It is proposed to take No. 9a, motion re Northern Ireland; and No. 3, Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2009 — Order for Second Stage and Second Stage. It is proposed, notwithstanding anything in Standing Orders, that: (1) the Dáil shall sit later than 8.30 p.m. tonight and business shall be interrupted on the conclusion of Private Members' business which shall be No. 49, motion re unemployment (resumed), which shall be taken for 90 minutes at 7 p.m., or on the conclusion of No. 3, whichever is the later; (2) the proceedings in relation to No. 9a shall, if not previously concluded, be brought to a conclusion after 55 minutes and the following arrangements shall apply: the speeches shall be confined to the Taoiseach and to the leaders of the Fine Gael Party, the Labour Party, the Green Party and Sinn Féin, or a Member nominated in his stead, who may share their time, which shall not exceed ten minutes in each case; a Minister or Minister of State shall be called upon to make a speech in reply which shall not exceed five minutes; (3) the proceedings on the Second Stage of No. 3 shall, if not previously concluded, be brought to a conclusion at 7 p.m. tonight.
Order of Business.
There are three proposals to be put to the House today. Is the proposal that the Dáil shall sit later than 8.30 p.m. tonight agreed to? Agreed. Is the proposal for dealing with No. 9a, motion re Northern Ireland, agreed to? Agreed. Is the proposal for dealing with No. 3, Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2009 — Order for Second Stage and Second Stage, agreed to?
While we appreciate the urgency of getting this measure through the House, it should be put on record that the gestation period for the proposal within Government and within the Minister's Department took an extremely long time. It is not a complex Bill but because it came so late to the House there is now a requirement for a guillotine, which is not entirely satisfactory.
I take it that No. 3 is agreed. I call Deputy Kenny on the Order of Business.
I thank the Taoiseach for clarifying that the second budget will be on 7 April. Has the Government decided the extent of the budget debate? Will it be a two or three-day debate that week? Has consideration been given to the necessity to introduce a Finance Bill? When might that be published and dealt with in the House following the budget on 7 April?
The motor industry is in crisis here.
We cannot go down that road.
It is about legislation, if I may say so.
Is it?
It is. Last year, the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government introduced legislation dealing with vehicle registration tax, VRT, changing it from engine capacity to emissions. That has destroyed the sector for pre-July 2008 second-hand vehicles, where sales have fallen by 75%. The Government has not collected at least €100 million in unpaid VRT due to the way this legislation has been enforced and the number of vehicles coming in from Britain or Northern Ireland.
The Deputy will have to raise that matter in another way.
The Taoiseach should refer to the absent Green Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, and deal with the enforcement of that legislation.
We cannot go into that now.
It is in the Government's own interest.
Whether it is or not, it is not in order now.
I will answer the Deputy's earlier question. To have the budget on 7 April will facilitate a debate during that week and it will be reverted to subsequently on our return. As regards the question of whether financial resolutions are required, they will be passed in the normal way if that is necessary. The question of a Finance Bill can be dealt with on our return in the normal way.
I want to raise three matters. The Taoiseach will recall that for some time the Labour Party has been seeking the appointment of an inspector to examine what went on in the banking system and particularly in Anglo Irish Bank. The Government rejected that request and said the Director of Corporate Enforcement would carry out the necessary investigations. As the Taoiseach is aware, the Director of Corporate Enforcement has requested legislation to strengthen his powers. When I asked about this last week the Minister for Finance, who was taking the Order of Business, suggested that while the Government was considering it, it did not seem to be an urgent consideration. Has the Government considered that request from the Director of Corporate Enforcement? If so, when will the necessary amending legislation be brought before the House?
I also want to ask about reports of an arrangement which appears to have been made between UCD and Trinity College with regard to the distribution of funding for the programme for research in third-level institutions. It is causing considerable anxiety to the other university institutions. I would like to know if the Minister for Education and Science will take an opportunity to attend the House to clarify that matter.
On Friday evening last, the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, Deputy Gormley, told his party conference that he had succeeded in getting a reversal of the decision to cut back the Equality Authority's funding.
We cannot go into the funding of the Equality Authority.
