On Monday, 8 July 2002, the Taoiseach requested me, by letter under Standing Order 24, to summon Dáil Éireann to meet today, 11 July 2002, at 10.30 a.m. for the purpose of taking statements on the report of the inspectors appointed to inquire into the affairs of Ansbacher (Cayman) Limited. The business of today's special sitting is confined to the subject matter set out in the summons. I now call on the Taoiseach to make a proposal relating to the statements.
Business of Dáil.
Ar iarratas an Taoisigh, déanaimse, Ruairí Ó hAnnluain, Ceann Comhairle Dháil Éireann, leis seo Dáil Éireann a chomóradh chun teacht le chéile ar 10.30 a.m. Déardaoin, an 11ú lá d'Iúil, 2002, i dTeach Laighean, Baile Átha Cliath, chun: Ráitis a dhéanamh maidir le Tuarascáil na gCigirí arna gceapadh chun Fiosrú a dhéanamh ar ghnóthaí Ansbacher (Cayman) Limited.
At the request of the Taoiseach, I, Rory O'Hanlon, Ceann Comhairle of Dáil Éireann, hereby summon Dáil Éireann to meet at 10.30 a.m. on Thursday, the 11th day of July, 2002, at Leinster House, Dublin, for the purpose of: Statements on the Report of the Inspectors appointed to Enquire into the affairs of Ansbacher (Cayman) Limited.
Rory O'Hanlon,
Ceann Comhairle.
Arna dhátú an 8ú lá seo de Iúil, 2002.
Dated this 8th day of July, 2002.
I propose that, under Standing Order 24, the business for today shall be: No. 1, statements on the report of the inspectors appointed to inquire into the affairs of Ansbacher (Cayman) Limited.
It is proposed, notwithstanding anything in Standing Orders, that the Dáil shall sit later than 4.45 p.m. to take statements on the report of the inspectors appointed to inquire into the affairs of Ansbacher (Cayman) Limited, which statements shall, if not previously concluded, be brought to a conclusion at 4.30 p.m. and the following arrangements shall apply: (i) the statements of the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, and the main spokesperson for the Fine Gael Party, the Labour Party, the Green Party and Sinn Féin, who shall be called upon in that order, shall not exceed 20 minutes in each case; (ii) the statement of each other Member called upon shall not exceed 20 minutes; (iii) Members may share time; and (iv) immediately following the statements, the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment shall take questions for a period not exceeding 60 minutes.
Is that agreed?
No. We believe the statement made by the Taoiseach will result in an inadequate debate on this important issue. The inspectors' report reveals a criminal conspiracy to defraud compliant taxpayers. It shows that the regulators knew about this matter but did nothing about it. Since the report's announcement, we have heard Ministers say this may be one of many such cases, yet they indicate that there may be no prosecutions on foot of it. It is not enough to wring our hands in righteous indignation about this and just go away leaving things as they were. The Dáil must resolve today to put this report before the Committee of Public Accounts so that the full implications for policy going forward are drawn and a programme of action is forthcoming.
Furthermore, to sit today and ignore for the rest of the summer other issues that have developed since we last met is irresponsible. The Government, due to lack of political will, is going to deny to Irish sports fans the right to see matches involving the national team. There is a jobs crisis due to huge insurance costs which are not being confronted. There is an emerging health crisis. In regard to the public finances, for the first time the Government has admitted it is €500 million off target and there is much more to come. We need to sit next week to deal with these issues and we need a more adequate debate today on Ansbacher so that the Dáil, whose Members represent the people and are there to protect taxpayers' money and ensure laws are enforced, puts in place the actions necessary to deal with the implications of this report.
A Cheann Comhairle, you stated at the outset that we are convened here under Standing Order 24 which provides that at the request of the Taoiseach the Ceann Comhairle may summon the Dáil for an earlier date than that fixed on its adjournment. Such summons shall state the reason for the earlier re-assembly and the business to be taken shall be confined to the reasons stated in the summons unless the Dáil shall otherwise order a motion made under Standing Order 26 which relates to our normal business.
I invite the Taoiseach, as the only person who can do so, to vary the order now to enable us to accommodate some of the concerns expressed by Deputy Bruton but also to address an issue of widespread concern, the decision by the FAI to sell broadcasting rights to the Murdoch group of companies, which is very close to the Fianna Fáil Party, thereby depriving hundreds of thousands of ordinary people of watching games on terrestrial television without having to go into pubs or pay exorbitant fees.
That is one issue of concern but others have been referred to. There is the question of the decision by the Minister for Defence to cancel the purchase of five medium lift helicopters. Since the decision to recall the Dáil for the debate on Ansbacher was taken before the House rose for the summer recess, a number of specific events have occurred. It would be a dereliction of our democratic duty if we were not to have an opportunity to raise these matters with the Taoiseach. If the Taoiseach declines to address them, will the Ceann Comhairle inform me whether I am entitled under leaders' questions to pose questions to the Taoiseach?
There is no provision for leaders' questions.
Since I am allowed only one contribution at this point and I want to be in order—
The contribution should be brief.
I know but my understanding of Standing Orders is that the discretion as to whether leaders' questions are to be allowed is entirely a matter for you, a Cheann Comhairle. That is the advice we have received.
Under Standing Order 24, no other business except the business ordered can be taken.
