It is proposed to take No. 24, statements on the 20-year strategy on the Irish language (resumed), to adjourn at 2 p.m. today if not previously concluded; and No. 21, statements on the Government's priorities for the year ahead (resumed). It is proposed, notwithstanding anything in Standing Orders, that the Dáil shall on its rising today adjourn until 2 p.m. on Tuesday, 25 March 2014.
Order of Business
There is one proposal to be put to the House. Is the proposal that the Dáil shall on its rising today adjourn until 2 p.m. on Tuesday, 25 March 2014 agreed to? Agreed.
Make it Wednesday.
Guím gach rath ar mhuintir na tíre anseo agus thar lear. Guím gach rath freisin ar na hAirí atá ag dul thar lear. Cuirim fáilte roimh an athrú intinne. Nuair a bhí siad ar an taobh seo den Teach bhí siad ag gearán go raibh Airí ag dul thar lear. Anois, níl ach Aire amháin fágtha sa tír i gcóir Lá Fhéile Pádraig. Níl a fhios agam cad a dúirt an tAire sin leis an Taoiseach nó an fáth a bhfuil sé fágtha.
My first question is about the Charities Bill. Can the Minister give us an update on where are the remaining bits of the Charities Bill? Is the Government planning any changes in light of the revelations this week regarding the director of an organisation being paid by the same organisation to be a lobbyist? Does he envisage any changes on the back of that?
Can the Minister update us on the status of the Seanad reform Bill? Has the Government given any consideration to the various proposals about giving Irish emigrants a vote in Seanad Éireann?
I join with Deputy Calleary in wishing people a very happy St. Patrick's Day. I know many people will be travelling and I hope they do so safely. As the Deputy acknowledges, ministerial travel abroad is of benefit to our economy and the promotion of Ireland as a good location for tourism and economic activity. This is a good opportunity and many countries would be envious of the way in which we can get access to so many different countries to celebrate this festive occasion and to build beneficial relationships from it.
The legislation in respect of lobbyists is in preparation. As the Deputy is aware, the detail has been outlined in broad terms. I will have to get back to the Deputy on the status of the Charities Bill. There is no promised legislation on voting arrangements for Irish emigrants. The constitutional convention is sitting and has, no doubt, made some comments in respect of that, which will come to Government in due course.
Guím rath orthu siúd ar fad a bhfuil gafa leis an bhféile náisiúnta anseo agus thar lear, go háirithe na deoraithe nua atá tar éis an tír a fhágáil le cúpla bliain anuas.
Níl mé ag iarraidh caithimh ar an Aire, an Teachta Bruton, ach i rith Seachtain na Gaeilge is trua nach raibh Aire sinsearach ar fáil chun ceisteanna ó chinnirí nó an tOrd Gnó a ghlacadh trí Ghaeilge. Is tubaisteach é sin. Tugann sé an comhartha mícheart don domhan. Is masla dúinn é atá ag déanamh iarrachta ar a laghad lá amháin in aghaidh na bliana a bheadh an Ghaeilge chun cinn sa Dáil.
Dúirt an tAire liom sa Dáil i mí Iúil 2011 go ndéanfaidh sé iarracht an meabhrán mínithe do gach Bille a chur ar fáil go dátheangach. Níl ceann ar bith foilsithe as Gaeilge nó dátheangach ó shin i leith. Cathain a bheidh athrú ar an scéal sin?
Tá mé ag lorg eolais maidir le trí Bhille. An chéad cheann ná an Bille um choiriúil caimiléireachta, uimh. 52 ar an liosta. Tá an Bille sin chun Achtanna frithchaimiléireachta 1889 – 2010 a chónascadh. Beidh sé sin tábhachtach maidir leis an gceist is deireanaí a bhíomar ag plé.
An dara Bille ná an Bille maidir leis na hinstitiúidí cultúrtha náisiúnta, uimh. 68 ar an liosta. An bhfuil na cinn Billí foilsithe nó an bhfuil aon athrú tuairime maidir le cinneadh seafóideach an Rialtais atá taobh thiar den Bhille?
