Seanad Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 20 May 1987

Vol. 116 No. 2

Order of Business.

Mr. Lanigan

It is intended to take Items Nos. 1, 2 and 3 and that we should take Item No. 2 until 5.30 p.m. We break from 5.30 p.m. to 6.30 p.m. We have one and a half hours on Item No. 3 this week and we take the remainder of that motion next week.

As regards accommodation, I have taken note of what has been said by the Senators and I can assure the Seanad that I will take up the cudgels on their behalf as well because it is disgraceful that people are here and have not got proper accommodation. I can guarantee that I will use my good offices to ensure that this does not continue so.

Mr. Ferris

On the Order of Business, Item No. 29 is similar in a way to Item No. 3. No discussion has taken place at the Committee on Procedure and Privileges — because we do not have a committee yet — on the order in which Private Members' motions will be taken. In the last Seanad there was an agreement that we would rotate. I wonder how it was decided which Private Members' motion would be taken first. I am asking whether it is possible for us to take Item No. 29 in conjunction with Item No. 30. Item No. 3 talks about the Government reconsidering their budgetary proposals and I must remind the proposers of that motion that it is literally their budgetary proposals we are talking about. Mine is more specific in that it relates to decisions being made by health boards in line with the Government's——

An Cathaoirleach

I am not allowing the Senator to move it now.

Mr. Ferris

With due respect, I am asking the Leader of the House, through the Chair, if he would agree to take Item No. 29. It is not a matter for the Cathaoirleach to decide what motions are taken.

An Cathaoirleach

Senator Brendan Ryan.

Mr. B. Ryan

I am not a new Senator so the Chair will probably not indulge me at all but I am offended at reading newspaper reports about the accommodation crisis of the entire Seanad without anything being provided for us here to tell us what is going to be done for us, at us, with us or without us. I am even more astonished when I look at the Estimates and discover that the Office of Public Works have a zero provision for alterations to the Houses of the Oireachtas for 1987. The commitments that we got about speedy renovations next door seem to be on the long finger and I understand we are liable to move house again. It would be nice for all of us if we heard these things first here, rather than in the newspapers. Can I ask that we be given a speedy report on what is the position about our accommodation here and about rumours that we are to be moved elsewhere?

Mr. Manning

On the Order of Business, I would like to ask the Leader of the House when it is proposed to establish the Committee of Selection and the Committee on Procedure and Privileges. Is he aware of a very disquieting rumour to the effect that the Government propose to reduce drastically the number of Oireachtas committees overall and that such would be a very retrograde step? It would certainly be against the interests of members of all parties and groups in this House. Will he use his best offices to establish that this is not true, but if it is true, to ensure that the number of committees we have at present is the starting point in this Oireachtas rather than having a drastically curtailed number?

Mr. Robb

I should like to back what Senator Maurice Manning, the Leader of the Opposition, has just said because if the Seanad is to fulfil the expectations which the public might have of it — certainly an increasing number seem to express disillusionment about it — I would have thought that the committee system is a very important part of our work and that what Senator Manning has said should be taken on board very seriously indeed.

Professor Murphy

With reference to what Senator Brendan Ryan said about the accommodation and about the possible choice of a future home for the Seanad away from this very cramped accommodation, I would suggest respectfully that the Seanad be consulted about any proposed site. Speaking for myself in advance, I would find any suggestion that we should further encroach on already badly cramped Museum space utterly unacceptable.

Mr. Lanigan

A number of points have been raised. With regard to Senator Ferris Item No. 29, I suggest that he will have adequate time during the three hour debate to discuss the matters he is raising because even though he might not consider that they are allied they are very much allied. Equally we have to get down to finding out whether groupings have been formed. We are not too sure yet as to the make up of the various groupings. I suggest that, if he wants to leave it on the Order Paper, Item No. 29 may be dealt with but there will be adequate time during the three hour debate to discuss that matter.

It is obvious that the accommodation here is not suitable when we see Members of the Seanad standing at the back of this room which was never suitable even as a temporary home for the Seanad. I hope we will be able to get accommodation which will deal adequately with the problem in the short term. I hope that our short term is a little different from what the Office of Public Works consider short term.

As for Senator Manning's reference to rumours, I think we should deal here with facts. I will not get involved in rumour. If a suggestion is made that there should be a reduction in committees we can deal then with that particular item, but I will not become involved in rumour-mongering or in rumours in this House.

As for the Committee on Procedure and Privileges I would suggest that a meeting should take place, possibly today, to finalise the Committee of Selection. We have our members on that committee. They are known to us. The Committee of Selection have to meet before we get our Committee on Procedure and Privileges going. We cannot do much until we get the Committee on Procedure and Privileges going. The Committee on Procedure and Privileges can discuss the matters raised in terms of alternative accommodation to this Chamber.

Order of Business agreed to.