It is proposed today to take Item No. 2, Criminal Damage Bill, 1990: Committee Stage, to 6 p.m; there will be a sos between 6 p.m. and 6.30 p.m. and from 6.30 p.m. to 9.30 p.m. all Stages of the Industrial Development (Amendment) Bill, 1991.
Order of Business.
We will be opposing the Order of Business because of the proposal by the Government side to guillotine through the Industrial Development (Amendment) Bill to take all Stages this evening. There is no need for the Bill to go through all Stages this evening and we have to object on principle to that.
May I also say, a Chathaoirligh, we have come to that time of year where the famine of legislation of the past few months is now replaced by the urgent need to get through three or four Bills this week. We object very strongly to having to take all Stages of the B & I Line Bill as is being proposed, even though it has not yet finished its run in the Dáil. We wish to state our objection to that and to the general repetition of what happens in the last week of this session every year — this sudden, urgent need to get through business that could have been taken very easily over the past few months. For that reason we will be opposing the Order of Business today.
However, I do not want to be entirely negative. I would like to congratulate the Leader of the House on getting the Electoral Bill into this House. It is very important legislation and at least we will have something to start working on next session.
I would like to support what Senator Manning has said. Every year this happens. We are sitting twiddling our thumbs for weeks dealing with——
Speak for yourself, Senator Norris.
I think I can speak for quite a number of people on your side of the House, if I may address Senator Honan through the Chair. There is a sufficient degree of honesty in Fianna Fáil to acknowledge the fact that virtually nothing has been happening in the past few weeks and we are then faced with an indecent rush of legislation at the last minute. This indicates an inability on the Government side to manage the business of the House, so I will certainly be voting with the Fine Gael Party on the issue of the Order of Business. I think it is lamentable. I do not blame entirely the Leader of the House. He has a difficult job but it clearly is the responsibility of the Government to treat this House with some degree of respect.
May I start on a positive note and add my word of congratulations and thanks to the Leader for organising the Electoral Bill to be taken in this House first. On that point I think the pleasant side of it finishes. I am totally opposed to the way the Order of Business is being organised today. It is a disagrace. We are faced with having four Bills to be rushed through this House in four days as we came to Christmas. That is not way to do business and it gives ammunition to those people who want this House abolished. I am totally opposed to what is happening.
Mr. Farrell
I ask the Leader of the House if it would be possible in some way to do something about my good friend and neighbour from Sligo, Mrs. Holly McLoughlin, who lost her husband. He was killed in South Lebanon by the Israeli forces. She was offered a paltry £50,000 in our money and a letter of regret. In this day and age when you get £50,000 for a loss of a toe nail, I think it is scandalous. I am sure everyone in this House would agree that it is no way for the Israelis to treat this case. They admitted that they acted wrongfully and deliberately. I ask this House to do something to strengthen the claim of Mrs. Holly McLoughlin, a woman with five children.
Because of the nature and sensitivity of the matter I did not want to say this, but we should not really discuss this on the Order of Business. I appreciate the Senator's comments and probably the House accepts that.
I wish to say to the Leader of the House that I object very strongly to the proposed time limit on the discussion on the Industrial Development (Amendment) Bill. I want to point out to the Leader that this is a very important Bill. It was introduced or published on Friday, 5 December. It was debated in the Dáil the following Thursday and passed under pressure there. Now it is in this House a matter of days later and we are being given something like three hours to dispose of it. There is half a billion pounds of taxpayers' money involved in this legislation and there is the abolition of another State body. I think it is totally unfair to the standing of this House to ask us to dispose of an important measure like that in three hours and I would like the Leader to reconsider his proposal in that respect.
This is a matter I have referred to on a number of occasions: the situation that over the past two months all we have processed in this House has been two Bills and now in the last four days we are asked to process four Bills. In any circumstances that is a total imbalance in the way the work of this House has been done.
In relation to the Criminal Damage Bill, I am delighted to see we are not taking all Stages today, because I think we should never have the situation where more than one Stage is taken on the same day. However, if the Committee Stage is completed by six o'clock — and probably it will be — then that is all right, but I do not think the guillotine should be imposed on that Stage either because it is important legislation.
