It is proposed to take No. 44, Planning and Development Bill, 1999 [Seanad] – Second Stage (resumed). It is proposed, notwithstanding anything in Standing Orders, that any division demanded today on the Second Stage of No. 44 shall be postponed until immediately before the Order of Business on Tuesday, 15 February 2000.
Order of Business.
There is one proposal to be put to the House. Is the proposal for dealing with No. 44 agreed? Agreed.
Given that the Dáil will recess today until Tuesday next, does the Taoiseach wish to report to the House on the Northern Ireland situation? Has he had an opportunity to confirm the information he gave yesterday to Deputy John Bruton regarding the need for legislation if, God forbid, the institutions are suspended? As we will not sit again until next Tuesday it is important that we be brought up to date on the Taoiseach's views on the suspension of institutions or otherwise.
Some comment from the Taoiseach would be helpful at this stage. I am also conscious that the talks are at a very difficult stage. Does the Taoiseach wish to indicate to the House the aspirations of the Government? I know he will meet the First Minister, Mr. Trimble, later this morning but this is a matter which concerns not only this House but all the people on this island.
Will the Taoiseach clarify the concerns expressed in a number of quarters about the legality of suspending the Northern Ireland Assembly? Does what is being done have the full support of the Good Friday Agreement or are there questions which need to be answered in relation to those concerns?
Yesterday evening the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Deputy Cowen, and the Sec retary of State, Mr. Mandelson, met in London. They agreed that we should continue the efforts at official level to come to some conclusion and understanding between the two Governments over the next day or so which we could put to the parties. That work continues. I will meet the First Minister, David Trimble, at 11.30 this morning and my officials in Belfast will meet representatives of some of the parties there at 12 o'clock and later. If those meetings are successful officials will return to London to meet officials there this afternoon. These efforts can only succeed if everybody works together. So far, I believe people genuinely wish to find a resolution to the problem. This will not be easy because people have stated positions and must answer to their parties. We must see what progress we can make to try to square the circle with regard to these issues. We will continue to try to avoid suspension while dealing with the remaining aspects of the implementation of the Good Friday Agreement with absolute clarity.
I have had discussions with the Attorney General on the issue of suspension and it is still our intention to wait and see. There is no need for us to do anything at this stage although we have concerns about suspension. Unilateral suspension would not be in line with the terms of the Good Friday Agreement at this stage. Deputy Bruton referred to this matter yesterday. If it all went wrong, this matter would have to be addressed but if the suspension were temporary that would not be necessary, in our view. Legislation to change something which we signed only a few months ago is not something we should contemplate yet, but I will keep the matter under review.
I thank the Taoiseach and I have no doubt he will keep the party leaders informed as matters progress. I hope they will progress satisfactorily.
Does the Taoiseach share my concern at the ease with which hackers were able to break into the largest websites in the US and is he aware that recently Eircom, the CSO, RTE and other websites were hacked into also? Is he satisfied that we have legislation in place—
That matter would more appropriately be dealt with in a parliamentary question.
—to police the Internet system? Legislation is promised in this area and it is important that the Taoiseach recognise how damaging this could be to the economy. There are reports—
We cannot have a discussion on this issue now.
—of people using websites such as that of Enterprise Ireland and causing difficulty in America.
There is co-operation between the security forces on this issue. A Bill will be published shortly to deal with encryption legislation. We will have an opportunity to examine this matter when it is introduced.
Will it prevent Deputy Healy-Rea hacking into the Government website?
He is safely in his crèche.
In view of the ongoing difficulties in the Office of the Chief State Solicitor and the cost to the taxpayer of very expensive, legally disputed claims for various forms of compensation when will we see the promised National Treasury Management Agency Bill which is designed to deal with this issue?
While the text is expected this month, the Bill will not be completed until the middle of the year.
I welcome the inquiry announced last night by the Minister for Health and Children who I understand is to make a statement to the House detailing the nature of the inquiry and making available some further information relating to practices in the National Children's Hospital, Crumlin. When will this occur?
