It is proposed to take No. 21, ESB (Electronic Communications Networks) Bill 2013 - Report and Final Stages (resumed), to adjourn at 2 p.m. if not previously concluded; No. 2 - Public Health (Sunbeds) Bill 2013 - Second Stage (resumed); and No. 3 - Health Service Executive (Financial Matters) Bill 2013 - Order for Second Stage and Second Stage.
Order of Business
There are no proposals to be put to the House. I call Deputy Niall Collins on the Order of Business.
I have nothing on the Order of Business.
Deputy McDonald, have you anything?
I have something over here.
Hold on, the normal practice is that the leaders are given preference. Cool down, Deputy Durkan, and I will get to you.
All of us looked with horror at the storms, not least yesterday. Over 200,000 homes are still without electricity. As we know the cost of the damage will run into tens of millions of euro. I wish to ask the Tánaiste about the national co-ordination group. I understand it is meeting this morning to assess the damage. When will the committee report to Government? When will the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government come to the Dáil with a comprehensive report on the damages and the finances that will be required to begin the process of putting things to right?
I can only express surprise that none of the three questions on Leaders' Questions this morning referred to the suffering that a quarter of a million households in this country have endured as a result of the storm damage last night. I had prepared a detailed reply in anticipation that some member of the Opposition would consider the plight of these people sufficiently important to have raised it on Leaders' Questions.
(Interruptions).
The Tánaiste is trying to dictate what the Opposition should ask questions on. It is pure Stalinism.
We acknowledged the emergency workers working all night.
A Deputy
They missed an opportunity.
(Interruptions).
They were looking for the Minister, Deputy Ruairí Quinn, to go to a meeting.
What an opposition.
We have been discussing it for the past two days.
(Interruptions).
We will get Deputy Collins the Minister's number.
Please allow the Tánaiste to reply and then you can have your chance of asking a question properly, rather than shouting at each other.
What a jolly mixture.
We will give Deputy Collins the Minister's mobile telephone number.
That applies to you as well as the other side, Deputy Kehoe.
Over 2,000 ESB Networks staff are out repairing the electricity supply network. They will be supported by contractors that they are bringing in.
They are bringing in crews from Northern Ireland Electricity and they have been mobilised in the worst affected areas.
It is expected that the restoration process will take a number of days. As the damage is assessed, more detailed information will be provided on expected restoration times in local areas. Helicopters are being used by the ESB and they are operating out of Dungarvan and Kilcullen to patrol the lines and assess damage to the network. Patrols will be deployed as necessary throughout the day traversing the south of the country. There are also patrols in a number of specific areas and there is a plan for the restoration of the electricity supply.
Separately, the co-ordination group is meeting now and they are looking at the reports they are getting from the local authorities about the extent of the damage that has been done in addition to the reports from the ESB. Earlier this week, the Government considered the position up to 6 January and made decisions on foot of that. The information continues to come in from local authorities to assess what is needed.
In addition, 350 members of the Defence Forces have been put on standby to assist the local authorities in the work they have to do.
The Tánaiste did not answer the question. When will the co-ordination group report to Government?
It is reporting on an hourly and daily basis to the Minister. This is a serious emergency affecting many people.
When will the housing (miscellaneous provisions) Bill come before the House to give all Members an opportunity to debate the grants payable by local authorities to the elderly and disabled? The recent changes announced by the Labour Party Minister of State with responsibility for housing can only be described as a callous, calculated attempt to restrict eligibility to grant aid for the most vulnerable people in our society.
The Deputy can raise that during the debate.
When will that most important legislation come before the House?
This session.
I refer to the 13,000 Irish Nationwide Building Society mortgage holders. What legislation is being put in place-----
The Deputy cannot raise that on the Order of Business. He should table a Topical Issue matter. I would be only too pleased to consider it.
Legislation is needed to protect these people. Their loans are being sold off to the highest bidder and they could be bought by an international company with no protection for them.
The Deputy cannot do this on the Order of Business. He should table a Topical Issue matter and I will deal with it. I call Deputy Hannigan.
There is legislation. It is No. 83 on the list.
I do not know what is No. 83 on the list.
The Bill is on the legislative programme.
Which Bill?
It is the Bill to protect loan books that are sold by regulated institutions to unregulated institutions. It is due for publication in 2015.
I did not know that.
The appropriate question is: will the Government ensure the Bill is brought forward because of the sale of the INBS loan book and those of other banks?
That is grand. There is no point getting excited. The Deputy should just mention the legislation. That is all I ask.
The expected publication date of the Bill to which Deputy Doherty referred is 2015.
That will be too late.
The loans will be sold next month.
The Deputy should listen to the reply.
The issue is the sale of the loan book will take place long before that and that is why the Minister for Finance is working on this with the Central Bank in order that the mortgage holders concerned will not be put in a worse situation as a result of the sale.
