It is proposed to take No. 28, Health (Eastern Regional Health Authority) Bill, 1998, Order for Report and Report and Final Stages; No. 29, National Disability Authority Bill, 1998, Order for Report and Report and Final Stages; No. 30, Solicitors (Amendment) Bill, 1998, Second Stage (resumed); No. 1, Qualifications (Education and Training) Bill, 1999, Second Stage (resumed); and No. 31, statements on Industrial Schools (resumed), to be taken not later than 8.30 p.m. and the order shall not resume thereafter. It is also proposed, notwithstanding anything in Standing Orders, that the Dáil shall sit later than 8.30 p.m. tonight and business shall be interrupted not later than 10.30 p.m. tonight. Private Members' Business shall be No. 70, motion re proposal to dispose of Great Southern Hotel Group (resumed), to conclude at 8.30 p.m.
Order of Business.
There is one proposal to put to the House. Is the proposal for the late sitting agreed? Agreed.
Will time be provided to debate the future of post offices? The Government appears to be divided and in difficulty on the interpretation of EU law as it applies to the social welfare contract administered through rural post offices
It is a social service. The Government will not be happy until they are closed.
Does Fine Gael remember its decision?
Fine Gael closed ESB offices.
That matter is under consideration. Deputy Bruton will remember what his Government did on this issue.
We kept the post offices open.
Wait until the Deputy reads what he decided.
The directive in question was agreed to by a Fianna Fáil-led Government and the current issue is being considered by a Fianna Fáil-led Government. Will time be provided to debate the future of rural post offices, in view of the need to provide services to people who do not have private cars to take them to other sources of cash dispensing?
Absolutely.
Anytime the Deputy wants.
The Government is running away from a debate.
As Taoiseach in a Government consisting of two parties totally committed to rural Ireland—
Another soundbite.
—I have fought to hold Objective One status, regionalise it and protect it, and I will continue to do so.
There are ways of raising this matter, we cannot discuss it further.
Will there be a debate?
I will put my question a third time and perhaps this time I will get an answer. Will the House have an opportunity to debate this matter? The Minister for Public Enterprise has indicated she wants a debate.
The Government is always anxious to debate anything connected to the protection and livelihood of rural Ireland.
It will not matter after 11 June.
If, as reports indicate, the Government has referred this matter to the Attorney General for a legal interpretation, and assuming he is not driven by some form of market madness which suggests that a rural post office is a financial and not a social service, will legislation be necessary to put such a contract out for public tender?
I do not believe legislation is required. The Attorney General is examining the EU Directive relating to this matter. We must examine what happened and the legal advice obtained on this matter at that time.
Do I take it the future of the rural post office system will depend on a legal interpretation of whether it is a financial or a social service, and the rest of us are powerless?
There is no other network like it.
Previously the issue was kicked to touch in a clumsy way. The Deputy can take it that it will be properly dealt with this time.
The Taoiseach will not be happy until they are closed; he wants to save money.
The Taoiseach should answer the question.
Does the Taoiseach agree it is a poor sign of a Government if it has to hide behind its Attorney General?
On a separate matter, which the Taoiseach will not want to kick to touch, this House will have to enact legislation before 3 June to extend the terms of the Good Friday Agreement. To avoid a last minute debate such as we had on the constitutional amendment Bill to recognise the role of local government, will the Taoiseach indicate when the legislation will be published? Will the normal convention of two weeks be observed to give Opposition parties time to study the Bill? Will the legislation contain a specific date?
A fortnight ago I undertook that my office would brief the party leaders on this matter and I understand that has happened. The legislation is to be published shortly. I understood it was scheduled for next week. It will contain a date.
How long will the extension be for?
Twelve months.
For the fifteenth time of asking, when is the broadcasting Bill likely to be published? I am aware the Taoiseach is an enthusiastic GAA supporter but is he likely to attend the match in which Deputy Rabbitte will feature for Mayo at the weekend?
The first question is relevant; the second is not.
The proof reading of the broadcasting Bill is under way at present. I hope it will be published next week.
Will the emergency services be on standby at the weekend?
That is unkind.
Three months ago, haemophiliacs who contracted HIV from blood products were promised a tribunal of inquiry. So far there has been no sign of a motion being introduced to establish such a tribunal even though it was indicated that the tribunal would be up and running by early summer. Given the grave concern expressed by the representatives of haemo philiacs and their families, what is the situation regarding the tribunal? When will the motion be introduced so Members will have an opportunity to support a worthy venture and ensure the tribunal is up and running when it should be?
There is no legislation promised in that regard.
I seek the Chair's indulgence on this important issue. It is heartbreaking for those concerned that they are now in limbo because promises have not been fulfilled.
There are other ways of raising the matter.
Can I ask the Taoiseach—
When there is no legislation involved it is not appropriate to the Order of Business.
I ask the Taoiseach to give the House a reply.
On a point of order, is it not the case that the issue raised by Deputy McManus would require a motion to be brought before the House? It is appropriate to inquire about the timing of such a motion so Deputy McManus' question is in order.
The organisation is very upset about this matter.
The Minister for Health and Children is dealing with this issue. I will ask him to contact the Deputy about it.
Given the worrying light in which the appointment and promotion of judges have been cast by recent events, is the Government considering legislation to change the methods of appointing and promoting judges?
Not at present.
When will the Irish energy centre Bill be published? A recent OECD report severely criticised the Government for not putting a brake on the runaway consumption of energy here. If the date for the introduction of that Bill were brought forward, we could start dealing with the issue.
The heads of the Bill are being prepared in the Department with a view to making a submission to Government in July for drafting authority.