Strictly that matter is not in order but if the Taoiseach wishes to comment he may.
I understand parliamentary questions have been tabled to the Minister on this issue but I am not sure when they will be taken.
Private Notice Questions for answer today have been tabled on the issue. It is desirable that the nature of the inquiry is outlined today.
Will the Taoiseach make time available, today if possible, to allow the Minister for Public Enterprise make a statement on the threatened bus strike in Dublin? Will she instruct CIE management to enter into negotiations immediately rather than wait until next week when the strike is due to commence?
That is a matter for the Whips.
Will the Taoiseach reassure the House that the postponement of a discussion on the White Paper on Defence at next week's Cabinet meeting means that an attempt is being made—
That matter has been raised on the Order of Business every day this week.
—to salvage the breakdown in the relationship between the Minister for Defence and senior members of the Defence Forces? I hope that is what it means.
It has had a very soothing effect on them.
Rambo Smith.
Will the Taoiseach bring to an end the farcical situation in the board of Údarás na Gaeltachta where two members are still to be appointed? Can he give me a date on which these appointments will be made?
That matter should be raised by way of parliamentary question.
The Minister of State, Deputy Molloy, has made the case for his man and there is a row taking place with the Aire Stáit who promised this job to five people. The Taoiseach will have to sort it out. It is an insult to the people of the Gaeltacht.
What is the position on the Vocational Education (Amendment) Bill which will allow, among other things, parents to be represented on vocational education committees and is listed as being due for publication in mid-2000? When can parents expect to be represented on vocational education committees? When will the text of the legislation be before the House?
Although the Government authorised the drafting of the Bill last summer, because of other priorities it is not due to be published until the middle of the year.
Far be it from me to get on the wrong side of the Chair but I wish to raise a question concerning information given to the House yesterday. The Taoiseach made a statement last night in Private Members' time in which he indicated—
We cannot revisit that subject on the Order of Business.
This is a very important matter.
That may be so but the Deputy cannot raise it on the Order of Business.
I seek a personal statement.
The Deputy is out of order.
Yesterday the Minister of State, Deputy Treacy, gave us different information. Perhaps he did not know the truth.
It is not in order to raise the matter on the Order of Business. The Deputy will have to find another way of pursuing it. I call Deputy Joe Higgins.
On a point of order—
As the Deputy is being disorderly—
I am not.
—she is not entitled to raise a point of order.
I do not know what it is about me that upsets you.
The Deputy is out of order. We are not revisiting that subject.
On a point of order—
The Deputy cannot raise a point of order because she is out of order.
—wrong information was given. Deputy Rabbitte will sustain this.
Will the Deputy please resume her seat?
I wish to raise a point of order.
The Deputy cannot do so as she is out of order.
I am raising a point of order. Wrong information was given.
The Chair has ruled that the Deputy is out of order. She should please allow the Order of Business to continue in an orderly fashion. I wish to give an opportunity—
Will you tell me the reason every time I get on my feet you shout me down?
The Deputy has been on her feet more often than any other Deputy on the Order of Business.
I was raising other issues.
Will the Deputy please resume her seat?
Wrong information was given in the House yesterday.
That is not a matter for the Order of Business. If the Deputy does not resume her seat I will have no option but to suspend the sitting.
There is something about me that every time I try to raise—
The Deputy is being grossly disorderly in accusing the Chair of not being impartial.
It is a try on.
It is not. The Minister of State told an untruth in the House yesterday.
Can we have some order, please? The Deputy must realise that there are other Deputies who wish to ask questions in an orderly fashion and she should not prevent them from doing so.
The Minister of State may not have known the truth but he told an untruth yesterday.
The Deputy should read the record.
I did.
(Dublin West): The solution is that Deputy Bruton will have to be forbidden from leaving the shop on Thursday mornings when things get out of hand. It is indicated in The Irish Times this morning that in recent months new house prices in Dublin have increased by 20%. A house that cost £65,000 in Lucan in 1995 is now selling for £160,000. Does the Taoiseach have proposals to end the ongoing scandal of profiteering by developers in the housing market?
