It is proposed to take No. 31, Merchant Shipping (Registration of Ships) Bill 2013 - Second Stage (resumed). Private Members' business shall be No. 55, Water Services (Exempt Charges) Bill 2014 – Second Stage (resumed), to be taken immediately after the Order of Business and, if not previously concluded, brought to a conclusion after 90 minutes.
Order of Business
Second Stage of the Merchant Shipping (Registration of Ships) Bill 2013 was concluded just before the Order of Business. The Tánaiste was not to know that.
I apologise.
No problem; it was ordered. There are no proposals to be put to the House.
I want an assessment from the Tánaiste regarding proposed legislation on the universal health insurance programme in the programme for Government. I have identified nine pieces of legislation in the programme for Government that were promised and that are key to universal health insurance. They need to establish the legislative basis for universal health insurance, the hospital insurance fund, the patient safety authority, the hospital care purchase agency, the HSE’s function of purchasing care for uninsured patients and the treatment purchase fund to deal with the transition. That involves legislation that has been provided for. There are also the universal primary care Act and the integrated care agency Act. There is no sense that any of this will happen in the lifetime of the Government.
Yesterday I asked about the health reform Bill, which was to provide for the disestablishment of the HSE. It was first put on the list in January but was not on the October list which we received yesterday. It is gone. This suggests the Minister for Health, Deputy Varadkar, is getting his way. The Government owes it to the House. The programme for Government is redundant regarding universal health insurance and we will not see any of the related legislation before the end of the term of this Government. Could the Tánaiste clarify this? She has discussed the legislative programme and priorities for the next year and a half with the Taoiseach. The Minister for Health is trying to say these are not realistic propositions, and there is an onus on the Tánaiste and the Taoiseach to be honest and upfront with the House and the people and stop the mirage and almost fantasy-land speak about all these changes which are not going to happen. They will not even happen for the five years after this general election because somebody said it might be the following general election before we see this. If the programme for Government is to have any credibility, it must be specific and precise on what is going to happen, not on what is not going to happen.
Could the Tánaiste indicate the commission of inquiry following the Guerin report?
The Deputy asked the question on health legislation directly of the Taoiseach yesterday, and probably at greater length, and the Taoiseach undertook to supply the Deputy with a detailed written reply. The Taoiseach has requested answers to the Deputy’s list of inquiries from the Department of Health and as soon as they are returned, they will be made available to the Deputy.
The Department said it is not workable.
We will not discuss it now. The Deputy should wait until he receives the list.
Exactly; we will not discuss it.
The Deputy is an expert on commentary and reports from the Department of Health.
(Interruptions).
They are the Government’s reports.
The Deputy has great experience of the Department of Health and he knows even better than I do that there are always views and discussions within Departments during the approach to the budget regarding the settling of departmental Estimates. We are in the period when we will settle the budget for 2015. The Taoiseach and I, on the formation of the new Cabinet, agreed the priorities for the rest of the Government’s term. The Taoiseach will communicate with the Deputy on the details of the programme for Government. The two items on the A list from health relate to health insurance equalisation, which is important, and services for the over-70s, which are a priority, as has been mentioned right around the House. I am glad those items are being prioritised.
Could the Tánaiste shed some light on the issue of the interdepartmental report in respect of the mother and baby homes and the timeline around its completion if it is not yet complete? When can we expect its publication and when will we see the terms of reference for the commission of investigation into those matters? I raised the matter yesterday with the Taoiseach and appealed to him as I appeal to the Tánaiste now to ensure the terms of reference are comprehensive and inclusive in the manner articulated by the advocacy groups. Furthermore, can the Tánaiste update the House on the consolidated domestic violence legislation?
I am sure the Tánaiste is concerned about the reported abuse of contracting and subcontracting regulations in the construction industry. In some cases, this relates to Government building projects such as Kishoge Community College in Lucan, County Dublin. Does the Government propose to bring forward legislative measures to deal with those abuses and the loopholes in the current system?
On the interdepartmental committee looking at the issue of the mother and baby homes, there were revelations on the mother and baby home in Tuam and subsequently on Bessborough in Cork. That would be personally known to a lot of us who have been involved in the issue over a long period of time, but not to the wider Irish public. The interdepartmental group pulled together in a very short period of time before the summer recess all of the available data and ensured it will be available as necessary to put into the public domain. Having been involved in the issue over a long period and having studied it, I consider that report to have been extremely useful. It sets out some of the facts and figures which some people in Irish society knew but which many, particularly almost everyone under 40 unless he or she is adopted, would not necessarily have been aware of. It has been very helpful.
I am very happy the Government has agreed to the commission of inquiry. It is an enormous step forward. We are dealing with legacy issues from the hidden Ireland of long ago. Many of those who are affected personally and deeply by this in terms of the whole of their lives are of advanced age and it is important that we address all of the outstanding issues. We will not be able to do that all at once. A well-recommended judge, Judge Yvonne Murphy, whose extensive experience of working in this area over the last decade and more is familiar to those who know the area, has been appointed. The terms of reference are being worked on.
