It is proposed to take No. 23, motion re Ministerial rota for parliamentary questions; No. 48, Health (Miscellaneous Provisions) (No. 2) Bill, 2000 [Seanad] – Order for Report Stage and Report and Final Stages; No. 49, Sex Offenders Bill, 2000 – Report Stage (resumed); No. 6, Adventure Activities Standards Authority Bill, 2000 – Order for Second Stage and Second Stage. It is 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 p.m.; Report and Final Stages of No. 48 shall be taken today and the proceedings thereon shall, if not previously concluded, be brought to a conclusion at 1.30 p.m. by one question which shall be put from the Chair and which shall, in relation to amendments, include only those set down or accepted by the Minister for Health and Children; the proceedings on the resumed Report and Final Stages of No. 49, shall, if not previously concluded, be brought to a conclusion at 7 p.m. by one question which shall be put from the Chair and which shall, in relation to amendments, include only those set down or accepted by the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform. Private Members' Business shall be No. 112, motion re industrial relations (resumed) to conclude at 8.30 p.m. tonight.
Order of Business.
There are three proposals to be put to the House. Is the proposal relating to the late sitting agreed?
I wish to take the opportunity this morning to congratulate the Taoiseach as Leader of Fianna Fáil on the 75th anniversary of the founding of the party. We decommissioned four years earlier—
Not completely. There are a few left hanging around.
—so in that sense, we are the senior party. We wish him well in the future because from our perspective, politics would not be half as entertaining if anything were to happen to the Fianna Fáil Party.
I do not wish to break up this Civil War love-in, although we would like to see its finality, if that is a possibility. On a more serious note, exactly 12 months ago to this day the House commenced the debate on the Labour Party's private Bill to ban corporate donations.
The proposal before the House is the question of the late sitting.
We are opposed to that, Sir, on the grounds that the Labour Party's Bill has not been taken. It has been blocked by the Minister for the Environment and Local Government and the Taoiseach has consistently failed to bring forward measures designed to deal with the ongoing outrage of the funding of political parties by corporate donations, as is evidenced daily in Dublin Castle. We are opposed to this Order of Business on the basis that, notwithstanding that the House has passed Second Stage of this legislation unopposed, it is being blocked by the Government. One can only conclude that the Government has no intention of making changes in the conditions for fighting elections until the general election is upon us.
On the opposition to the late sitting, I call Deputy Sargent.
The late sitting affords more time to deal with issues but it seems there is foot-dragging on the part of the Government in relation to the Waste Management (Amendment) Bill, which I expected to see this week – the month of June was mentioned yesterday. We are fitting in issues ahead of priority issues such as the Waste Management (Amendment) Bill. We should deal with it before we decide on this matter.
That is a question for the Order of Business.
Legislation is the proper method to deal with those questions. I remind Deputy Quinn that this House has passed the Electoral (Amendment) Act, 1997, and the Local Elections (Disclosure of Donations and Expenditure) Act, the Prevention of Corruption Bill, 2000, is awaiting Committee Stage, the Standards in Public Office Bill is before the House, the Electoral (Amendment) Bill is awaiting Committee Stage in the Seanad, the audit for allowances of parliamentary party leaders Bill will be initiated in the Seanad, the Local Government Bill, 2000, is resuming on Second Stage. We hope to see progress on the Lobbying Bill in this session. We are taking the Labour Party Bill on whistleblowers. The Ethics in Public Office Act is working. We have made enormous progress.
There has been no progress.
More progress has been made in the ethics programme in this Parliament than in any other Parliament in the world, and I know that Members are pleased with that progress.
I thank Deputy Noonan both for his words of congratulation on the 75th anniversary of the founding of Fianna Fáil and for the spirit in which they were spoken. Our two parties have managed to keep political life going in this country over that period. I thank him for his acknowledgement of our 75th anniversary.
