It is proposed to take Nos. 1 and 2 in that order; to take No. 1 until 5.30 and take the motion from then until 8.30.
Order of Business.
On the Order of Business, Motion No. 15—the legal aid motion—has been on the Order Paper now for about ten months. Whilst I am grateful that the Leader of the House is giving time today for the motion on housing I want to draw the attention of the House to the fact that on two occasions—the first was just before we rose last summer—I asked that this motion on legal aid be given some priority. At that time the Leader of the House said that he hoped it would be taken early in the next term. Shortly before Christmas the motion still had not been taken and I asked again that it be taken. I cannot remember the exact words that the Leader of the House used but they were fairly much in the affirmative that the motion would be taken. It is a most urgent motion. For various reasons, primarily because since it was last discussed in this House the Pringle Report has been issued, we now have the Free Legal Advice Centre planning to close down the only fulltime community law centre in Ireland. We also had recently reports that the Government intend to fight fully Mrs. Joanna Airey's case in the European Court of Human Rights. It is scandalous that this motion has been on the Order Paper for so long and, despite several assurances, has not been taken. I would like the Leader of the House to inform us why it has not been taken, why it cannot be taken instead of the housing motion and, if it is not being taken, when it might be.
Coming back to the matter I raised last week, I am disappointed that the recent White Paper entitled "Programme for National Development 1978-81" does not yet appear on the Order Paper. I urged last week the desirability of this House being afforded an early opportunity to debate this paper which is concerned with matters of great public importance. Particularly as Senators should have constructive and helpful comment to make on some of these policy issues, such as the development of pay in the immediate future and improvement of industrial relations, it is very desirable that the House be afforded an opportunity soon to debate the White Paper. I wonder could the Leader of the House indicate what are the Government's intentions in this respect.
I wanted to draw the attention of the House to Motion No. 17 which appears for the first time on the Order Paper: "That Seanad Éireann notes the report of the Council for the Status of Women on rape". This motion is signed also by Senator Alexis FitzGerald and Senator Robinson and therefore has support from all parties on this side of the House. I had hoped for support from the other side of the House as well which has not, unfortunately, materialised. This subject is of great concern and urgency for a variety of reasons I will not go into. The report which the motion mentions was brought out last October and has not been commented on or replied to, except very briefly in the other House. The only other motion down in my name now is No. 8 on the Order Paper, which directly emanated from the women's movement and was judged inadmissible because it was sub judice. Now, nearly a year later it still is not before the courts and has not been debated. I want to appeal to all parties in the House to arrange together that Motion No. 17 be taken very early because it is time that Senators showed that they do have some interest in ensuring that these items of such importance be debated in the House.
With regard to Motion No. 15, I cannot give Senator Molony any definite time when it can be taken. The Minister is not in a position to deal with it at the moment but I will certainly convey the urgency of dealing with it which Senator Molony has stressed. As regards Senator Hussey's Motion No. 17, I will bear in mind what she said in regard to taking that as soon as possible. With regard to the White Paper, I have spoken to the Minister for Finance about that and I hope to be able to say when it will be taken. It will not be for the next week or two but I will endeavour to have it on as soon as possible.
Order of Business agreed to.