It is proposed to take Items Nos. 1 and 2 today and that we conclude item No. 1 at 3.30 p.m.
Order of Business.
On the Order of Business, there are two points that I wish to raise. Can the Leader of the House tell us when we can expect the Companies Bill? As I understand it, there have been a great number of changes and proposed changes. It is only fair that we give the various spokes-persons a chance to do their work for that Bill. Secondly, I would like to refer to a report detailed on the ITN news last evening and in The Irish Press today and which states that huge quantities of arms have been imported into this country in recent times, including surface to air missiles and mortar bombs. If this report is factually true it will constitute the greatest threat to life and civilisation that this island will have ever faced. There is a need, in the public interest, for a reply from the Minister for Justice as to whether or not this information is factually correct and what steps the Government are taking to deal with the matter. Because of the urgency of the matter I propose to seek under Standing Order 29 an emergency debate on this subject today. I will give you notice after we conclude the Order of Business.
Yesterday the Leader of the House indicated that he would advise the House today of new and pending legislation which will be coming into the House. Perhaps, he can give us that further information today.
Before we adjourned for the Christmas recess I raised the matter of the Companies Bill and asked the Leader of the House at that time whether he could circulate the amendments which are now being proposed by the Government and by other people to that Bill so that we would be able to give them some consideration. I reiterate that request now. Could he also tell us when we can expect to take the Committee Stages of the Insurance Bill, 1987, the Companies (No. 2) Bill, 1987 and the Adoption (No. 2) Bill, 1987 and the Report Stage of the Video Recordings Bill, 1987? That is important legislation. I understand that the Departments have had some difficulty in preparing some of those Bills. It seems incredible but the Second Stage of the Adoption Bill was taken in the third week of July last. At that stage there was haste on the Government's part to discuss that Bill. The Minister, in his Second Stage speech, indicated that he was going to bring in another Adoption Bill as soon as possible and wanted to get the Bill under discussion through very quickly. Six months later we have not reached its Committee Stage. We should take that Bill immediately. I also ask the Leader of the House to address himself again to the possibility of a debate on the Constitution.
First of all, I would like to support the call made by Senator Manning for further information on this very serious and disturbing report that large quantities of significant and dangerous weapons have been imported into the country. Secondly, I would like to know whether it is intended that the Housing Finance Agency (Amendment) Bill, 1987 will be taken next Thursday.
I have a number of questions for the Leader of the House. First of all, I want to refer to item No. 11 on today's Order Paper, which is the Housing (Homeless Persons) Bill, 1987. Am I permitted to refer to it?
Yes, you are.
I decided that I was going to be very obnoxious this year but then I decided to——
Going to.
We will leave it to the electorate of the National University to decide on that. On 15 separate occasions over the last 12 months members of the Government gave promises on this issue. All I want to say is that if the Leader of the House cannot persuade the Taoiseach and the Government to produce their own Bill then he could still facilitate a discussion of mine at an early stage. I appreciate that many Members feel that there are defects in my Bill, but I am quite happy to consider amendments if there is some inertia on the part of the Government. I would hate to think that bureaucratic objections are going to prevent them from keeping what I know was a sincere promise.
In regard to other items, I want to associate myself with what Senator O'Toole has said. I found the Committee Stage of the Video Recordings Bill rushed and compressed through no fault of the Members of this House and particularly through no fault of the Leader of the House or the Chief Whip of Fianna Fáil. The Committee Stage was rushed because the Minister wanted to get this Bill out of the House quickly. It was an extremely important matter and is something we are all agreed on. The circumstances under which it had to be taken were somewhat unsatisfactory. Indeed, parts of the Committee Stage and parts of my own amendments could not be discussed, through no fault of any Member of this House. Two months have now elapsed and this allegedly important Bill has sat on our Order Paper without any attempt at the provision of amendments. Can we have some indication from the Leader of the House as to what is the crisis that has developed on the Video Recording Bill?
Secondly, like Senator O'Toole I ask if he can give us some indication as to what is the crisis that has developed on the Adoption Bill? I appreciate that the Minister has been busy closing down hospitals but he could still proceed with this Bill, which is extremely important. The image this House has will be affected by the fact that, in the words of a member of the Fine Gael Party in the Dáil, the Adoption Bill is languishing in the Seanad, as if in some way it was the fault of the Seanad that it had not been proceeded with. It is not the fault of this House that Government business is not being proceeded with, it is the fault of the Government. I wish they would get their act together and introduce the necessary amendments in good time so that we can have an intelligent discussion on the Bill. I do not want to score political points on these issues. I simply want to enable this House to participate intelligently in a discussion and I would hate to have us coming up towards July suddenly being landed with a clatter of amendments and Bills which will be rushed through in three or four days.
A number of points have been raised and I will take each of them in turn. The Report Stage of the Video Recordings Bill will be taken next week. The Housing (Homeless Persons) Bill which is a Private Members Bill will not be taken in the near future. The Government Bill on homeless persons will be published very shortly and the House will have an opportunity to debate it at an early stage. The Housing Finance Agency (Amendment) Bill will be taken next Thursday and the Companies Bill will be taken very shortly. I can only say that it will more than likely be taken next week or on 4 February.
The leader of the Fine Gael group, Senator Manning, raised the question of arms importations and if he puts down a request motion under Standing Order 29 (4) I am sure that satisfactory answers will be given. That is the proper manner in which to deal with that matter. In regard to the Adoption Bill I will again go to the Minister today to ensure that the Committee Stage of that Bill will be taken as soon as possible. It is not the fault of the Seanad that that Bill is not before us. I can give a guarantee to the House that I will take appropriate action today to ensure that that Bill comes back into the House as soon as possible.
What about the Video Recordings Bill?
It will be taken next week.
What about a debate on the Constitution?
I said in the House yesterday that the Whips should get together to decide on the best way to deal with a debate on the Constitution. I said that legislation would be of paramount importance to this House but that we would give time for a reasonable debate on the Constitution — and when I say a reasonable debate that could take place over a short period of time I do not mean that it would be a debate confined to just one day. We want to set a formula whereby a reasonable discussion could take place on the Constitution and I did say yesterday that the Whips should get together to decide on how best to deal with that matter.
The Leader of the House did not respond to the question I asked. He said yesterday that he would advise us of some new Bills which will be introduced and that he would tell the House about them today. I am not aware of what these new Bills are and I ask him to tell us what they are.
He has dealt with the Companies Bill, the Adoption Bill and the Video Recordings Bill.
The Housing Finance Agency (Amendment) Bill will be taken next week.
Order of Business agreed to.