The Order of Business today shall be No. 12, motion re Taxi Regulation Bill 2003; and No. 2, Intoxicating Liquor Bill 2003 [Seanad] – 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 10.30 p.m.; No. 12 shall be decided without debate; Private Members' business shall be No. 8, Planning and Development (Amendment) Bill 2003 – Order for Second Stage and Second Stage; and the proceedings on the Second Stage thereon shall, if not previously concluded, be brought to a conclusion at 8.30 p.m. on Wednesday, 25 June 2003.
Order of Business.
There are three proposals to be put to the House. Is the proposal for the late sitting agreed to? Agreed. Is the proposal for dealing with No. 12 without debate agreed to?
What is the motion?
I understand it is to return the Taxi Regulation Bill to the House for Committee Stage.
The Green Party has reservations about Committee and Report Stages being taken together and the time being allocated—
That matter will arise when the Bill comes before the House. The pro posal is whether Committee Stage should be debated in the Chamber.
We have reservations about not debating the proposal and whether time should be allocated—
The issue being put to the House is whether the Bill can be returned to the Chamber for Committee Stage and to revoke the order made by the House. Does the Deputy support or oppose the proposal?
We will determine that when the Bill comes before the House.
Is the proposal agreed to? Agreed. Is the proposal for dealing with Private Members' business agreed to? Agreed.
Will the Taoiseach give the House an update on the Government's case against British Nuclear Fuels Limited in respect of Sellafield?
The matter would be more appropriate for Leaders' Questions.
It is also related to legislation governing the health of citizens in view of traces of radioactive material being found in fish from the Irish Sea.
The matter may not be raised now.
This is the fourth anniversary of the House's endorsement of the Whistleblowers Bill in the name of the Labour Party. Every month for the past four years, the Taoiseach has promised to complete its enactment. How is the legislation progressing? Is it almost finalised?
I am still trying to push the legislation forward. Unfortunately, many of the countries which had whistleblowers legislation at that time have enacted legislation to get rid of it. It has proven a little more difficult to have the legislation than was previously thought. I am still in favour of trying to do what we can—
Despite international practice.
International practice has been that it does not work and it has been changed. Canada, which brought it in—
Should we take up the time of the House with legislation that does not work?
Maybe we can make it work.
Today we read that additional funding has been promised to deal with the crisis in residential care for people with disabilities. Will this result in a Supplementary Estimate being brought before the House this week?
Not this week.
In that case, from where will the funding come?
I suggest the Deputy submits a question to the relevant Minister.
We have been promised major structural changes in the health service, which will require legislation and, obviously. we will have to wait for the legislation to be introduced. In the meantime, the Minister has announced that an interim health service executive board and a national hospitals office will be set up in the autumn. I am concerned this will proceed without a debate in the House as the bodies in question will be established on a non-statutory basis.
The matter does not arise at this stage.
Will the Taoiseach ensure that there is some democratic input—
The Deputy must ask a question on promised legislation.
The matter will require legislation, but the bodies are being set up ahead of the legislation being put in place. I ask that we have a debate in the House when the plans are laid for these two important boards.
I suggest the Deputy raise the matter with the Whips.
Will the Taoiseach indicate his proposals?
There will be a debate on Friday for three hours.
That is not my question.
The question of a debate on a specific issue is a matter for the Whips. The Chair cannot allow every Member to ask the Taoiseach to allow debate on specific issues.
My question is about promised legislation and actions taken ahead of the legislation.
It is a matter for the Whips.
Boards will be set up ahead of legislation without any debate having taken place. Does the Taoiseach think that is acceptable?
There will be a debate on Friday.
I ask Deputy McManus to resume her seat and allow Deputy Enright to ask her question.
We will not know the format of these boards by Friday.
We can have it in the autumn.
The boards will be put up in the autumn. The Minister could not answer questions put to him today.
I ask Deputy McManus to resume her seat. Debate on issues is a matter for the Whips.
The Taoiseach is silent again.
In light of the fact that there are only two weeks of sittings before the summer recess, will the education for persons with disabilities Bill be published before then?
The Bill is almost complete and should be published in the next two weeks.