Maidir le huimh. 66, an bhfuil aon tuairim ag an Aire cathain a bheidh an Bille aitheantas inscne os ár gcomhair? Chríochnaigh an coiste ag plé na cinn Billí agus cuireadh ar aghaidh an tuairisc chuig an Aire roimh an Nollaig.
I join with the Deputy in wishing those who have left our shores to find work well. The most useful thing we can do is create an economy that once again offers opportunities. It is encouraging to see that in the past 12 months, employment growth in this country has been faster than in any other OECD country. Hopefully, we will be in a position to offer more and more people the chance to find work here.
I note the Deputy's comment that it is a pity we do not have an Irish-speaking Minister here. Like many others who have been through our school system - I think we probably sat through 1,500 hours, which someone heard was the estimated time for the teaching of Irish - I would not feel competent to answer questions as Gaeilge with the sort of exactitude that would be necessary in this House. I acknowledge that there are others who can do so. I have been around this House for a long number of years and to be fair to the Taoiseach, Tánaiste and Ministers, a far greater amount of Irish is now used in this House than was the case in the many years I have served here.
There is no date for the national cultural institutions (No. 1) Bill and heads have not come to Government. There is no date for the public health (standardised packaging of tobacco) Bill. There is no date for the gender recognition Bill.
Given the level of crime and corruption hitting the headlines on a daily basis, particularly in respect of the white-collar sector, when can we expect the criminal justice (corruption) Bill to come before the House?
A date has not been fixed for that Bill.
No doubt the Minister will be aware that on occasions people have issues with their neighbours about noise nuisance. The noise nuisance Bill, which will help local authorities with fines and new powers, in the pipeline. Cathain a mbeidh an Bille os comhair an Tí?
I am afraid that there is, as yet, no date for that Bill. I know of the considerable interest in that proposed legislation but I do not have a date for it.
Tá a fhios ag an Aire go bhfuil a lán daoine atá ar liúntas cíosa agus ar an scéim cóiríochta cíosa i gcoimhlint le tiarnaí talún ós rud é go bhfuil cíosanna ag éirí. Tá cuid acu gan dídean agus ar na sráideanna. Cathain a bheidh an Bille um thiarnaí talún agus tionóntaí os comhair an Tí?
In respect of the rental accommodation scheme, RAS, and the rent supplement, new housing assistance payments legislation is in preparation.
There is no date for the landlord and tenant Bill but work is continuing on it.
Aontaím leis an Teachta Calleary gur cheart dúinn fáilte a chur roimh an athrú meoin atá tagtha ar an Taoiseach agus an Rialtas. Guím gach rath ar na hAirí agus na hAirí Stáit atá ag taisteal ar fud an domhain chun Lá Fhéile Pádraig a cheiliúradh. Tá súil againn ar fad anseo go n-éireoidh leo tuilleadh infheistíochta a sholáthar don tír agus tuilleadh turasóirí a mhealladh anseo.
Last week, I raised the commitment in the programme for Government concerning the 32 surviving Thalidomide victims. I have raised this matter repeatedly and I understood from the Tánaiste last week that somebody would get back to me to respond to two simple questions. First, what progress, if any, has the Government made in honouring that commitment to these survivors? Second, as yet, has the Minister for Health - as was indicated to me on several past occasions - met with the two organisations representing them?
Unfortunately, I only have a briefing on promised legislation, so I must advise the Deputy to submit a parliamentary question to the Minister for Health in respect of those two matters. I do not know of any promised legislation in that regard, but if there is I will communicate with the Deputy. However, I do not think there is any such promised legislation.