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Ahern, Bertie.Ahern, Dermot.Ahern, Michael.Andrews, David.Aylward, Liam.Blaney, Harry.Brady, Johnny.Brady, Martin.Brennan, Matt.Brennan, Séamus.Browne, John (Wexford).Byrne, Hugh.Callely, Ivor.Carey, Pat.Collins, Michael.Cooper-Flynn, Beverley.Coughlan, Mary.Cowen, Brian.Cullen, Martin.Daly, Brendan.Davern, Noel.de Valera, Síle.Dennehy, John.Doherty, Seán.Ellis, John.Fahey, Frank.Fleming, Seán.Flood, Chris.Foley, Denis.Fox, Mildred.Gildea, Thomas.Hanafin, Mary.Harney, Mary.Haughey, Seán.Healy-Rae, Jackie.Keaveney, Cecilia.Kelleher, Billy. |
Kenneally, Brendan.Killeen, Tony.Kirk, Séamus.Kitt, Michael P.Lenihan, Brian.Lenihan, Conor.McCreevy, Charlie.McDaid, James.McGuinness, John J.Martin, Micheál.Moffatt, Thomas.Molloy, Robert.Moloney, John.Moynihan, Donal.Moynihan, Michael.Ó Cuív, Éamon.O'Dea, Willie.O'Donnell, Liz.O'Donoghue, John.O'Flynn, Noel.O'Hanlon, Rory.O'Keeffe, Batt.O'Keeffe, Ned.O'Malley, Desmond.O'Rourke, Mary.Power, Seán.Ryan, Eoin.Smith, Brendan.Smith, Michael.Treacy, Noel.Wade, Eddie.Wallace, Dan.Wallace, Mary.Walsh, Joe.Woods, Michael.Wright, G. V. |
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Barnes, Monica.Barrett, Seán.Bell, Michael.Belton, Louis J.Boylan, Andrew.Bradford, Paul.Broughan, Thomas P.Browne, John (Carlow-Kilkenny).Bruton, Richard.Burke, Liam.Burke, Ulick.Carey, Donal.Clune, Deirdre.Connaughton, Paul.Cosgrave, Michael.Coveney, Simon.Crawford, Seymour.Creed, Michael.Currie, Austin.Deasy, Austin.Durkan, Bernard.Enright, Thomas. |
Finucane, Michael.Fitzgerald, Frances.Flanagan, Charles.Gilmore, Éamon.Hayes, Brian.Higgins, Jim.Higgins, Michael.Hogan, Philip.Howlin, Brendan.Kenny, Enda.McCormack, Pádraic.McDowell, Derek.McGahon, Brendan.McGinley, Dinny.McGrath, Paul.Mitchell, Gay.Mitchell, Jim.Mitchell, Olivia.Naughten, Denis.Neville, Dan.Noonan, Michael. O'Keeffe, Jim. |
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O'Shea, Brian.O'Sullivan, Jan.Penrose, William.Quinn, Ruairí.Rabbitte, Pat.Reynolds, Gerard.Ring, Michael. |
Ryan, Seán.Sargent, Trevor.Sheehan, Patrick.Shortall, Róisín.Stagg, Emmet.Stanton, David.Timmins, Billy.Upton, Mary. |
This is a proposal to guillotine a debate on the Report Stage of the Health (Miscellaneous Provisions) (No. 2) Bill, 2000. The Cabinet took the unprecedented step of going to Ballymascanlon on Monday to discuss in detail provisions to deal with what the Government admits is a crisis in the health services. It emerged from there with no resolution to this matter. There is a crisis in the health service. It requires full and open debate in this House and we are opposed to the guillotine at 1.30 p.m. We would accept this order if the debate is allowed to extend until 7.00 p.m. this evening.
They wanted to go home early a few minutes ago.
The proposal stands.
Is the proposal for dealing with No. 48 agreed?
No.
