It is proposed to take all stages of item No. 2, the Fisheries (Amendment) Bill, 1990, to conclude not later than 6 p.m. We will have a sos between 6 p.m. and 6.30 p.m. It is proposed to take item No. 14, Motion No. 54, from 6.30 p.m. to 8 p.m. At 8 p.m. it is proposed to take Committee and Final Stages of the University of Limerick Bill.
Order of Business.
May I ask the Leader of the House to indicate to us the programme of legislation from now to the end of this session and if he has indication at this stage when this session will end. Secondly, may I express my concern at the discourtesy shown by the Minister for Education in the House last week to you, a Chathaoirligh, and to members of the staff and to say that this is something which was watched by many thousands of people on television and it certainly did not reflect well on this House. I would like that sentiment to be put on the record of the House.
This is the third week we have asked the Leader of the House to give an indication of the business he intends taking between now and the summer recess. I also asked last week for clarification of the position of the Environmental Protection Agency Bill and when we are going to come back with Report Stage of that legislation. It is important that we check, particularly in regard to legislation which is going to take research and work by those Members involved in it. I have no involvement in the local elections but I made the point last week that, being realistic, we must recognise that the Minister and other people are involved in the local elections and if that is creating a delay, fair enough. Equally, if it is not going to be taken until August or September we should also know that. We should at least have some indication of the position. We recognise that because so much was promised in terms of changes it is going to take a lot of time — that is readily admitted — but we need to go that bit further with it. We should have clarification also of the sitting days from now to the end of this session so that people can plan what debates they may be contributing to and anything else that might concern them.
I would like to ask the Leader of the House if we could have a debate on small investors who are finding their entire life savings gone with fly-by-night brokers who just walk away with their money or go into liquidation? I believe we need to change the law in this respect and to beef up the Fraud Squad. Could we have a debate on that soon?
I would like to ask the Leader of the House if it is proposed to have a debate in this House on the reports that are emerging that Colonel Gadaffi is once again threatening to deliver arms to this country. We ought to know the position. We appear to be used as a pawn between Tripoli and London and the Irish people greatly resent the fact that Colonel Gadaffi appears to wish to punish Britain again by importing instruments of death into this country. There was a motion in my name, at the time the Eksund was discovered to be carrying arms, calling for the breaking off of diplomatic relations. If this is the situation, the Leader of the House should transmit to the Government the strong feeling that it is inappropriate to have diplomatic relations with a country that is acting in so barbarous a fashion.
I would like to ask if the Leader of the House would agree to a debate at some stage on the serious situation in Kuwait. There have been a number of people executed and obviously there have been considerable abuses of human rights — reports are coming out of such abuses. Considering the western world gave so much support to the situation that obtained in Kuwait some time ago, that country is obliged to ensure there are normal human rights in their state. I am very concerned about the reports that come out recently.
I would like to ask the Leader of the House, as some of my colleagues did, what business he intends us to engage in between now and the recess. I would like to further ask him if he can give us an approximate date when he believes this House will rise this term? May I again ask the Leader to inquire from the Government about the foreign affairs committee which was sought by Members on all sides of this House. We were told a couple of months ago that the Government had agreed in principle that such a committee should be established and we looked forward in anticipation to it. We have been reading various reports in the newspapers concerning the Taoiseach's attitude to a Member of the Dáil, which matter I will not get involved in here, it is none of our business, but the Leader would allay disquiet if he could inform us as soon as possible what are the Government's plans in relation to the establishment of that committee.
I would like to refer very briefly, as Senator Manning did, to the business of the House last week because I was the person in possession on the Fine Gael side on the order in question last Thursday morning. I would like to point out to the Leader of the House that the business was simply an order dealing with regulation of suitable conditions for part-time workers and that the Minister, Deputy Ahern, when he came into the House, in making his speech felt it only took two paragraphs to deal with the issue. This was sensible, because it was not a Second Stage debate nor was it a substantive motion. Equally, when I spoke on behalf of our side, it was for three or four minutes. It should have been anticipated that the business would have take perhaps 20 to 30 minutes. For that reason, I cannot understand the petulance of the Minister for Education in regard to the events of that morning.
