It is proposed to take No. 4, Fiscal Responsibility Bill 2012 - Order for Second Stage and Second Stage. It is proposed, notwithstanding anything in Standing Orders, that the Dáil shall sit later than 9 p.m. tonight and shall adjourn on the adjournment of Private Members' business, which shall be No. 63, motion re agriculture; and Private Members' business shall take place on the conclusion of the opening speeches of No. 4 or at 7.30 p.m., whichever is the later, and shall, if not previously concluded, adjourn after 90 minutes.
Order of Business
There is one proposal to put to the House. Is the proposal that the Dáil shall sit later than 9 p.m. agreed to? Agreed.
In regard to the forthcoming referendum on children's rights, has the Referendum Commission been formally activated and a judge appointed?
I raised the issue of the commitment in the programme for Government regarding primary care with the Tánaiste last week.
Will the Taoiseach ensure, in line with the commitment given by the Tánaiste, that all documentation related to the recent announcement by the Government on the allocation of primary care centres, including those in north Dublin, is published immediately to facilitate proper discussion at the Joint Committee on Health and Children and put to bed once and for all the issues connected with the centres?
The matter has been dealt with in many other ways.
I am asking the Taoiseach to ensure the documentation is published. It is a simple question.
The referendum commission has been activated.
Will the Taoiseach publish the documentation?
While it is not a matter for the Order of Business, I am sure that whatever was agreed will be followed through.
The Taoiseach is perfectly correct; it is not a matter for the Order of Business. The Deputy should table a parliamentary question.
Ms Justice Mary Finlay Geoghegan will chair the commission.
Tá ceist agam faoi reachtaíocht atá forógraithe. The Taoiseach will recall his promise before the general election to introduce, as a priority, legislation to abolish upward only rent reviews in the case of commercial leases. Will he update the House on the status of the legislation? Is he aware that many Departments and State bodies are the holders of such leases? I am familiar with one case, although I am not sure it is fair to refer to it in the House, involving Mr. John Shine in Killybegs who lost his business and had to make his employees redundant.
The Deputy may not raise the issue on the Order of Business.
In that case, while he is waiting to introduce legislation on this matter, will the Taoiseach make a start by abolishing such clauses in contracts held by Departments and State agencies? The case to which I referred involves a contract with the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine.
The programme for Government contained a commitment to introduce legislation to end upward only rent reviews. As the Deputy will recall, in December last the Government decided not to proceed with the development of the relevant legislation, the Landlord and Tenant (Business Leases Rent Review) Bill on the basis of formal advice received from the Attorney General from a legal and constitutional perspective.
As I stated, some of the contracts in question are held by Departments and State agencies. Will the Government explore the possibility of obtaining legal advice on the matter from an tArd-Aighne?
Perhaps the Deputy might table a parliamentary question on the matter.
On the Government's commitment to transfer responsibility for accommodation under the rent allowance scheme from the Department of Social Protection to local authorities-----
The matter does not arise on the Order of Business.
I am referring to a firm Government commitment. Will legislation be required to implement it? Is the Taoiseach optimistic that the Government will meet the timetable it has set for doing so, namely, 1 January 2013?
I am not sure if the matter is addressed in the housing Bill, but I will have the details sent to the Deputy.
With regard to the health (amendment) (No. 2) Bill, the Government proposes to slash €3 million from the budget for home help hours every month until the end of the year.
Here we go again. Every day I have to tell the Deputy that contributions must be relevant to the Order of Business.
I raise a very important issue.
I am aware of that, but the Deputy should table a parliamentary question.
Some €3 million will be cut every month until the end of the year.
The matter is out of order and I will not allow the Deputy to raise it.
Does the Taoiseach realise the effect these cuts will have on those being cared for at home?
When is the health (amendment) (No. 2) Bill due?
It will be next year before-----
This is a very important issue.
All these matters are very important, but they may not be raised on the Order of Business.
The Bill will be taken next year. I remind Deputy Michael Healy-Rae that anybody who needs a home help service will have one.
This weekend marks the anniversary of the evacuation of the Priory Hall estate. Balgaddy is another estate with serious problems.
This is the Order of Business.
Recently there were two explosions in the Gleann Riada estate in County Longford and buildings have been pulled down.
The Deputy must not have heard me. I remind him that this is the Order of Business and he may only refer to promised legislation.
These problems were caused by a defective sewage system which resulted in the build-up of gases. When will the building regulations Bill be brought before the House? I have provided only a snapshot of the problems and many individual homes have been affected. The legislation is urgent.
When will the building regulations Bill be introduced?
It is not listed.
On promised legislation, will the Taoiseach outline plans for the reform of the probation service? When will the probation service Bill be introduced to give effect to an EU framework decision? Have the heads of the Bill been discussed by the Cabinet?
We cannot discuss Cabinet business.
It is in order to discuss the heads of a Bill.
Traditionally, it has been acceptable to inquire about the whereabouts of a Bill and whether the heads have been discussed by the Cabinet and ask when it is likely that legislation will be introduced in the House.