When will the Ombudsman (Amendment) Bill and the greyhound industry Bill be introduced?
Later this year. The heads of the Ombudsman Bill were approved by the Government last January so it should be introduced in the autumn.
What about the greyhound industry Bill?
It is still running.
When will the Government introduce legislation to give the Irish Naval Service powers of intervention which would enable them to investigate serious incidents, such as the sinking of the Oiléann Cléire fishing trawler 70 miles off Loop Head by the French trawler Rohellan last Saturday evening? Can the Taoiseach also explain why the Government did not ratify the 1982 law of the sea convention which would enable the Irish authorities—
The Deputy was permitted to raise this matter on the Adjournment—
He got no answers.
The Deputy should not raise it now. I ask the Taoiseach to reply to the question concerning promised legislation.
I want an answer.
This is not a laughing matter.
Deputy Sheehan should resume his seat. He was given the opportunity to discuss the incident last night.
It was very well handled. The Frenchmen saved the Irish in the first place.
Will the Taoiseach say when legislation will be introduced to rectify this serious situation?
The matter was dealt with by the Minister last night and what he said then applies. The convention was ratified. There is no legislation pending but the Minister is examining the matter to see if there is any way around some of the issues involved. These are international waters.
I call Deputy Joe Higgins.
When will the Government ratify the law of the sea convention? The Taoiseach is like Nero fiddling while Rome burns.
The convention has been ratified.
The Deputy must resume his seat. I call Deputy Higgins.
(Dublin West): The Bill dealing with disabilities has been described as legislation to set out the rights of persons with a disability together with means of redress for those whose rights are denied. Is this Bill being prioritised? The disabled had to take to the streets of Dublin yesterday to highlight the fact that only nine buses can be accessed by them without crawling on their hands and knees—
The Deputy can pursue the matter in the context of item No. 29 on today's Order Paper.
(Dublin West): The Taoiseach should make a comment since hundreds of people with disabilities turned out yesterday to protest.
Item No. 29, the National Disability Authority Bill, is before the House today. Work on the other Bill will proceed as soon as the National Disability Authority Bill is dealt with.
(Mayo): In the past year the Opposition introduced three Private Members' Bills to deal with the enforcement of court orders, the liquor licensing laws and the need to regulate and legislate for the private security industry. The Government rejected the three Bills on the basis that it was preparing its own legislation. However, the attachment of earnings Bill, the intoxicating liquor Bill and the private security Bill are not on the priority list. To use the Taoiseach's term, what is the story?
These matters are being dealt with and are listed. Only a certain number can be brought forward. Work on the attachment of earnings Bill is at a preliminary stage of examination in the Department. There is ongoing consultation with the new Courts Service relating to it in the context of the technology programme that is under way. I do not have a date for the Bill being ready. The intoxicating liquor proposals are before Government.
(Mayo): What about the private security industry Bill?
Work is proceeding on it although I do not have a date for it. The legislative recommendations of the consultative group on the private security industry are being addressed within the Department.
In view of the revelations that many of the unfortunate young people who went through our industrial schools are now likely to be in prison or are frequent visitors to prisons—
There is a continuing debate in the House on this issue.
I am aware of that, but there is also promised legislation, the Prison Services Bill. Is there a sense of urgency about bringing forward this legislation?
Work is proceeding and I am told the Bill will be ready in the autumn.
Does the Taoiseach remember and can he give the House an update on the promise he made two years ago that he would reopen the live cattle trade to Libya and the beef trade to Iran?
That is more appropriate for a parliamentary question. It is not appropriate to the Order of Business.
It is very appropriate to the farmers of this country.
What is the current position of the Vocational Education (Amendment) Bill? Caidé fosta faoi Bhille na Gaeilge? Gheall an Aire Stáit an Bille seo bliain ó shin ag cruinniú den choiste. Tá an chosúlacht ar an scéal nach bhfuil sé i gcló fiú agus nach mbeidh sé againn an bhliain seo. An féidir leis an Taoiseach a rá linn cathain a mbeidh an Vocational Education Bill réidh?
A number of Bills that have been promised will affect the Gaeltacht, the Irish language community Bill, Bille na Gaelige and the unusual housing Gaeltacht (amendment) Bill, which was promised nearly a year ago.
The heads of the vocational education Bill are being prepared in the Department and I expect it to be circulated this month, but it will be some time before it will be ready. Bille na Gaelige will not be circulated until early next year and the housing Gaeltacht (amendment) Bill will be ready later this year.
For many months and again this morning the Taoiseach has cited the National Disability Authority Bill as the reason a disability Bill has not yet been published. As Report and Final Stages of the National Disability Authority Bill will be before the House today, can he indicate a timeframe for when a disability Bill will be published?
The Deputy is correct. That is what I stated. The same people will work on the two Bills. As soon as the National Disability Authority Bill is completed they will move as quickly as possible to work on a disability Bill.
I raised earlier the question of the appointment and promotion of judges. The Taoiseach said there is no plan to reform the law in this area. The courts Bill is no. 36 on Government's agenda. Does the Taoiseach agree what has been revealed about lobbying for the promotion and appointment of judges constitutes an incursion into the independence of the Judiciary and it is time the law in this area was changed? If a courts Bill will deal with this issue, will he ensure it contains a provision to ensure that either known or unknown lobbying will not be possible on behalf of potential appointees?
The courts Bill is being prepared. A working group on the qualification and appointment of judges is considering those matters. The system introduced under the previous Administration by the then Minister, Deputy Owen, brought forward proposals, which are only three years old. Those proposals that being operated for judicial appointments.
I wish to ask a supplementary question.
We cannot debate this matter now. That concludes the Order of Business.