In relation to the Industrial Development (Amendment) Bill, it is absolutely ludicrous that we take all Stages on the one day. It is a very important Bill, involving very large sums of money and a huge policy change in relation to industrial development and a number of semi-State companies.
We should have the debate on unemployment as a priority. We will not have it now before Christmas, but we should have it immediately after Christmas. Considering the number of articles and media coverage given to emigration to Britain, the United States and elsewhere, we have to address this whole area of employment, of unemployment and emigration of our young people. I ask the Leader of the House to make time available at the earliest possible opportunity in the next session.
Senator Manning led off with a question in regard to the Order of Business for today. There are very good reasons why the IDA Bill must be completed today. I indicated — I think it was last week — that we would be having this Bill and would be passing it before Christmas. In regard to the B & I Line Bill, I indicated perhaps two or three weeks ago exactly what would be the programme for that Bill. It would come to the Dáil at a certain date and would come to us very close to the Christmas recess. That is exactly what has happened and I gave sufficient warning about it. Unfortunately, this is a fact of life.
I have been here for almost 11 years and at every recess, no matter who is in Government, we find that there are always two or three Bills which must be passed in the last week of the sitting. That has happened. It is not of my doing. It is just the nature of the business of both Houses of the Oireachtas. To my knowledge it has happened consistently over the past 11 years at least and I am sure it happened before that also. Senator Norris supported that view. He and other Senators, including Senator Manning, referred to the Electoral Bill which I am pleased we will have in this House. Obviously, we will be discussing it as soon as possible in the New Year. It is a very important Bill, a Bill of 176 sections, and I am very pleased it is being initiated in this House. I think it was Senator Norris who mentioned coming back early, and I certainly do not mind coming back early. In fact, my plan is to come back before the budget. There will be plenty of legislation for us.
Senator Upton's point about four Bills being passed this week is inaccurate. Two Bills will be passed this week. We are not passing the Criminal Damage Bill or the other items of legislation referred to on the Order Paper, but two Bills will certainly be passed.
What about the Appropriation Bill?
My apologies. That is three. The Appropriation Bill is a standard piece of legislation and must be passed. It is a bit different. It has always been passed at the end of the year and then we have further discussion on it in the New Year. Discussion is not closed off when we pass the Bill before Christmas.
Other questions asked related to when Bills would be taken, times and so on. I would like also to comment on a question asked by Senator Farrell. I know the case well and I share his concern and his views.
Senator Howard and Senator Costello referred to the same aspects of the legislation for today. In reply to Senator Costello, I will certainly consider a debate on unemployment when we resume in the New Year.
Is the Order of Business agreed to?
Senators
No.
Question put: "That Item No. 2 be taken up to 6 p.m.; that business be interrupted from 6 p.m. to 6.30 p.m.; that Item No. 3 to be taken at 6.30 p.m. with debate on all Stages, and, if not earlier concluded, to be brought to a conclusion at 9.30 p.m. by the putting of one question from the Chair."
The Seanad divided: Tá, 19; Níl, 15.
Tá
- Bennett, Olga.
- Byrne, Sean.
- Cassidy, Donie.
- Dardis, John.
- Fallon, Sean.
- Farrell, Willie.
- Fitzgerald, Tom.
- Foley, Denis.
- Haughey, Seán F.
- Honan, Tras.
- Keogh, Helen.
- Kiely, Dan.
- Kiely, Rory.
- Lanigan, Michael.
- Lydon, Don.
- McGowan, Paddy.
- Mullooly, Brian.
- O'Brien, Francis.
- Wright, G.V.
Níl
- Cosgrave, Liam.
- Costello, Joe.
- Doyle, Avril.
- Hederman, Carmencita.
- Hourigan, Richard V.
- Howard, Michael.
- Jackman, Mary.
- Kennedy, Patrick.
- McDonald, Charlie.
- McMahon, Larry.
- Manning, Maurice.
- Neville, Daniel.
- Norris, David.
- Ross, Shane P.N.
- Upton, Pat.
Tellers: Tá, Senators Wright and Fitzgerald; Níl, Senators Cosgrave and Neville.
Question declared carried.
Order of Business agreed to.