This reversal has been denied in public by the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform. Will the Taoiseach inform the House whether the decision to cut back the Equality Authority's funding will go ahead?
We cannot go into that on the Order of Business as Deputy Gilmore well knows. I call the Taoiseach on the legislative provisions.
Regarding the first matter raised, the Minister for Finance will take up any requirements that the Office of the Director of Corporate Enforcement will have for any of its legislative responsibilities and take them forward as quickly as possible. The Director of Corporate Enforcement has the right to apply to the House for the appointment of an inspector, if he feels it is necessary. That is an ongoing matter in investigations.
The Government has been briefed on the UCD-TCD innovation alliance and the initiative will be launched today. The Irish Universities Association was fully briefed on the proposal last night. I am confident that in the interests of the entire university sector the association will welcome today's announcement of greater co-operation between the two universities. It would be inappropriate to comment on the details of the plan in advance of today's announcement.
The Government welcomes any proposals which will help Ireland improve its performance and international standing in research innovation and make positive contributions to economic renewal. New ideas such as this should not be seen as threat to anyone. It is an example of new thinking which is to be welcomed and should encourage others to think outside the box. The Minister for Education and Science has made clear that funding under the PRTLI-5 programme will continue to be allocated through the current process of competitive assessment of proposals.
Given the current difficult economic circumstances, it is time for everyone to pull together. I am confident the university sector will welcome co-operation between our two largest universities. Stronger alliances make the sector stronger from an internal point of view also. The third and further level sectors must be thinking of ways that they can make a greater contribution to economic recovery. I look forward to further collaboration emerging in the future.
The review of the Equality Authority's funding is taking place. Arrangements will be put in place that will ensure the issues that are arising will be dealt with.
Is there promised legislation on the Equality Authority's funding? If not, I suggest there should be to get some clarity in the Cabinet with what is happening with the authority's funding. The Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, Deputy Gormley, claimed the authority's funding would be untouched and its decentralisation programme would cease.
We cannot go into that now.
When the matter was raised on a radio programme, the Chief Whip seemed to be unaware of anything that was happening. Could the Taoiseach bring clarity to this issue?
Is legislation promised for the Equality Authority?
No legislation is promised for the authority and there is no confusion about it either.
The Chief Whip did not know about it.
I cannot discuss radio programmes here. I call on Deputy Naughten.
I am sure if it were Radio Kerry you might consider it, a Cheann Comhairle.
It does not matter what radio station it is.
When will the animal health and welfare Bill be published? When will the secondary legislation regarding the crazy proposal to electronically tag young lambs from 1 January 2010 be presented to the House? Will there be an opportunity to debate this lunacy? When will the sale of alcohol Bill be published? Has the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform got EU approval for the associated secondary legislation of the Intoxicating Liquor Act 2008 regarding the ban on below-cost selling? When will that legislation be brought before the House?
We are waiting for the below-cost selling proposal to come back from the European Commission which is still examining it. The sale of alcohol Bill will be published in the middle of this year. No date has been set for the animal welfare Bill.
And the lambs for the slaughter?
More like the silence of the lambs.
This trend of sheep being out all night does not need be addressed.
Are there missing lambs from the Cooley Peninsula?
It is all about tagging.
I thought for a minute it was the tagging of lads that Deputy Naughten was raising.
It is the difference between "b" and "d".
The legislative programme for this term is not going according to plan. Understandably, much parliamentary time has been taken up with economic matters. There will be pre-budget statements and the budget itself coming up but no sitting next week.
Regarding legislation from the Department of Health and Children, the Adoption Bill is to come to this House from the Seanad and the Health Insurance (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill has been published. We would have expected to make progress on these two Bills this session but now it looks as if we will not. What are the revised plans regarding these two Bills?
The Adoption Bill is being taken in the Seanad today. We will have to await its consideration of the Bill. We are waiting to accommodate the Health Insurance (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill which will be taken when there is time. The Whips can indicate when it will be possible to take it.
Ar an Údarás na Gaeltachta Bill, given that many Gaeltacht areas are disadvantaged and come under the programmes operated under CLÁR, will the Taoiseach confirm if the Department of Finance is reviewing RAPID and CLÁR programme commitments?
