With the agreement of the House, it is proposed to take Item No. 1 — Statements on the Common Agricultural Policy. It is also proposed that the speech of the main spokesperson for each group shall not exceed 20 minutes and the speech of each other Member shall not exceed 15 minutes. I have also been asked by Minister Walsh and Minister Kirk that they be allowed to speak. There will be no sos today.
Order of Business.
Those arrangements are agreeable. We are grateful to have both Ministers. I hope we will not have a repeat of the marathon session of an earlier Minister for Agriculture, when many Senators who wanted to speak could not do so. I presume the Ministers will be reasonable.
On the Order of Business, can the Acting Leader of the House give us a definite date today for the debate on the Maastricht Summit? It is important that we know. In view of this importance, would he think of having a two day debate? There are many Senators from all groups who want to speak on this matter and it is important to make our views known before the summit rather than after it.
In view of what I detected was a change of attitude last week on a debate on Northern Ireland, could the Acting Leader indicate whether his thoughts, or the thoughts of the Leader, have advanced any further on that matter?
I support what Senator Manning said. I was here for the famous marathon session. While it was informative, impressive and comprehensive, it was also extremely frustrating for the Members of this House. While I would hate to inhibit a Minister in taking this House seriously, there is a balance to be struck. A gentle message to the Acting Leader's ministerial colleagues might be in order.
I am delighted to see that so many Senators are now supporting my campaign for brevity. I sincerely hope that it will develop and we will all concentrate on getting to the point. May I ask the Leader of the House to make time available for a debate on the crisis in local government before the deadline for striking the rates, which is the end of the month? This is particularly important, given that quite a number of local authorities are now facing bankruptcy. More of them are facing impending abolition given the present situation.
I support the calls for a full debate next week on the Maastricht Summit. This summit will have the most profound influence on the whole of Irish society for many years to come. It was quite noticeable that the House of Commons gave so much attention to this matter yesterday. I hope we can have a little more coherence in our approach to European union. It is a matter of major concern to us that economic and social cohesion would be uppermost on our agenda. We must remember we are one of twelve. If they can be so vociferous about their attitude, we should be equally vociferous on this side of the Irish Sea.
I am disappoined that, for the third week, my motion on the Adjournment relating to the rates support grant has not been selected. In a newspaper item today a reporter suggested that there will be cuts in the rate support grant. This will mean that councillors will have to reconsider their estimates. We have a fortnight to do that. Otherwise there will be no local councils. I wonder why there is reticence in addressing this issue. It appears the Department of the Environment have not even yet got their Estimates together. This is a reflection on what has been happening in the last few weeks. It is obvious that the Government are not getting down to the business of Government.
As I said, I am very disappoined that, for the third week, my motion has not been selected. I wonder will it be discussed before 1992?
An Leas-Chathaoirleach
This is not a matter for the Order of Business.
It is, in the sense that there are councillors here. All I wish is that the Acting Leader would tell the Minister for the Environment that we are extremely concerned and that we wish the rates support grants allocations would be notified to local authorities immediately.
I would like to ask the Acting Leader to have a debate on the Maastricht Summit. This is extremely important. I am concerned particularly about such issues as the powers of our Supreme Court and how they may be overruled if things go wrong at Maastricht. I do not want to see abortion legalised in this country and people who believe strongly on that should be allowed to speak. I ask the Acting Leader to allow speeches in the debate without time limits.
I would like to ask the Acting Leader of the House if there is any intention whatever on the part of the Government to allow items such as Item No. 6 on the Order Paper — the Interpretation Bill — to come before the House. It seems to me we have wasted quite a lot of time. It is a small measure and there is general agreement it is necessary. Over the past few weeks we have indulged in what I can only describe as a form of political masturbation: I am talking about reform of the Seanad. Everybody knows that it is great fun, but it will not get us anywhere. It is not going to produce anything. The political parties are not going to take on board any of the reforms, so why are we doing this? The reason is perfectly simple and is obvious to everybody. There is no business before the House. Where there is no business before the House, why can we not take some of the proposals from this side of the House which are not Government legislation but which have some kind of all-party support? Otherwise, we are just simply wasting our time.