I understand and accept the Deputy's two anxieties. The first is that this should proceed reasonably on a timeline that does not lag for too long. While I accept that, it is important to get the terms of reference right. The second is that a series of issues have been identified as we know from the information from the advocacy groups. It is important that we provide in the terms of reference an opportunity for all of those important issues to be inquired into in an orderly fashion within a reasonable time. Some of the issues are important to small groups of people while others are of much wider social significance. I expect the terms of reference will be available in the near future. I cannot provide an exact date, but I am much more anxious to get this right than simply to rush it. That is my instinct having been involved in this for many years and having known a huge number of people personally affected by it. That is my view.
I do not dispute that.
When is it expected to bring the promised climate action and low carbon development Bill before the House? Have the heads been approved by Cabinet and will it be passed by the end of the session?
I have previously raised the bail Bill in the past and I am sure the Tánaiste is also concerned about it. It seems to have moved somewhat into the dim and distant future. Is it intended to bring the Bill before the House as early as possible? The legislation is still pertinent and the matter of bail needs to be addressed.
I am happy to say the climate action and low carbon development Bill is on the A list and I anticipate it will be dealt with in this session. The heads were cleared in April and I am happy to say the Government is proceeding with it. There is no date set as yet for the bail Bill.
There is a great deal of confusion as to when the EirGrid Bill will be published. What is the status of the Central Bank (consolidation) Bill? Since we left here in July, evictions have carried on as has intimidation by banks and there is no control over them and their actions. The housing list is expanding. Why would it not when apartments are being de-tenanted? There are huge issues. When are we going to see the Bill?
The EirGrid Bill is for next year. I do not have an exact date for the Central Bank legislation, but I expect it will be dealt with next year.
When is the ratification of the EU free-trade agreement with Colombia and Peru expected to come before the Dáil? There are concerns about human rights in Colombia and the reporting and monitoring of the free-trade agreement. Will we be able to have a debate on the issue in the House?
I will have to obtain a report and write to the Deputy on the details. I suggest the appropriate place for a debate might be the relevant committee. Obviously, it is a detailed technical item. As the Deputy says, there are also human rights issues involved.
It has already been through committee.
In that case, the Deputy might talk to the Whips to see what might be appropriate to assist with the discussion.
Each year, the independent rapporteur on child protection launches a report and provides it to the Government. My understanding is that the report is provided to the relevant Minister in January. It is now almost the end of September, but we are still waiting for the publication before the Houses of the 2013 report. When will the report be put before the Houses and when will Members of the Dáil and Seanad have an opportunity to discuss its contents?
My second question is on the health service amendment legislation with particular reference to the early-access programme for patients suffering with hepatitis C. There are new direct-acting anti-viral drugs which will sustain patients who are contaminated through no fault of their own with hepatitis C. Ours is one of the few countries in Europe which is not providing these drugs to patients. When will we have an opportunity to have the legislation brought before the House so the Minister can direct the HSE to provide these drugs to critically ill patients?
I will have to make inquiries on the rapporteur's report. If the Deputy cares to take the matter up with his own and the Government Whip, we might get a date on that. I do not have the information to hand on it.
It is the Minister who has to put it before the House.
The appropriate approach is for the Deputy to ask his own Whip to take it up at the Whips' meeting.
I do not have a firm date for the legislation associated with hepatitis C, but I can come back to the Deputy on it.
Will the Tánaiste update us on the status of the value for money review of small schools? The Government has been sitting on it for 18 months and in the meantime has implemented many measures that have been damaging to small schools across the country. Can we have an indication of when it will be laid before the House in order that we can have a debate on it?
A second matter concerns the upcoming social welfare Bill after the budget. Are there plans to reform the way the back to education allowance is administered and properly empower Intreo officers to make decisions and work with applicants to ensure they can be supported in going back to education? Will the Tánaiste reform it in the social welfare Bill?
I will make inquiries of the Minister for Education and Skills on the value for money review of small schools and see if there is a date for it. With regard to back to education schemes, the Deputy is aware that we are supporting over 20,000 people extremely successfully in returning to education. Most people going back to education have a personal case manager and we maintain high levels of contact. If the Deputy has feedback or proposals on how to make it easier for people or for additional services through the new Intreo offices, he might let me know and I will come back to him on them.
The Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government, Deputy Alan Kelly, has indicated that a housing strategy document and plan will be introduced shortly to address the crisis in housing. This applies particularly to the homeless crisis, given that between 30 and 40 new families are coming into the homeless section every month. People are being sent to hotels to queue for places. A second housing Bill will be introduced. Could the strategy be brought forward and debated at the same time? We must get down and discuss the issue.
The housing regulation Bill is due for publication next year. There has been some discussion and criticism of the impact of regulation and how changes might help to speed up the building and delivery of houses. I do not have a date for the Bill, but I will talk to the Minister and come back to the Deputy on it.
When is publication expected of the family law Bill to make provision for pension adjustments in the context of separation agreements and certain other reforms in family law?
I do not have a date for that legislation.
The programme for Government provides for measures to be introduced to tackle welfare fraud. I congratulate the Tánaiste on the recruitment of additional gardaí to help her in her crusade in that regard. Why did the Minister for Finance, Deputy Michael Noonan, prevent the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Deputy Brendan Howlin, from recruiting additional Revenue inspectors to deal with white-collar crime-----
That is not a matter for the Order of Business.
-----and the projected loss to the Exchequer of €150 million-----
The Deputy should table a parliamentary question or submit a Topical Issue. I ask him to resume his seat. He is out of order. That completes the Order of Business.