It could not be worse.
The Government is concerned about the position of the mortgage holders. It is being examined and I expect it will be dealt with.
The Tánaiste attended the Foreign Affairs Council in Brussels last Monday and the Minister of State at the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Deputy Donohoe, attended the General Affairs Council on Tuesday. Climate change was one of the issues on the agenda. The climate action Bill is in preparation. When can we expect progress on that?
That Bill, which will be the first occasion on which climate change targets will be put on a statutory basis, will be published later this year.
I join the Tánaiste in expressing concern at the failure of the Opposition to raise the pertinent issue of storm damage all over the country, which is in the hearts and minds of everyone.
The Deputy should get on with his question. We do not want a debate.
The Deputy creates enough wind over there.
I will move on to the next speaker if the Deputy does not put a question.
I strongly support the Tánaiste.
With regard to promised legislation, what is the current position in regard to the employment permits Bill? I also refer to the heritage (amendment) Bill.
Why does the Deputy not speak to the Ministers responsible? They are in his party.
Have the heads been approved by Government yet? When will they come before the House? Can we help the Opposition to focus its attention on important issues in the future?
The Bill was approved by the Government on 28 January. Complex technical, legal issues are still being sorted out and the Bill is expected to be published this session.
I am surprised the Deputy did not know that.
When will the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources inform the House of the specific terms of reference of the so-called independent commission relating to EirGrid? I refer to the EirGrid legislation which has been put back to 2015 and I do not know why.
The Minister informs me that he would be happy to reply to parliamentary questions on that.
I have tabled them.
Inshore fishermen who have small boats have been unable to generate an income since Christmas. Will the Government do anything to support them under the sea-fisheries Bill? They do not have access to funds.
We will discuss the Bill first and then we will see what can be done.
The Bill is due this session.
People with severe disabilities cannot access public transport and this poses huge problems for them and imposes significant costs on them. The health (transport support) Bill, if enacted, will introduce a scheme whereby payments will be made to help with costs incurred using other transport means to allow them to do their essential business. When will the Bill be introduced? Has the Cabinet discussed it?
Members cannot ask about Cabinet discussions. That is out of order.
The health (transport support) Bill will be taken this year.
According to The Irish Times today, Chartered Land is preparing to demolish No. 18 Moore Street. Will the Tánaiste support the outstanding issues relating to this national monument under the national monuments Bill?
The Bill is due later this year. The Government supports the enforcement of the national monuments legislation.
Fuel laundering is costing the State millions of euro and black market operators pose a major threat to the economy. At least four fillings stations have closed in my constituency.
That is all very interesting but the Deputy should refer to legislation.
This is impacting greatly on jobs.
The Deputy has not brought too many to Longford over the past three years.
The energy (miscellaneous provisions) Bill will impose financial penalties for the infringement of energy undertakings. When is it due?
Next year.
With regard to the climate change legislation, the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government made a commitment to set up an expert advisory group prior to its introduction on an ad hoc basis? Is legislation needed to set up the advisory group? When will the group be established?
I understand the Minister is working on the composition of the group and I expect it will be established shortly.
The Tánaiste expressed concern about, and interest in, the plight of INBS and IBRC mortgage holders and he indicated work is being done with the Central Bank to address this.
Why will the Government not bring the publication of the sale of loan books to unregulated third parties Bill forward from 2015? It appears this legislation could offer practical assistance to the people to whom I refer. In the past the Government demonstrated its ability to bring forward legislation as a matter of urgency. Why is this legislation not a matter of urgency?
Is there any chance that the Bill might be introduced earlier?
The preparation of the Bill is obviously a matter for the Minister for Finance. As stated previously, the concerns of mortgage holders are being dealt with by the Government as a matter of urgency in any event. The mortgage books of two institutions have already been sold. In both cases the purchasers are applying the code of conduct relating to mortgage arrears. Work has already been done on this matter.
There are serious concerns with regard to rateable valuations and the review that is currently under way in many local authority areas. Of course, that review presents challenges for small businesses and retailers. Reform is proposed under the Valuation (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2012. When will that legislation be introduced in the Dáil?
The Bill is currently before the Seanad. It is quite complex and technical in nature. Due in part to the issues that were raised during the consultation process, a large number of amendments will be proposed on Committee Stage. There has been a delay in the context of proceeding with Committee Stage in the Upper House. Issues relating to the consultation process and the complexity of the legislation and the retirement of the official in the Office of the Parliamentary Council who was overseeing its drafting during 2013 has contributed to that delay. The amendments that will be proposed on Committee Stage in the Seanad are at an advanced stage of drafting. Every effort is being made to expedite the passage of the Bill. It is expected to progress through the Oireachtas before the summer recess.