
Níl sé in ord díospóireacht a bheith againn anois ar an ábhar sin.
Nílimse chomh líofa is atá an tAire as Gaeilge ach thuig mé an t-iomlán a bhí le rá aige. Ba mhaith liom a rá leis gur cúis náire dó mí-úsáid a bhaint as an teanga náisiúnta chun an fhírinne a cheilt don dara huair. Sin a bhí á dhéanamh aige agus cúis náire dó é sin.
Tá mé ag dul ar aghaidh. Níl sé in ord díospóireacht a bheith againn anois.
An important service has been done to democracy and to the integrity of this House this morning. There has been a time honoured tradition that if the House is misled, inadvertently or deliberately, Members avail of the opportunity to correct the record. I agree with that tradition and it is important that it has been honoured.
If I, or any Member on this side of the House, was disorderly or behaved in an unparliamentary fashion in anything said in the heat of the moment, I wish to withdraw it unreservedly.
Go raibh maith agat.
These matters are before the House by way of substantive motion and with the Committee on Procedure and Privileges. Let us await its deliberations.