It is proposed to take No. 17 — Financial Motions by the Minister for Finance [1997] (Resumed). It is also proposed, notwithstanding anything in Standing Orders, that Private Members' Business shall be No. 44 — motion No. 16 concerning hepatitis C (Resumed) and the proceedings thereon shall be brought to a conclusion at 8.30 p.m. tonight.
Order of Business.
There is but one matter to put before the House, that is in respect of Private Members' Business this evening, to conclude at 8.30 p.m. Is that agreed? Agreed.
The list of legislation to be published before Easter includes the bail Bill. May I ask the Taoiseach when exactly it will be published?
I cannot give the Deputy any more precise details than that. We intend to have it here before Easter.
The referendum was held in November. I presume it is not any great job to put the Bill together since it was more or less ready in the Department of Justice prior to that according to the Minister. Will we get it in February?
The legislation involves the consolidation of two items of legislation concerning bail in one Bill. That is now being done. I have already indicated to the Deputy that the legislation will be produced here before Easter. It is receiving priority drafting.
When will we see legislation to provide for the abolition of water charges?
The Local Government (Financial Provisions) Bill which covers this and a number of other matters, is receiving priority drafting and I expect to see it before Easter.
The Taoiseach mentioned Easter which reminds me of the National Parks and Areas Bill, a matter I continually inquire about in each session. Each time I raise this issue the Taoiseach kindly writes back to me, but it was promised before Easter 1995. I had a particular interest in it when I was in Government, concerning a few national institutions in the city. Will we see it before Easter 1997?
This legislation will not be produced until the second half of the year.
The Taoiseach promised the Bill would be available before Easter 1995. Why will it not be available until the second half of the year? What is wrong? The Taoiseach wrote to me last summer saying he hoped it would be ready for the autumn session. I appreciated the letter, but he might explain what has gone wrong.
Considerable drafting problems have been encountered in regard to this matter. Obviously, any legislation framed in this area has to be consistent with constitutional rights and other considerations of importance. When I wrote to the Deputy and made previous statements on this matter, I did not anticipate that those difficulties would be as intractable as they have proven to be. The situation now is that this legislation will not be produced in the first half of the year, but will be produced in the second half.
In fairness to Members of the House, can the Taoiseach issue a comprehensive statement on behalf of the Government on the upgrading of Cork regional technical college and the other regional technical colleges, as leaked this morning to the newspapers? We are owed a comprehensive statement detailing the terms of reference and the timetable.
I am sorry, Deputy Martin. This is not relevant to the Order of Business. It can be dealt with in so many other ways.
It is in the context of the Teastas legislation.
Indeed it is.
In the context of the Teastas legislation I would like to know when we can have a comprehensive statement because it was mentioned in the debate.
On promised legislation, I refer the Taoiseach to an interview given by the Minister for Social Welfare which was published in yesterday's newspapers. The Minister indicated he would have to stay in office until next Christmas because he has so much legislation to implement, including a referendum on Cabinet confidentiality. On the off-chance that he might know something about this, will the Taoiseach say if he has any slight notion or idea about what is happening in this regard? For example, when will legislation be brought before the House? If the Taoiseach does not know and understand, we all know who is in charge here.
The Deputy has many calls on his time. I understand he was not in the Dáil yesterday to hear me answer Questions on that precise matter. I invite the Deputy to improve his attendance rate in the Chamber and he might improve his information level.
The Deputy probably has more important things to do in Limerick.
The marching season begins next month and I understand the recommendations of the North Commission dealing with that issue are being brought through the House of Commons tomorrow by Sir Patrick Mayhew. Has the Taoiseach any knowledge of these recommendations and has the Northern Ireland Secretary been in touch with him regarding them? They are important regarding the coming marching season.
It is not strictly relevant now, but if the Taoiseach wishes to intervene that is his prerogative.
It is important that we learn the lessons of last year when the marches led to a great deepening of divisions in Northern Ireland. It is important there should be a mechanism for ensuring that the right to march is exercised in a fashion consistent with the right of people who may not agree with the objectives of those conducting a march to have their dignity respected. This is obviously not an easy task. The North Commission is about to report. The Government maintains a close interest in the subject, recognising the rights of all concerned in the matter. This is a case of balancing conflicting rights. It is not a question of one right having absolute precedence over another, but rather an issue of balancing rights in an appropriate and fair way that is seen to promote community relations rather than promoting division within the community, which unfortunately the events of last year did.
Is it the Government's intention to give absolute priority to the establishment of the Food Safety Board of Ireland and to publish that Bill at the earliest opportunity, particularly bearing in mind the death of a young child from an unusual strain of the E-Coli bacteria which seems to me a warning sign that this is a long overdue Bill?
The Government has already established the food safety body on a non-statutory basis. We are giving absolute priority to putting it on a statutory basis. The Government is conscious of concerns about food safety and the need to ensure that this country, which is a major producer of food, is also a major leader in promoting the highest possible standards of food safety.
On promised legislation, for some nine or ten months ten pieces of legislation have been promised by the Minister for Transport, Energy and Communications. Is there any indication that the new Minister might at some stage bring forward some of this legislation, in particular, the Utilities Regulatory Commission Bill, which is to give independent regulation to the energy, telecommunications and transport sectors? Specifically, is it still the Government's intention to go ahead with that Bill or are the deep ideological divisions I hear about stopping it?
Those divisions exist only in the Deputy's fevered mind.
There are deep divisions between the rottweilers and the poodles.
That legislation will be produced in the second half of the year.
The new Minister is two months in office now. What is he doing?
On the Freedom of Information Bill, the Taoiseach is reported as saying yesterday that the Government has no plans to change the Official Secrets Act. If the Government does not plan to change the Official Secrets Act, what is the point in going ahead with a freedom of information Bill since the Official Secrets Act makes everything a secret and prevents the disclosure of information unless it is authorised, and this covers a very wide range? The two are in conflict.
The Taoiseach cannot answer that. It is a secret.
Any legislation that is passed now supersedes and amends any legislation which affects the area covered by the legislation being introduced. Therefore, any changes that are necessary to facilitate the provisions of the Freedom of Information Bill are being made by it as it passes through the Oireachtas. Further, I did not say what I was quoted as saying about the Official Secrets Act "somewhere". I said it here in the Chamber yesterday, but the Deputy was not here to hear me.
At the time I was at the committee which decided to repeal the Official Secrets Act, and its report should be on the table of the House.
When will the Social Welfare Bill be published?
Quite soon.
Is it the intention of the Government to introduce legislation on the upgrading of Waterford regional technical college as a standalone measure or to await the report of the expert group that was announced yesterday setting out criteria on these matters?
The Deputy is seeking to circumvent the ruling of the Chair on this matter. It can be raised in other ways.
It is promised legislation.
The situation is in disarray.
Could the Taoiseach give a date for the publication of the Food Safety Board of Ireland Bill?
The second half of this year.
I am sure the Taoiseach will recall that he gave a personal commitment, as did the Tánaiste, that this Government would seek to improve the accountability of the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions to this House to some extent. As the compellability of witnesses Bill maintains the status quo in that regard, does the Taoiseach intend to introduce other legislation which would enhance the accountability of the DPP?
As I indicated when this matter was raised before, the accountability of the Director of Public Prosecutions is being enhanced by a requirement that he produce an annual report of his activities, something that was not done previously, and there will be provision for that to be discussed.