Every Member of the House supported the Government's proposal to introduce penalty points, a system that would effectively save lives. This morning we had the unedifying spectacle of the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, Deputy McDowell criticising both his predecessors, Deputies Dempsey and O'Donoghue. The Minister said that when he came into office the proposals for the penalty points system had still not been acted upon and that the failure to implement this system was a tragedy. Will the Tánaiste bring before the next meeting of the Cabinet proposals to sort this out and provide the necessary resources so that this scheme can be fully computerised, implemented effectively and thereby save lives?
Leaders' Questions.
In the first instance, the Minister was not critical of any of his predecessors in this regard.
He certainly was, and rightly so.
(Interruptions).
It was the last Government that provided the resources for computerisation and it is regrettable that it is taking so long. I understand that computerisation will not be completed for almost another year. However, in advance of computerisation, the Government has proceeded to introduce the penalty points system on a manual basis. That is important. Lives have been saved. Lives are being saved.
Lives have been lost as well.
It is very important that members of the Garda Síochána at all levels co-operate and enforce the policy. It is not a matter for representative bodies to decide not to enforce the law. The law must be enforced. This is about life and death. It is about safety. That is why we have proceeded.
This morning the Minister for Transport will announce his planned extension of the penalty points system and also the campaign to be launched this weekend. Easter weekend is a particularly dangerous weekend on the roads. There is a great deal of travel and, unfortunately, we have had too many tragedies in the past. There will be a special campaign in place this weekend, details of which the Minister for Transport will announce shortly.
The Tánaiste misses the point completely. First, the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, criticised both his predecessors. He said it was a tragedy that this system had not been implemented. Second, is the Tánaiste not aware that there is a computerised system in operation in 16 local authorities for parking fines that works and that could be adapted for the penalty points system? Third, does the Tánaiste accept that in a situation where the streets, businesses and homes of Ireland are now unsafe not on a weekly basis but on a nightly basis she, as the Deputy head of Government, is presiding over gross incompetence in Government where failure to protect our citizens brought the comment from the President yesterday that Irish society should wise up? Is the Tánaiste prepared to bring a proposal before Cabinet to provide the necessary resources so that visibility of gardaí will be evidenced on the street, the citizens of this State can feel protected and we will not have unedifying scenes in the streets more akin to Dodge City in the 1880s than to modern Ireland?
The Ceann Comhairle is going to pull me up on my comment that the President said we should wise up as a society. There was no derogatory intent. The President did comment that society should wise up. The Government is in charge, and I would like it to bring proposals before Cabinet to do that.
Over the past six years the resources provided to the Garda Síochána have been increased by about 60%. The vote in the justice area is up to €900 million. I accept that far too many of our citizens have become victims of serious, vicious, horrific crimes. That is why a number of Bills are planned in this area to give the Garda additional powers.
(Interruptions).
Crime is up, protection is down.
It is too late for many people.
It is a gross failure of the Minister.
Crime is up, protection is down.
Allow the Tánaiste to continue without interruption. This is the Fine Gael leader's question, Deputy Stagg.
The Public Order Bill is on the agenda for the Dáil today. In addition to the Oireachtas making the law, it must ensure the law is enforced, and it is a matter for the Garda Síochána at every level in the force to ensure that the law is enforced without fear or favour.
Is the Tánaiste aware that on 10 April the Minister for Education and Science told the House that he would make a decision "one way or the other" by Easter on the reintroduction of third level fees? I am sure I do not need to draw it to the attention of the Tánaiste that today, for some reason best known to herself and the Taoiseach, is the day the Dáil goes into recess for Easter. Has the Minister for Education and Science made a decision, and does the Tánaiste agree with it? Her party seems to be all over the place on it.
I have a statement here from The Sunday Business Post of 29 September on the reintroduction of fees in which the PD spokesperson is quoted as saying that, given the option, they would go for it. Then I read at the weekend – I apologise for missing the Tánaiste on Saturday, but I am taking steps to catch up on it this weekend – that the Progressive Democrats are opposed to the reintroduction of fees. What is the position? Has a decision been made? Will the tens of thousands of young people in higher education be subjected to additional fees in the new academic term? Can the parents of the 40,000 or 50,000 young people studying for the leaving certificate plan for their introduction to higher education under the present regime or will that be changed? Will the Tánaiste clarify the matter for the House before it rises for the Easter recess?