Ba mhaith liom cur leis an díomá atá léirithe nach bhfuil Aire le Gaeilge anseo inniu. Is ceist don duine í Gaeilge a bheith aige nó aici, nó gan Ghaeilge a bheith aige nó aici. Ar ndóigh, feidhmíonn an Rialtas mar aonad. An chéad uair eile a bheidh lá na Gaeilge i gceist, molaim nach mbeidh sé buailte le Lá Fhéile Pádraig nuair a bheidh na hAirí le Gaeilge imithe amach as an tír. Is dócha go dtugann sé drochshampla ceart don phobal faoi Sheachtain na Gaeilge nuair nach féidir rudaí beaga bunúsacha a dhéanamh chun cloí le spiorad an lae. Sílim go raibh sé mífhéaráilte an tAire, an Teachta Bruton, a chur sa spota ina bhfuil sé inniu. Nuair a bheidh lá na Gaeilge sa Dáil á eagrú againn feasta, ba cheart dúinn a chinntiú go dtarlaíonn sé níos túisce sa tseachtain, ionas go mbeidh na hAirí atá in ann freagraí a thabhairt dúinn i nGaeilge ar fáil ar a laghad ar lá amháin sa bhliain. Aontaím leis an Aire go bhfaighim freagra i nGaeilge líofa aon uair a chuirim ceist ar an Taoiseach nó an Tánaiste i nGaeilge. Bail ó Dhia orthu.
Ba mhaith liom dhá cheist shonracha a chur. Baineann an chéad cheist leis an mBille atá geallta i dtaobh cosaint na dtomhaltóirí agus iomaíocht, a thagann faoin Roinn Post, Fiontar agus Nuálaíochta. Bhí sé ar an liosta A ag dul siar chomh fada le fómhar na bliana 2012. An féidir leis an Aire a rá linn cén uair a fhoilseofar an reachtaíocht sin? Mar is eol don Aire, tá sé thar a bheith práinneach de bharr rudaí atá ag tarlú ó thaobh cúrsaí mairteola sa tír, mar shampla. Is cuimhin linn cad a tharla roimh an Nollaig maidir le fataí agus glasraí. Tá ceist eile agam. Tá áthas orm go bhfuil Aire Stáit na Gaeltachta ina shuí le hais an Aire. An féidir leis a rá linn cén uair a fhoilseofar go hoifigiúil cinn an Bhille leasmhair ar Acht na dTeangacha Oifigiúla? Tá siad ar fáil go neamhoifigiúil ag an saol Fódhla, ach b'fhéidir go bhfuil an tAire in ann a rá linn cén uair a gheobhaidh muid iad go hoifigiúil.
The Deputy cannot encourage Ministers to go abroad for St. Patrick's Day and then lament the fact that there are not enough of them here to deal with all the questions as Gaeilge.
The trips could have been scheduled for the weekend.
To be fair, I have been a Member of this House for many years and I have never seen a Taoiseach and Tánaiste deal constantly with more questions in Irish.
Of course.
The House is making progress in this area but we must acknowledge that not every Member of the House has the level of competence in Irish to deal with the serious matters that Deputies might raise on the Order of Business or during Leaders' Questions. I am therefore dealing with this issue to the best of my ability.
The translation the Minister got from his colleague was not very good. What I actually suggested was that we should have had this debate on Tuesday or Wednesday when the Taoiseach and Tánaiste were around. I explained that I was very understanding of the Minister's situation. It is invidious that the Government has put him in this position here today.
The heads of the Bill reviewing the Irish language will come to the Government shortly. I understand that the consumer and competition Bill will be published in this session.
Ba mhaith liom fiosrú a dhéanamh i dtaobh Bille Uimh. 72 - the Mediation Bill, which has been promised for some time. I am anxious to know whether the heads have been discussed and approved by the Cabinet. If so, when is it expected that the Bill will be brought before the House?
It will be later this year.
It strikes me that the Minister and I will be facing off again next Monday when Castlebar Mitchels take on St. Vincent's. In the absence of the Taoiseach, I wish Castlebar Mitchels every success next Monday in the All Ireland club football final.
Níl sé sin in ord, ach ba mhaith liom-----
Is it promised legislation?
I am afraid the Taoiseach was not good enough to leave me at home to see St. Vincent's win the championship this year, so I too will unfortunately be out of the country when that great contest occurs. However, I certainly wish Castlebar Mitchels well.
But not well enough.
I will stick to the blue and whites, however, and will be supporting St. Vincent's who have earned their opportunity.
Ba mhaith liom Lá Fheile Pádraig faoi mhaise a ghuí ar na Teachtaí Dála go léir agus leis an bhfoireann go léir i dTithe an Oireachtais.