I would like to ask the Leader of the House to ascertain from the Minister for the Marine when appropriate legislation may be introduced to cover a situation which has bedevilled the south-west coast, that is, the wrecks on our shoreline. For example, in our area we had the Kowloon Bridge and the Bardini Reefer, which is blocking Castletownbere harbour, and the Ranga that came ashore in Kerry. Even though it is an environmental protection matter, it is not covered under the Environmental Protection Agency legislation which is currently been dealt with. If necessary, new legislation should be introduced to cover that. We are becoming a graveyard for wrecks along our coastline. In Galway not too long ago beaches and scenic areas were polluted. New legislation will have to be introduced to cover this problem. I ask the Leader to ascertain from the Minister for the Marine what can be done and to expedite legislation to cover this matter.
De bharr na dtuairiscí atá foilsithe le cúpla seachtain anuas, ó thaobh na Gaeilge de, ba mhaith liom ceist a chur ar an Cheannaire a thóg mé go minic cheana. De réir tuairisce amháin níl ach 10,000 cainteoir ó dhúchas fágtha i nGaeltachtaí uilig na tíre, agus tá curtha leis sin ag tuairisc eile a deir nach bhfuil fágtha ach 20,000, ar a mhéad, agus teorainneacha na Gaeltachta ag dul fad le lár na Gaillimhe. Is í mo cheist ná cén uair a bheidh díospóireacht againn don Teach go léir chun ceist na Gaeilge agus na Gaeltachta a phlé go fírinneach sa dóigh is go mbeidh a fhios ag pobal na hÉireann an fhíorstaid ina bhfuil an Ghaeilge. An bhfuil sé i gceist aige, mar a d'iarr mé cheana, cruinniú a shocrú chun go mbeimid in ann labhairt faoi seo sa Seanad go luath?
I am delighted my colleague Senator O'Donovan has taken such a deep and personal interest in my wife's home town of Castletownbere. Long may it continue. I would like to ask the Leader of the House if he has had any response to my query last week on the Order of Business in relation to the activities of the Anglo-Irish Parliamentary tier and whether he has any further information for the House.
I would like to ask the Leader if he has any plans yet to have a debate on health, taking account of the very serious position with regard to the old, the young, and the ill and having regard also to the long delays that are occurring and recurring with regard to treatment in hospitals. I would also like to ask the Leader if he has any information about the foreign affairs committee which has been referred to already.
Regarding the event that took place in this House last Thursday which has already been referred to by a number of Senators, I would like to compliment you, a Chathaoirligh, on the very dignified manner in which you handled the matter.
Senators
Hear, hear.
Senator Manning and Senator O'Toole asked about the programme of legislation for the rest of this session. I have to say to Senator O'Toole that I have never refused to give information to the House on a future programme of legislation.
I did not say that.
It has always worked out approximately as I have indicated. We will have the Environmental Protection Agency Bill as soon as possible after we come back in the first week in July. We will also have to complete the Competition Bill, the Products Liability Bill, the Sea Pollution Bill and the Courts (No. 2) Bill. They are Bills indicated to me as concluding in this session. The indication, therefore, is that we will certainly be sitting into the third week of July or possibly the fourth week of July. That is something for the Whips to agree on.
Senator Raftery asked about the insurance problem and I totally support him. This House gave considerable study to the insurance regulatory system to eliminate this problem and it was very thorough in dealing with the Insurance Bill. It was reckoned at the time to be the most important Insurance Bill for 50 years and it was primarily to cover the kind of events the Senator is talking about today. While I share the Senator's concern, at this point I have no proposals for a debate on that matter.
Senator Norris and Senator Ryan raised the issue of Gadaffi and Kuwait. I have no proposals for debates on these matters and I cannot give the Senators any assurances in that regard.
Senator Staunton asked about the business of the House for the weeks ahead and I have given my reply to that. He again asked, as did other Senators, about the foreign affairs committee. The position, as I understand it, is as I outlined last week. My information was that the committee would be established and that there would be Seanad representation on it.
In reply to Senator O'Donovan's query, I will certainly ask the Minister for the Marine — he will be here with us shortly — about the problems of wrecks along our coastline and find out if there is legislation in the pipeline in connection with this matter.
In reply to Senator Ó Foighil, we had a díospóireacht here last March. My recollection is that we had only four or five speakers, so I do not propose to have a further debate at this point.
I have no response for Senator Mooney on the Anglo-Irish Parliamentary tier, but when I have information on the matter I will give it to him.
Senator Hourigan asked about health services; I have no plans for a debate on that. He also inquired about the foreign affairs committee.
Senator Hanafin referred to what happened here last Thursday. I have no comment to make on that matter.
Order of Business agreed to.