I know, Sir, but if you check you may find that you have discretion. In the interests of democracy, Sir, I am asking you to exercise that discretion, even if the Taoiseach is too afraid to participate in the debate. We will be doing a disservice to all concerned if we simply meet here, take statements and not avail of the opportunity to address other issues that are the talk of the entire country.
Like previous speakers, the Green Party would like to express its unhappiness with what is being proposed for today's business on the grounds that, first, it is not adequate in terms of having a debate on this issue that we do not know the Government's intended response to it and, second, there are other issues, such as the transit of reprocessed plutonium through the Irish Sea in the next few weeks and the reason the Government is ambivalent towards allowing public officials to make political statements, on which this House is due an explanation. On those issues alone, the House should oppose the proposed business and request that the sitting be extended to debate the many issues that confront the House.
A Cheann Comhairle—
I am sorry but I cannot hear the Deputy.
Why not?
I can only hear from Deputies whose parties have two or more Members. I call the Taoiseach.
That is a wrong interpretation of Standing Orders.
The Standing Orders are specific and if I allow Deputy Higgins to speak, there is no reason I should debar any other Member.
A Cheann Comhairle, you are obliged to call the leaders in Opposition but the Standing Order is silent on anybody else's point. I know the Standing Order off by heart. It states that you shall take a short statement in opposition to the order proposed by the Taoiseach.
From the leader or one member of a party in the House.
Yes, but it does not state that you are forbidden from calling anybody else.
I am not forbidden from calling anybody else but if I were to call you, Deputy, in fairness to all the other Deputies, particularly the Independent Deputies, I would be obliged to call them. I call the Taoiseach at this stage.
In fairness, I am speaking on behalf of all Independent Deputies. Can I ask the Taoiseach why the Independent group and myself have not been allocated time for statements this morning? Will he now include us in the order?
First, to protect the innocent, I confirm that Rupert Murdoch is not a member of the Fianna Fáil Party.
(Interruptions.)
The Taoiseach without interruption.
Second, I was asked on 25 June to have a debate on the imminent report on Ansbacher and I said that if, having examined it, people genuinely wanted to debate this important report, the Tánaiste and I, who discussed the mat ter, would be happy to have a confined session. We agreed to that and that is what we are here to do.
It is not because of the generosity of the Taoiseach that we are having a debate.
(Interruptions.)Question put: “That the proposal be agreed to.”
Tá
|
Ahern, Bertie.Ahern, Noel.Andrews, Barry.Ardagh, Seán.Brady, Johnny.Brady, Martin.Brennan, Séamus.Browne, John.Callanan, Joe.Callely, Ivor.Carty, John.Cassidy, Donie.Cooper-Flynn, Beverley.Coughlan, Mary.Cowen, Brian.Cregan, John.Cullen, Martin.Curran, John.Davern, Noel.de Valera, Síle.Dempsey, Tony.Dennehy, John.Devins, Jimmy.Ellis, John.Finneran, Michael.Fitzpatrick, Dermot.Fleming, Seán.Gallagher, Pat The Cope.Grealish, Noel.Hanafin, Mary.Harney, Mary.Haughey, Seán.Hoctor, Máire.Jacob, Joe.Kelly, Peter. |
Killeen, Tony.Kirk, Séamus.Kitt, Tom.Lenihan, Brian.Lenihan, Conor.McCreevy, Charlie.McDowell, Michael.McEllistrim, Thomas.Martin, Micheál.Moloney, John.Moynihan, Donal.Mulcahy, Michael.Nolan, M. J.Ó Cuív, Éamon.Ó Fearghaíl, Seán.O'Connor, Charlie.O'Dea, Willie.O'Donnell, Liz.O'Flynn, Noel.O'Keeffe, Batt.O'Keeffe, Ned.O'Malley, Fiona.O'Malley, Tim.Parlon, Tom.Power, Peter.Power, Seán.Ryan, Eoin.Sexton, Mae.Smith, Michael.Treacy, Noel.Wallace, Dan.Wilkinson, Ollie.Woods, Michael.Wright, G. V. |
Níl
|
Allen, Bernard.Boyle, Dan.Breen, James.Breen, Pat.Broughan, Thomas P.Bruton, Richard.Burton, Joan.Connaughton, Paul.Costello, Joe.Crawford, Seymour.Crowe, Seán.Deenihan, Jimmy.Durkan, Bernard J.Ferris, Martin.Gilmore, Éamon.Gregory, Tony.Healy, Seamus.Higgins, Joe.Higgins, Michael D.Hogan, Phil.Howlin, Brendan.Lynch, Kathleen.McGinley, Dinny.McGrath, Finian.McGrath, Paul. |
McHugh, Paddy.McManus, Liz.Mitchell, Olivia.Morgan, Arthur.Naughten, Denis.Neville, Dan.Noonan, Michael.Ó Snodaigh, Aengus.O'Dowd, Fergus.O'Shea, Brian.O'Sullivan, Jan.Pattison, Séamus.Penrose, Willie.Quinn, Ruairí.Rabbitte, Pat.Ring, Michael.Ryan, Éamon.Ryan, Seán.Sherlock, Joe.Shortall, Róisín.Stagg, Emmet.Stanton, David.Upton, Mary.Wall, Jack. |
Tellers: Tá, Deputies Hanafin and S. Power; Níl, Deputies Durkan and Stagg.
Question declared carried.