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Ahern, Bertie.Ahern, Dermot.Ahern, Michael.Ahern, Noel.Andrews, David.Aylward, Liam.Blaney, Harry.Brady, Johnny.Brady, Martin.Brennan, Matt.Brennan, Séamus.Briscoe, Ben.Browne, John (Wexford).Byrne, Hugh.Callely, Ivor.Carey, Pat.Collins, Michael.Cooper-Flynn, Beverley.Coughlan, Mary.Cowen, Brian.Cullen, Martin.Daly, Brendan.Davern, Noel.de Valera, Síle.Dennehy, John.Doherty, Seán.Ellis, John.Fahey, Frank.Fleming, Seán.Flood, Chris.Foley, Denis.Fox, Mildred.Gildea, Thomas.Hanafin, Mary.Harney, Mary.Haughey, Seán.Healy-Rae, Jackie. |
Keaveney, Cecilia.Kelleher, Billy.Kenneally, Brendan.Killeen, Tony.Kirk, Séamus.Kitt, Michael P.Lenihan, Brian.Lenihan, Conor.McCreevy, Charlie.McGuinness, John J.Martin, Micheál.Moffatt, Thomas.Molloy, Robert.Moloney, John.Moynihan, Donal.Moynihan, Michael.Ó Cuív, Éamon.O'Dea, Willie.O'Donnell, Liz.O'Donoghue, John.O'Flynn, Noel.O'Hanlon, Rory.O'Keeffe, Batt.O'Keeffe, Ned.O'Malley, Desmond.O'Rourke, Mary.Power, Seán.Ryan, Eoin.Smith, Brendan.Smith, Michael.Treacy, Noel.Wade, Eddie.Wallace, Dan.Wallace, Mary.Walsh, Joe.Woods, Michael. Wright, G. V. |
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Barnes, Monica.Barrett, Seán.Bell, Michael.Belton, Louis J.Boylan, Andrew.Bradford, Paul.Broughan, Thomas P.Browne, John (Carlow-Kilkenny).Bruton, Richard.Burke, Liam.Burke, Ulick.Carey, Donal.Clune, Deirdre.Connaughton, Paul.Cosgrave, Michael.Coveney, Simon.Crawford, Seymour.Creed, Michael.Currie, Austin.Deasy, Austin.Durkan, Bernard.Enright, Thomas.Finucane, Michael.Fitzgerald, Frances.Flanagan, Charles.Gilmore, Éamon.Gregory, Tony.Hayes, Brian.Higgins, Jim.Higgins, Michael.Hogan, Philip.Howlin, Brendan. |
Kenny, Enda.McCormack, Pádraic.McDowell, Derek.McGahon, Brendan.McGinley, Dinny.McGrath, Paul.McManus, Liz.Mitchell, Gay.Mitchell, Jim.Mitchell, Olivia.Naughten, Denis.Neville, Dan.Noonan, Michael.Ó Caoláin, Caoimhghín.O'Keeffe, Jim.O'Shea, Brian.O'Sullivan, Jan.Owen, Nora.Penrose, William.Quinn, Ruairí.Rabbitte, Pat.Reynolds, Gerard.Ring, Michael.Ryan, Seán.Sargent, Trevor.Shatter, Alan.Sheehan, Patrick.Spring, Dick.Stagg, Emmet.Stanton, David.Timmins, Billy.Upton, Mary. |
Is the proposal for dealing with No. 49, the Sex Offenders Bill, 2000, Report and Final Stages, agreed? Agreed. I will now take Leaders' questions. I call Deputy Noonan.
Is the Taoiseach aware that just 3% of domestic waste is recycled in Ireland and that an EU directive requires us to increase this to 50% in four years' time? Against that background, is he aware of the comment yesterday by the Minister of State, Deputy Byrne, that "Recycling is getting only token attention from the Government and serious money will have to be put into it; we should have done it much earlier." I agree with the Minister of State. Will the Taoiseach agree that we should have done so much earlier, now that he is facing his fifth year in office, which is becoming the mantra of the Government? Given that the Government is now entering its fifth year in office, the crisis in the health service, traffic chaos in Dublin and the housing crisis should have been dealt with much earlier. If the Taoiseach is looking for an election slogan he should adopt that of the Minister of State, Deputy Byrne, "We should have done it much earlier."
There should be an independent candidate on the issue.
I notice that the Minister with responsibility for local government has run out of the House. I can understand why because the Waste Management (Amendment) Bill will effectively strip local authorities and the communities they represent of any effective say on the location of incinerators. In light of the widespread concern throughout the country on this issue and the failure to implement a proper policy of recycling, will the Taoiseach indicate whether the Government will persist with this draconian measure which will put a further nail in the coffin of local democracy?
The Minister for the Environment and Local Government who has probably done more than anyone else in relation to waste management, not just in promoting waste management policies but in dealing with recycling and landfill dumps, is attending an OECD meeting in Paris.
Order, please. These are Leaders' questions.