You cannot ask about that Deputy. You can ask about the Údarás na Gaeltachta Bill instead.
Is there a review of health centre and other related developments under the aegis of the Health Service Executive? Is there a review under way to have certain commitments in these areas overturned?
Reviews are not in order on the Order of Business. The Deputy will have to raise them another way. I call the Taoiseach on the Údarás na Gaeltachta Bill.
No date has been set for the Bill's publication.
Under the pending finance Bill, will the Taoiseach consider favourably a reduction in VAT on cervical cancer vaccines from 21.5% to 13.5%?
We cannot go into the content of the finance Bill on the Order of Business as Deputy Reilly well knows.
At least such a measure could take some of the pain out of it for concerned parents.
Hear, hear.
I thank the Taoiseach for doing that.
Does the Government intend to respond to the concerns of the taximen? It has gone from one extreme to the other.
I cannot deal with taximen now as Deputy Rabbitte well knows. He can raise it by way of an Adjournment matter or a parliamentary question.
A Cheann Comhairle, there are many owner-driver taximen hurting. There ought to be a moratorium on the issuing of new licences for a while. It has gone from one extreme to the other.
We cannot deal with this now.
Will the Taoiseach get the Government to intervene in the matter?
I cannot deal with this now. I call on Deputy Charles Flanagan.
I thought the Chair might advise Deputy Rabbitte to seek another vehicle in which to raise this matter.
I did.
Regarding the banking crisis, I am sure the Taoiseach will accept great damage has been inflicted on this country's international reputation in banking matters. Why, therefore, is there such a delay in transposing and implementing the third EU directive on money laundering? Ireland is one of the last EU member states to bring forward domestic legislation in this area. It has been long since promised and is on the pink sheet for this session but there is still no sign of it. Will the Taoiseach use his influence with his colleague the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform to expedite this long overdue legislation?
The transposition of that directive is in the final stages of preparation. There is much legislation in place already to deal with this issue.
Under the criminal justice (amendment) Bill, will the Taoiseach clarify the position on the new child detention facility in Lusk, County Dublin? Given financial circumstances, will the new facility go ahead or will it be parked like the Thornton Hall proposal?
The Deputy may inquire only with regard to the legislation.
The criminal justice (amendment) Bill will be introduced later in the year. I am not in a position to comment on the specific project to which the Deputy refers.
Will the Taoiseach communicate further with me on the matter?
I have raised the matter of management companies on numerous previous occasions. Many such companies are going broke and there is no one to whom people can pay their money. This means that properties cannot be sold because there is a lien on them. As a result, difficulties have arisen. Which Minister has been charged with introducing the promised legislation on this matter? Is it possible that the legislation might be published between Easter and the summer recess? Will the Taoiseach indicate whether there might be light at the end of the tunnel on this matter?
I assure Deputy Stagg that I look forward to the publication of the Bill as much as he does. The Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform is co-ordinating efforts to draw up the legislation. This is not a simple matter to deal with, but I would like the legislation to be published as soon as possible. The Cabinet discusses the matter every week but I cannot be any more specific with regard to a publication date.
Has a Minister been designated to draw up the legislation?
Yes, the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, Deputy Dermot Ahern.
He is a good Minister. He will get the job done quickly.
Good news.
It will only be a matter of time before the legislation appears.
In the context of the Nursing Homes Support Scheme Bill, is it proposed to regulate nursing home fees? People in nursing homes are currently being threatened with eviction——
The Deputy cannot discuss the contents of the legislation at this stage.
——because the HSE simply does not have enough money, which is understandable.
She cannot discuss that matter either.
We must regulate the fees.
The Deputy may only ask a question about the legislation.
Will the Government use the legislation to regulate the position in respect of fees?
The Deputy can raise that matter when the legislation is debated.
The Nursing Homes Support Scheme Bill is currently on Committee Stage. As soon as deliberations in that regard are completed, we will be able to discuss the matter further.
As the Taoiseach is aware, the Minister for Health and Children does not accept amendments.