Last week the Chair ruled a question of mine out of order on the basis that it contained argument. The question was to ask the Taoiseach if he proposes to correct statements made to the House on weapons of mass destruction in Iraq.
That does not arise on the Order of Business. The Deputy is out of order again.
Having taken the Chair's suggestion that it was argumentative, I reduced the language and put a straight question to the Taoiseach asking whether he would correct his statements to the House or make a statement to the House.
The Deputy is out of order.
The question has been transferred to the Minister for Foreign Affairs to be taken in the autumn. Does the Taoiseach need the whole summer to consider whether what he said was based on fiction, or does he think that he might be moved, in the interests of accountability, to make a statement in the House?
The Chair has no control over the transfer of questions.
Following from Deputy Higgins's comment, prior to the war in Iraq, which is ongoing—
Do you have a question appropriate to the Order of Business?
Yes, I want the Taoiseach to make time available for a debate. We need a debate—
The Deputy is out of order. That is a matter for the Whips.
We know this war was based on a lie. I want the Taoiseach and the Minister to answer to this House.
The use of the word "lie" is unparliamentary. I ask the Deputy to resume his seat.
Six British soldiers were killed in Basra today. The war is ongoing, it is not over. It is a war based on a lie.
The Deputy will have to find another way of raising the issue.
The Taoiseach expressed concern about Dublin transport planning. Will he issue a clarification of the Government's legislative proposals in this area? We have learned that the greater Dublin area land use and transport authority Bill, which is on the list, will not be proceeded with. While the Taoiseach and the Minister have made promises outside the Dáil about legislation they intend to proceed with, this House has heard no details of what those intentions are. What are the intentions with regard to Dublin transport planning?
The greater Dublin area land use and authority Bill is not being proceeded with. I understand a question has been tabled to the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government and he will outline his proposals in the area. A critical infrastructure Bill will streamline and accelerate certain procedures for infrastructural projects of critical national importance. A memorandum for Government will be submitted shortly seeking approval to draft the heads of the Bill. We hope to bring the Bill to the House in the autumn.
Is it the Government's intention to introduce legislation to change the Health Act 1970 to give effect to the recommendations or reports we have recently heard about? When is it proposed to bring such legislation before the House?
There will have to be new legislation, which will take some time to prepare. We will start with the health service executive, on a non-statutory basis, in the autumn.
I would like to ask the Taoiseach about the adoption information (post adoption contact and associated issues) Bill. Many children, raised in institutions, who were abused cannot find out who their real parents are. This is a scandal that needs to be addressed as soon as possible.
We cannot discuss the content of the legislation.
The Minister of State at the Department of Health and Children, Deputy Brian Lenihan, is undertaking an extensive review with the many organisations involved with adoption. While I do not have a date for the Bill, consultation has been going on for the past few months. The Bill will not be as limited as the previous Bill, which was to address information rights and search for reunion services. This will be a more extensive Bill. There are many other issues that the groups want covered by the legislation. Those proposals will be brought forward later this year.
The Building Control Bill seems to have subsided. Will action be taken to restore it to its normal position? It was imminent some months ago but now seems to have taken on the condition I have just described.
Like the roofs of schools in Limerick.
Members are receiving letters from private security firms inquiring about the current status of the Private Security Services Bill.
The Building Control Bill, the heads of which have long been approved, will be taken in the autumn. The other Bill is on Committee Stage.
When will the safety, health and welfare at work Bill be published?
This Bill will repeal the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 1989. The heads of the Bill have been drafted and the legislation is due in the autumn.
In light of last week's Canadian Government decision to legislate for same sex marriages, will the Taoiseach tell the House if it is proposed to introduce similar legislation to tackle this glaring inequality in Irish society, particularly regarding the property rights of couples in long-term relationships?
There is no legislation promised.
Many young people leaving this country for the United States are being stopped by US immigration officials for overstaying their time in the US for an hour or more, even though illness was the reason for it. Will the Taoiseach introduce the criminal justice (international co-operation) Bill as it would give an opportunity to air these matters in the House? This is causing great hardship to people who have already paid for holidays and business trips – in some cases, individuals are being separated from their families.
Work on the heads of this Bill is in progress and the heads are expected by the middle of 2003. The legislation will probably be introduced next year.