With the excellent work undertaken by the Minister in doubling the number of houses being built, there has been huge infrastructural development, including the provision of enormous resources for the improvement of local authority housing and national primary and sec ondary roads. I have no doubt he will continue to deal with the powers of local management. I would say to Deputies Quinn and Noonan that it is a pity local councillors did not take a lead in the past six months from what was said in the House. Their members did not support the local management policies on the ground which caused delays in many areas. The Minister will continue to pursue these policies.
Deputy Noonan, a brief supplementary.
The Minister for the Environment and Local Government has had four years in office to deal with a whole series of issues. I accept he made a series of announcements and promised to introduce legislation to deal with these issues but nothing has happened. I put it to the Taoiseach that we are obliged under an EU directive to bring recycling of waste up to 50% of all waste in four years' time and that nationally local authorities only recycle 3% of domestic waste, which is appalling. Will he talk to the Minister to try to get him to do something over the next few months? At present his record as Minister for the Environment and Local Government is absolutely appalling.
The Waste Management (Amendment) Bill is before the House. I hope a number of proposals, including proposals for this city, to deal with waste management will be up and running shortly. I believe these policies will be supported by the public. Many pilot projects which the Minister encouraged and which have been in operation for many years have worked extremely well. I agree there is a low percentage of recycling but the Minister's waste management strategy and policy, including the legislation, is making a difference.
A Leaders' question from Deputy Quinn.
The Taoiseach in his reply to Deputy Noonan referred to the great work being done by the Minister for the Environment and Local Government in regard to local authority housing. No doubt his brother will tell him there are more than 7,500 people on Dublin Corporation's housing waiting list. These people have no hope of purchasing a house. Against that background and against the reality that Dublin Corporation is finding it virtually impossible to buy land suitable for development in the city, why is Clancy Barracks being sold? Why is today's property supplement carrying—
It is not in order to display a paper.
I am just holding it for reference.
It is not in order to display it.
I just happen to have it in my hand.
It is still not in order to display it.
The reality is, Sir, that today's property supplement is advertising for sale by public tender on 14 June a site of 14 acres which could provide approximately 350 separate dwellings of one kind or other, the estimated value of which is approximately £20 million. The Minister for Finance has a very large budget surplus but the local authority cannot acquire the land. Why will the Taoiseach not put his words where they can be effective and give this site to the local authorities to build badly needed houses for 7,500 people who have no hope of ever getting a house under this Government while land from which the money is not even needed is being thrown away? It is an absolute disgrace.
Is the Taoiseach aware that Dublin Corporation has a list of State lands which would be suitable for the provision of housing? Will he arrange for officials of his Department to have discussions with the Corporation to see if some of this land could be released to solve the appalling housing crisis in Dublin which, despite all the talk from the Minister, is getting worse?
In areas where it is possible for the State to sell land, that has happened on many occasions. The barracks to which the Deputy refers is part of an overall plan, under an agreement with the Defence Forces with regard to the capitalisation of resources, facilities and equipment and provision for their training and for expansion of the services.
The Taoiseach, without interruption.
We have also achieved record levels of housing output each year since this Government took office, the highest level per capita of housing output in the EU and a trebling of resources allocated to housing. The provision for housing this year is more than £1.1 billion and we have an expanding four year multi-annual local authority housing programme. This year's housing starts programme for local authorities is 7,000 houses and we will continue to provide the resources for local authority housing.
Send it to Dublin Corporation—
Order, please. Deputy Ryan is completely out of order. Only brief supplementaries are allowed.
I hesitate to interrupt the Taoiseach when he is on a flight of fancy. I just hope it lasts until polling day. I put it to Dublin Deputies on the Fianna Fáil side, or to candidates looking to be re-elected, that this is an inexplicable scandal, at a time—
Deputy please, a question.
—when a reputable housing estate agency in the Dublin area is stating that the housing output in the Dublin area is at an eight year all-time low. Here is a site owned by the State, here is a list of 7,500 people who depend on the State to be housed and here is a Government which is extracting money from this for the wrong purposes. The Government could give the money to Dublin Corporation to purchase it, retain its plan with the Department of Defence—
The Deputy is making a statement. He must confine himself to a question.