It will be announced on Easter Saturday.
The Minister is writing the cheque.
I am flattered to know that Deputy Rabbitte will spend his Easter weekend reading my speech. Maybe I will send him a copy of the script today and save him the ordeal of having to take time from this period of rest and prayer to watch me.
Good Friday would be a good day to read it.
I would prefer to give Deputy Rabbitte some time to pray and reflect than to read my speech.
With his Easter bunny.
With or without his Easter bunny. The Minister for Education and Science has established a review group—
Deputies
Another one.
We have established fewer review groups than did the Opposition. The out come of that review has not yet been brought before the Government so a decision on the matter raised by Deputy Rabbitte has not been made. Access to and the availability of a good education is essential for young people. We all share that view. I have no doubt that will be foremost in the mind of the Minister for Education and Science when he brings the proposals to the Cabinet shortly.
The Tánaiste should tell that to the Minister, Deputy Dempsey.
I know it very well.
I assure the Tánaiste that this is a once-off occasion for me. I am not generally interested in off-colour videos. I understand that the Tánaiste told her conference that the Progressive Democrats are now opposed to the introduction of third level fees. If she can tell the people at her conference that she is opposed to third level fees she can tell Dáil Éireann.
Where do the Progressive Democrats stand on the reintroduction of third level fees? From what the Tánaiste has said, I understand that the option is open again. Never mind the Minister, Deputy Dempsey, and another review group. That is like the tax on plastic bags. We do not pay attention to that. He is always one decision away from making a decision.
That is not a particularly good example.
Where do the Progressive Democrats stand on the reintroduction of third level fees?
Deputy Rabbitte is incorrect. Maybe he should read my speech because I did not mention the subject at my conference. He was inaccurately informed. I am not here to answer for the Progressive Democrats, but the position Deputy Rabbitte outlined is the correct one.
Is the Tánaiste aware of the growing anxiety throughout the country at the consequences of the current strike by public health doctors, the threat of a SARS epidemic, the implications for the Special Olympics and the safety of the public generally? Her colleague, the Minister for Health and Children, in his responses to questions from Deputies yesterday, failed to allay those fears. I must conclude from his responses that adequate cover is not in place to address these concerns. What effective steps does the Government intend to take to address the major deficit in public health cover, particularly in the so-called out of hours periods of evenings, weekends and bank holidays? What steps does the Government propose to take in the context of a global threat from SARS and in view of the significant numbers of visitors we hope to host during the Special Olympics in June?
The Minister for Health and Children dealt with this matter extensively in the Dáil last night. This strike is not justified. The salary increase involved is about 25%, which is substantial. We urge the IMO to return to talks. It is the public and patients who will suffer and this is not the way to resolve the difficulties with pay matters.
The Tánaiste has answered a question I did not pose. I did not ask about the detail of the dispute between the public health doctors and the Government. I asked about the implications for the deficit in public health cover that exists apart from the interface now created by the strike action. We are talking about evenings, weekends and other out of hours periods. This situation was highlighted long before this strike action. A cross-Border study was carried out which highlighted that there is a major discrepancy between cover existing in the North of Ireland and in the rest of the island. That is the concern people have. It is important that we ensure 24 hour cover 365 days of the year. It is important that the Tánaiste answer the important questions I have posed about the SARS threat and the concerns of host communities throughout the country regarding the implications for the Special Olympics.
Although I had not earlier asked the question, will the Tánaiste advise us what steps the Government intends taking to address the current dispute with the IMO?
Deputy Ó Caoláin asked me what the Government is doing to resolve the dispute. The Government wants to see the IMO back in the talks process through the LRC or the Labour Court. That is the only responsible way of resolving the issues. It is grossly irresponsible for the doctors in question to exclude, for example, the Disease Surveillance Centre and other emergency activities because of this dispute. That is grossly irresponsible and I call on the doctors again to reassess the decision they made last weekend on that matter so that the lives of vulnerable citizens and patients are not put at risk.
The Tánaiste has refused for the second time to answer the question.