It is proposed to take No. 3, Civil Liability (Assessment of Hearing Injury) Bill, 1998 — Committee and Remaining Stages; and No. 4, Local Government Bill, 1998 — Order for Second Stage and Second Stage. It is also proposed, notwithstanding anything in Standing Orders, that the proceedings on Committee and Remaining Stages of No. 3, if not previously concluded, shall be brought to a conclusion at 4.30 p.m. by one question which will be put by the Chair and which shall in relation to amendments include only those set down or accepted by the Minister for Defence. Private Members' Business shall be No. 36, Sexual Offenders Registration Bill, 1998 — Second Stage (Resumed). It shall be taken directly after the Order of Business. The proceedings on Second Stage thereof, if not previously concluded, shall be brought to a conclusion after 90 minutes.
Order of Business.
There are two proposals to be put to the House. Is the proposal for dealing with No. 3 agreed? Agreed. Is the proposal for dealing with No. 36 agreed? Agreed.
I am sure the Taoiseach would want to join me and all Members of this House in wishing Mr. Brian Kerr and the under 16 soccer team good luck in their match tomorrow night against Italy. It is the first time an Irish team has reached the final of a European championship. I hope they do well. It is particularly pleasant to see that it is our under 16 team.
What proposals and contingency plans has the Government to deal with the threatened strike of the craftworkers due to commence next Monday in all the hospitals, health boards and county councils throughout the country which is before the Dáil resumes on Tuesday?
That is not a matter for the Order of Business.
We would need to know that people in hospitals will get the treatment they need vis-à-vis food and cleaning.
It is more appropriate to a parliamentary question.
I will not have a chance to put one.
There are other opportunities in the House to raise it. It is not appropriate to the Order of Business.
The Government already oversaw the "blue flu" last Friday. On Monday we will see hospitals denied food, cleaning, etc. What will the Government do about the matter?
Deputy Owen, please resume your seat.
Perhaps the Taoiseach would like to answer.
Deputy Owen, you know that you are out of order.
On Government policy, is the policy announced by the Minister for Finance to ECOFIN earlier this year, that any unforeseen incomes into the State would be used to retire debts, still Government policy?
That is not a matter for the Order of Business.
In terms of important Government policy——
Deputy Howlin, this is not the time to discuss important Government policy other than what is appropriate to the Order of Business. This is not appropriate to the Order of Business. I would ask the Deputies to try to obey the Standing Orders of the House.
They will not say anything.
I always dread when An Ceann Comhairle is not here.
Is the Deputy saying he is partisan?
Thank you, Deputy Howlin. I would not want you to dread the Ceann Comhairle not being here, but I would ask you to obey the Standing Orders.
There is a certain latitude sometimes afforded important subjects here which are not——
It is not an opportunity to discuss Government policy other than what is appropriate to the Order of Business. The Order of Business is very specific. A Deputy may ask about what is on the Order Paper for today, promised legislation and secondary legislation but may not ask every question which a Deputy wants to ask. There are opportunities for that at Question Time. Deputy Howlin, unless you want to ask something which is appropriate to the Order of Business, I would ask you to resume your seat.
On the published Estimates, is it still the intention of the Government that if income comes into the State, for instance, from the sale of Telecom Éireann shares, it will be used to retire debt?
That is not appropriate to the Order of Business.
I am afraid you are going to have continuing problems here this morning, a Leas-Cheann Comhairle.
Deputy De Rossa, I am sure you will ask something appropriate to the Order of Business.
There is a major strike threatened to start next Monday involving 34,000 local authority and health board workers.
Deputy De Rossa, I have already ruled that out of order so I would ask you to resume your seat.
I do not want to be annoyed with you, a Leas-Cheann Comhairle.
When the Chair is on its feet, I would ask you to resume your seat.
I do not want to——
Deputy De Rossa, I am giving you one last chance while the Chair is on his feet.
With regard to the Luas legislation——
Deputy Yates, this is not relevant to the Order of Business.
This is in order. I would ask you to bear with me, a Leas-Cheann Comhairle. I have received strong legal advice——
Deputy Yates, ask a question on legislation.
——that the inquiry on which Judge O'Leary was operating was set up under specialist——
Not a statement, a question on the legislation.
——legislation after which his report would be submitted to the Minister, who had a quasi-judicial role. The Minister——
Deputy Yates, I would ask you to resume your seat while the Chair is on his feet. The Deputy can ask his question on legislation but he cannot make a statement.
If I could ask the question, it would be clear.
We debated this yesterday on the Order of Business and during Question Time. The Deputy can ask his question on legislation but he cannot make a statement.
Has the Government obtained advice as to whether emergency legislation is necessary to terminate the existing inquiry?
That does not arise on the Order of Business.
There is strong legal advice that legislation is necessary to terminate one inquiry and establish a new one. Did the Government receive advice from the Attorney General and does it propose to introduce such legislation?
The Deputy should submit a question on that matter.
The Dublin Light Rail Act is in place and it will not be necessary to make amendments to it.
The terms are being changed.
Will the Taoiseach or the Minister for Agriculture and Food say whether there is a Libyan delegation in Ireland buying live cattle?
Some Ministers say, out of the side of their mouths, that they are here. There are 150,000 hard-pressed farmers who want to know the answer to that question.
The Deputy is aware that is out of order on the Order of Business.
Is there a delegation here? The Taoiseach promised a few weeks ago——
The Deputy should resume his seat while the Chair is on his feet.
This is the lowest profile delegation I have ever seen.
There is no answer.
The promise made before the last election was not fulfilled.
The position is similar with the Garda. Promises were made to them but now that the Government is in power those promises have not been delivered.
Like myself, the Taoiseach probably travels to Leinster House by Lombard Street and he may have noticed in the past four or five months the disgracefully long queues of people——
The Deputy is out of order.
I want to ask about proposed legislation. When will legislation be introduced to provide funding to decentralise the office dealing with births and marriage records? Will the Taoiseach speak to his officials with a view to ending the present position?
That is not appropriate to the Order of Business.
It is.
It is appropriate for the unfortunate people who have to stand in a queue for four or five hours.
Will the Taoiseach say when it is proposed to introduce the Local Government (Planning and Development) (No. 2) Bill and the Mental Health Bill?
The Local Government (Planning and Development) (No. 2) Bill will be introduced at the end of this year or early next year. The Mental Health Bill will be introduced in the autumn.
Has the Minister for Public Enterprise gone underground?