I am trying to articulate the anger of 7,500 people who do not understand this market madness. They are homeless and this Government could house them. I am asking the Taoiseach to follow the precedent in Naas, of which he will be aware, where a decision to sell an Army barracks was reversed. The Government should apply the same commitment to housing as it seems to have for sport and for the Abbotstown project, and give these people a break—
The Taoiseach.
I repeat that we have achieved the highest level of housing output per capita in the European Union—
Order. Please allow the Taoiseach to reply.
Resources allocated to housing have trebled since the Government took office, with a total provision of more than £1.1 billion in 2000—
The Taoiseach, without interruption.
—an expanded four year multi-annual local authority housing programme and a greatly expanded voluntary housing programme. I ask Deputy Quinn to listen to just one point. I understand that the site which has been mentioned was offered to Dublin Corporation and it did not want it.
Order, please. Deputy Noonan, on a point of order.
On a point of order, the Taoiseach has misled the House. Housing starts are down by 17%. The record should be corrected.
That is not a point of order. We have finished with Leaders' Questions and we now proceed on the Order of Business. A relevant question from Deputy Noonan, on the Order of Business, please.
Does the Taoiseach intend to proceed with the Waste Management Bill in this House in the near future? A direct consequence of vesting decisions about incineration facilities in a county manager, rather than in a council—
The Deputy cannot discuss what is in the Bill, only when it will be taken.
Is the Taoiseach going to persist in bringing it into the House? Once managers have that authority, there will be no recycling. Only the incineration option will be exercised.
The Bill will be in the House within the next fortnight.
Where is the legislation to provide for the subsidy for orthodontic work which the Minister for Health and Children said would be in place six weeks ago? In anticipation of the Taoiseach's possible reply, I would point out that, under the health Acts, children are entitled to orthodontic service free of charge from the State. Any scheme to replace that with a subsidised scheme will require legislation. When will that legislation be before the House, so we can have a proper debate about this shambles of a service?
There is no legislation promised.
There is legislation on which the tens of thousands of people who are in private rented accommodation depend, namely the private rented sector Bill, which is not due to be published for another 12 months. I ask the Taoiseach to say if the heads of that Bill have been prepared and what preparation, if any, has been done on this legislation which is so badly needed by people who are suffering in the private rented sector.
The private rented sector Bill is to give effect to the report of the Commission on the Private Rented Sector. The work is at a preliminary stage in the Department and the heads are expected—
No, it is not 12 months since the report came out. The heads of the Bill are expected late this year.
The Intoxicating Liquor Bill has been passed by this House and yet the Minister responsible for price control suggested yesterday that the vintners would voluntarily introduce a price freeze. What is the point of having legislation if the Minister is not prepared to take control rather than making an unrealistic pitch to the vintners?
The Deputy may wish to put down a question on that matter.
What is the current status of the Land Commission Bill? Many farmers are in difficulty with payments and the debate on this Bill would provide an opportunity to discuss that.
The heads of the Bill were approved during last winter and the Bill is due in the House next month.
There are 200 homeless people sleeping rough every night in Dublin city. That must place us near the top of the league table for homelessness in Europe. That is outrageous, and at the same time—
The Deputy is making a statement. Has he a question on legislation?
The Taoiseach misled the House on the sale of Clancy Barracks. Various attempts were made by the members of Dublin Corporation to instruct their officials to ask the Government to purchase the land. We were prevented by—
The Deputy is out of order. We are on the Order of Business. I call Deputy Sheehan.
Will Deputy Ryan please stop interrupting? I will have to ask him to leave the House if he continues to interrupt.
The Chair is on his feet. The Deputy is not in order in rising to speak when the Chair is on his feet. I have called Deputy Sheehan.
The Minister for Defence intimates that this land was offered to Dublin Corporation and it was not accepted. I want to tell the Minister—
That is not a point of order.
I want to clarify—
It is not a point of order. The Deputy will seek another way to raise the matter—
The man wants to resell it to Dublin Corporation—
It is not a point of order. The Deputy should resume his seat. I call Deputy Sheehan on the Order of Business.
That concludes the Order of Business. We must take No. 23.
Deputy Sheehan should be allowed to speak.
No, I called Deputy Sheehan three times to ask his question. We are now on No. 23.