We are wasting time in relation to some matters. I have been complaining about the Order of Business for some considerable time. Yesterday, for example — and I would like to bring this to the attention of the Leas-Chathaoirleach — I complained about the fact that we were to take all Stages of the Liability for Defective Products Bill. We see on today's Order Paper that we are resuming on section 1 on Committee Stage, so it was totally unreal to think we could get through all Stages of legislation, which is considerably flawed, in one day. It should never have been brought before us in that fashion.
An Leas-Chathaoirleach
It is a matter for the House to decide. Has the Senator a question for the Leader of the House?
I bring it to the attention of the Leader of the House on the grounds that there has been over the past while a pathetic organisation of business and of the amount of business being done. We have dealt with two Bills — the Sea Pollution Bill and the Liability for Defective Products Bill and we are still not half-way through the second one. Neither of those Bills emanated domestically. I want this House to be the forum where substantial legislation is initiated and dealt with.
Secondly, I want to ask the Acting Leader if he will allow us a special day for a debate on the crisis in local government, which relates to the Estimates? It appears now for the first time that the Department of the Environment have not yet considered the Estimates in the context of the rates support grant for local authorities. It is a very serious matter. Dublin City Council is meeting on Monday to strike a rate. This is what has happened, year in year out.
An Leas-Chathaoirleach
We are not debating the issue on the Order of Business. I am asking you to put a question to the Acting Leader of the House.
I am asking for a special debate in view of that and also in relation to what Senator O'Keeffe said about a debate on banking, because banking charges that are imposed on local authorities mean that overdrafts have been incurred by them.
An Leas-Chathaoirleach
I am asking you to put a question to the Acting Leader of the House.
The question is that a special day be put aside between now and the end of the month so that we can discuss the crisis in local government in relation to the Estimates.
I rise to defend the former Minister for Agriculture and Food, Deputy Michael O'Kennedy. Senator Manning and Senator Brendan Ryan have referred to his lengthy contributions in this House on a former debate on agriculture. We have had many comments made here about Ministers and their long contributions and non-contributions to this House. Deputy O'Kennedy on that day had a constitutional right to speak for as long as he wanted. I thought the commitment he gave——
An Leas-Chathaoirleach
That does not arise on the Order of Business.
It does. It arises if they criticise a former Minister here and he is not defended.
I support other Senators in the call for a full debate on the Maastricht Summit. Because the matter has been raised on the Order of Business by me and other speakers, I would like to congratulate the Minister, Deputy Burke, on successfully resolving the court clerks dispute. If it had continued it would have had serious implications. He deserves our congratulations.
I have two simple queries to the Acting Leader. When is it intended to resume discussion on Committee Stage of the Liability for Defective Products Bill? Secondly, when is it intended to resume discussion on reform of the Seanad?
Several Senators on both sides of the House have mentioned Maastricht. The last phone call I made before coming in here was to the Chief Whip of the other House. Hopefully, that will next week and there will be no problem in agreeing a format with the Whips later in the afternoon. There is no problem about the form it will take. We all agree the matter should be discussed and hopefully, it will be discussed next week, subject to the Dáil debate being agreed at a Whips' meeting this morning in the other House.
As regards a debate on Northern Ireland, the Leader gave a commitment to review his position on that. I know he has made some inquiries and I am sure when he comes back next week he will elaborate on that matter. With regard to local authorities, the Leader answered that question yesterday on the basis of the Minister's reply in the Dáil. In the next couple of days we will have a decision on what rates are to be announced for the various councils.
Senator Howard asked questions on the legislation yesterday — the Liability for Defective Products Bill. Hopefully, Committee Stage of that Bill will resume next week. If it means sitting extra days to accommodate the other debates, we will do that. Possibly we will discuss reform of the Seanad next week as well, or the week after. The reason we ordered the business this way today is to ensure that everybody gets a chance to say their few words. I have spoken to both Ministers. There will be 20 minute speeches.
Order of Business agreed to.