I am glad you have decided to make this decision. Unfortunately, I cannot take the motion earlier as I have a civic reception in Wexford but I will come back to take it. It is important for me to say I have no power over immunities for people at the tribunal. A request was not made to me to give anyone immunity. I have no knowledge of a request for immunity. Nobody raised anything about immunities for the former Deputy, Ray Burke. The accusation that I had anything to do with an immunity relating to Ray Burke—
Order of Business.
That allegation has not been made.
It has been made outside the House.
Not here.
Can I also say briefly—
We are on the Order of Business.
I follow the order being taken.
We should not anticipate the debate at 3.30 p.m.
This is not in order.
This matter is an even bigger ball of smoke than the other ones I have had to deal with in recent days.
We are on the Order of Business.
Repeated representations were made about this case but they did not come from anyone on this side.
The House should not anticipate the debate on this evening's motion.
This carry on is not in order.
It is proposed to take No. 5, Postal and Telecommunications Services (Amendment) Bill, 1998, Order for Second Stage and Second Stage, to adjourn at 1.30 p.m. if not previously concluded and No. 24, Statements on Agenda 2000 (resumed) shall be taken upon the conclusion of No. 5 as appropriate, and the order shall not resume thereafter.
There are no proposals to put to the House.
Will the Taoiseach indicate if there has been progress in advancing the national claims agency legislation?
It will be the middle of this year before the legislation is ready.
Since you have agreed to the proposal to suspend the orders of the House from 3.30 p.m., is the matter of the actual arrangements for the debate one for the Whips?
The arrangements are set out in Standing Order 31.
Thank you.
I thank the Government Whip for making time available for a debate on genetically modified foods. Will the Taoiseach ensure this debate takes place as soon as possible in this session?
I understand it will be on the first available Thursday afternoon. I am not sure when that is.
Yesterday I raised with the Taoiseach the issue of whole new sections of the Finance Bill being introduced on Committee Stage. The Taoiseach said he would take it up with the Minister for Finance. Last night the Minister for Finance was not available to reply to the Second Stage debate as he was in Florida. How do the amendments stand now?
I have raised that matter with the Department of Finance. The Minister for Finance is at the IMF meeting. However, I have made his officials aware of the Deputy's request.
What was the result?
I hope they will be able to get those sections to the Deputy as early as possible.
Section 2 of the Immigration Bill currently before the House retrospectively validates orders made under the 1935 Aliens Act. Two orders under that Act have been laid before the House this week. Have they been approved by Government, because they seem to run coun ter to the High Court judgment in the Laurentiu case?
That is a detailed question for the Minister.
The question is whether they have been approved by the Government. In essence, they further restrict the criteria for entry of certain designated non-nationals into the State who require transit visas to avoid being automatically refused admission at the ports. Has this been approved by the Government?
The legislation has already been published. It is being debated.
My problem is that, while the legislation has not been passed by the Oireachtas, it purports to validate orders that are now being made. It strikes me that the correct course of action would be to wait until the opinion of the Oireachtas on the legislation is determined before secondary legislation is introduced under the Act.
The Deputy has made his point. If that is the case, he could table a suitable amendment.
We are still on Second Stage.
Later this morning I intend to ask your permission, a Cheann Comhairle, to move the First Stage of a Bill to deal with the defect identified by the Tánaiste, concerning her inability to pass on reports to the Moriarty tribunal. Will the Taoiseach, having regard to the importance of this matter, allow Government time next week to take this Bill?
Is the Deputy seeking leave to introduce his Bill?