The heads of the Bill have not yet been discussed by the Cabinet. It will more than likely be next year before the probation service Bill is brought before the House.
As the Taoiseach will be aware, the purpose of the adoption (tracing and information) Bill is to deal with information on informal adoptions dating back to the 1950s. The Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, Deputy Frances Fitzgerald, has promised to bring the legislation before the House this year. When will it be introduced?
In the light of the number of wind turbines due to be erected in the midlands region, will the Wind Turbines Bill introduced in the Seanad by Senator John Kelly be brought before the Dáil?
In respect of the adoption (tracing and information) Bill, the Minister is considering the matter and has given a timeline for the legislation. The Bill is clearly related to the adoption legislation that will be an important element of the preparations for the referendum on children's rights. In all probability, the Bill will be taken next year, although I cannot confirm this. I will revert to the Deputy with further details.
On the position on wind turbines in the midlands, the memorandum of understanding under discussion between the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources, Deputy Pat Rabbitte, and his British counterpart is the foundation on which such developments might take place. For this reason, I am not in a position to confirm whether any Bill from the Seanad will be brought to this House.
Will the Taoiseach ensure the quick passage of the Construction Contracts Bill 2010 in order that it can be enacted to provide the necessary protection? In the spirit of the Bill, will he ensure the contract at Loreto secondary school in Kilkenny where the contractor has gone broke and 160 jobs are at stake-----
The Deputy is straying from the point.
Will the Taoiseach ensure the contractors are paid and will be allowed to have a representative present at a meeting with the Department of Education and Skills on Wednesday? There are 160 families affected by this €5 million contract.
I ask the Deputy to co-operate.
The subcontractors have been caught again. I ask the Taoiseach to investigate the matter fully.
The Deputy may not make such a request on the Order of Business.
The Minister for Education and Skills, Deputy Ruairí Quinn, will respond to the Deputy on the matter he raises. The Construction Contracts Bill is awaiting Committee Stage and we will see to it that the Whips have it taken as quickly as possible.
In the light of the statement made by the European Commissioner for Agriculture and the possibility that legislative changes will be introduced to implement reform of the Common Agricultural Policy, 20,000 farmers took to the streets today. It was expected that the Minister would meet them, but he did not do so.
I thought the Deputy may have been in order for once, but he has disappointed me.
This is a very important issue.
To what legislation is the Deputy referring?
I am referring to changes to European legislation.
This is Dáil Éireann, not the European Parliament.
I accept that. The Minister has stated changes will be made at European level. Will amending legislation be introduced in the House? Will we fight to save the Common Agricultural Policy?
Has legislation been promised?
The Minister has never been afraid to meet farmers.
Where was he today?
He did not walk over them on the footpath, as happened in previous years.
He did not go near the footpath.
I ask the Deputy to behave himself.
The Minister has arranged, at his request, four public meetings with farmers, one in each province in the next ten days, to discuss CAP reform, the protection of the budget and single farm payment scheme and other matters.
He could have met them today.
The Minister of State, Deputy Shane McEntee, met representatives of the farming organisations today. The Deputy should not engage in this kind of palaver.
It is not palaver. The Minister was expected outside.
The farmers themselves were very happy to hear of the Kerry Group's announcement today of a €100 million investment in the added value for food production.
There was a good bit for Mayo as well. We all welcome this announcement.
Deputy Mattie McGrath is just talking palaver.
A bit like Deputy Keaveney's e-mails then.
Deputy Mattie McGrath will not be charging €5 this time around for attending these meetings. These are free meetings.
Deputy Kehoe should go back to being a big spender on the shop floor.
Thank you, Deputy. I call Deputy Bannon.
Deputy Kehoe should go back to the shop floor. He might want another house.
Further to what the Taoiseach has announced, one of the meetings in question will take place in my constituency and the Minister will be present.
(Interruptions).
Stroke politics is alive and well.
Regarding the issue of housing estate problems raised by Sinn Féin, their Deputies do not have their facts right. I have raised it on numerous occasions before Sinn Féin ever did.
That is probably why the problem is still there.
I have raised it on numerous occasions before Sinn Féin ever did.
Well, get on with it then.
The most appropriate Bill to deal with this problem would be the environmental liability Bill. Would this come under housing or health and safety? When will it come before the House?
What is the name of the Bill?
The environmental liability Bill.
He raised it before and he does not even know what he is talking about.
I thank Deputy Bannon for confirming the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Marine will attend a public meeting in Longford on farming.
It will be in Mullingar.
Good and noble counties like Longford and Westmeath deserve a public meeting in that regard. The environmental liability Bill is not due until next year.
What is the status of the horse racing Ireland (amendment) Bill? Both the Taoiseach and the Minister have made numerous public comments on it. Will any aspect of it be dealt with in the finance Bill?
That Bill will be taken early next year. I know Deputy Lowry is a man interested in horses and has an old nag running well.