The Deputy should not make a statement.
(Dublin West): What proposals does he have to save young people from the grip of these people?
We will discuss the Government's proposals in the Planning and Development Bill as soon as the Order of Business concludes.
(Dublin West): There are no proposals to stop profiteering.
Given that yet another chief executive of Aer Lingus has resigned, the third top executive to resign during the Minister's tenure—
Wrong.
I do not know whether they were pushed or went of their own accord—
The Deputy should read Business and Finance today.
Is the IPO legislation required for Aer Lingus also stalled? Does the Government intend to proceed with it and, if so, when?
The legislation will be before the House in the autumn.
The Deputy never knows the true picture, he is always ten paces behind.
How does she get away with it?
(Mayo): Yesterday the provisional Garda crime figures for 1999 were published or leaked, depending on which way one looks at it. They show a huge upsurge in armed crime, an increase of 118%. It is obvious that there are people roaming the streets with guns who should be in jail—
A question, please.
(Mayo):—and people in jail for trivial and minor offences who are taking up prison spaces. What is the story in relation to the Prison Service Bill which will provide for a coherent overview of management of the Prisons Service?
The Deputy will note that there has been an enormous decrease in a number of areas.
(Mayo): Minor crime.
The Prison Service Bill will be published later this year.
Why have the Taoiseach's people been out spinning to the effect that for constitutional reasons the bank levy recommended in the DIRT report may not be included in the Finance Bill? We have had bank levies in the past on a number of occasions—
It is not in order to refer to the content or nature of legislation on the Order of Business.
Would it not be more honest to admit that it is a failure of political will rather than any constitutional infirmity that is preventing the recommendation being included in the Finance Bill?
It is not in order to comment on legislation on the Order of Business. It is only in order to ask when the Bill will be available.
At what time will the Bill be available?
I think 4 p.m.
Today?
The House will be aware that I have raised in the past the banning of the advertising of the Irish Catholic on radio in the Republic. This has been allowed in Northern Ireland. Will the Taoiseach accept the Private Members' Bill in my name and that of Deputy Kenny to rectify this injustice? If he is not in a position to respond now perhaps he will be good enough to consider the matter and communicate with Deputy Kenny and me. This is a matter of the proper liberal interpretation of the law. These people are being treated very badly.
I note the Deputy's request and I will ask the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands to consult him.
Last year we passed parental leave legislation which was subsequently found to be in breach of EU law. Is it intended to introduce new parental leave legislation this term or how will the problem where many parents have been illegally excluded from the terms of the legislation be redressed?
The Bill has been published and if the Deputy tables a question to the Minister, the matter can be dealt with that way. It is not clear that the Bill is out of order.
It is 20 years since the publication of the Costello report on fundraising. When will a Bill be introduced in regard to fundraising for charitable and other purposes? Will it be published this year?
It is expected that the heads of a Bill will be published by the middle of this year and, on that basis, we will be lucky to see the Bill this year.
What is another year?
I want to return to the vocational education Bill. The Taoiseach stated that the Bill was scheduled for publication in the middle of this year but that due to other priorities it might not be published. The former Minister for Education and Science gave an undertaking that parents would be represented on vocational education committees. Since then we had the local elections as a result of which VEC places have been filled. Will the legislation be published this year and is it the Government's intention to provide representation for parents on vocational education committees? If so, will the people who have been planted in the vocational education committees be removed to make room for the parents?
Questions should relate to the content of legislation.
A request was made to draft the Bill last July but because of other priorities, it has not progressed as quickly as possible. The Bill, which is not a very long one, is due to be published in June of this year.
How was the Taoiseach in a position last night to inform us that the Tánaiste informed him about Deputy Foley? How did the Tánaiste know—
We are moving on to No. 44.
The Minister of State at the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Deputy Treacy, told us the exact opposite.