The Order of Business for today is Item No. 1, from now until 1 p.m.
Order of Business.
May I ask the Leader of the House to indicate when the Taoiseach will address the Seanad. I understand the Taoiseach gave the Leader, when he was Acting Leader, an undertaking that he would do so within a short time. As time goes on more difficult problems arise and the Taoiseach gets busier. I wonder if there is any word from the Taoiseach's office as to when he will address the Seanad.
May I ask the Leader of the House if he would make time available next week for a debate on the implications of the Supreme Court judgment handed down yesterday. May I also say, a Chathaoirligh, that I welcome the approach of the Taoiseach that it is his intention to consult with the leaders of the other parties. I sincerely hope people will remain sensible in relation to this matter; this is not a time to fly off the handle. I am concerned that people are beginning at this stage to call, inappropriately, in a sort of knee-jerk reflex manner for a further referendum. I sincerely hope this matter will not become part and parcel of a debate on the proposed ratification of the Maastricht Treaty.
I support Senator Upton. Can the Leader give us a precise date for this debate? I understand that next Thursday has been mentioned but I am not sure if that is the day on which it is contemplated having this debate. It is a very important issue — I will not go into a speech — and we must have the debate urgently since Mr. Justice McCarthy yesterday described as inexcusable the fact that the Oireachtas has not addressed this matter in nine years. It is urgent and imperative that we do something now. I agree with Senator Upton that there are serious implications for Maastricht. Some of us warned about that and they should be teased out at the appropriate time when there is a debate.
May I ask the Leader of the House if this House intends to debate the Greencore situation as it develops? I urge that we have such a debate because I would like to declare my full support for the Government, and in particular for Minister O'Malley for the excellent way he defended himself yesterday against outrageous and ill-founded comments from the leader of the Opposition, Mr. John Bruton. Thank God there is somebody to take the taxpayers' part and to question a bill of such outrageous proportions.
I join with the other speakers in asking for a debate on the Supreme Court judgment yesterday. We should reflect deeply on this judgment before it is debated in this House or in the other House of the Oireachtas. I do not worry about Justice McCarthy's remarks about the Houses of the Oireachtas. What he says is his own opinion——
We do not want a debate on this matter on the Order of Business.
I suggest we have a debate on the Supreme Court decision but that we do not set a date for it yet. We must reflect deeply and quietly on the implications of the judgment.
For another nine years.
You are excellent in your interruptions.
Will Senator Lanigan please address the Chair? I say to Senator Norris that Senator Lanigan is entitled to ask the Leader of the House a question without interruption.
We should have an early debate on the implications of the Greencore issue and on every aspect of Greencore sugar distributors and the Irish Sugar Company involvement; we passed the Companies Bill last year and must make certain that every aspect of the Companies Bill is adhered to.
I ask for a debate on yesterday's Supreme Court judgment. I call for a consensus view on this matter. I do not think it helpful for us to be showing contention now within this House. I hope we will continue, as we have done, to try to reach general agreement in the matter. I also ask the Leader of the House for a debate on the Greencore affair.
I also ask the Leader of the House to agree to an urgent debate in this House on yesterday's Supreme Court decision. We now have the decision and the arguments for that decision. At least one day should be set aside next week for it and I ask the Leader of the House to facilitate us there.
It is extremely important that we lead public opinion on this matter. We had a sensible debate here on this issue before and were complimented on it by the Taoiseach through the Leader of the House. It is important that we would show the same initiative now.
Arising from the remarks of Chief Justice McCarthy, I am astounded at the fact that the Minister for Justice — and I ask the Leader of the House to bring this to the Minister for Justice's attention — had enunciated a third option, namely, to do nothing. We do not have an option to do nothing. Now that the Supreme Court has decided——
I must ask you to ask the Leader of the House a specific question.
I ask the Leader of the House to inform the Minister for Justice that we do not have such an option. Now that the Supreme Court has decided we have an absolute obligation to legislate and to regulate. I also ask the Leader of the House if there is further information in relation to the outcome of the Nicky Kelly case arising from the RTÉ programme last night where further linguistic evidence was produced.
May I first reply to the many Senators who raised the issue of yesterday's Supreme Court decision? I think I gave a commitment yesterday that through the Whips I hope to afford this House the opportunity of making statements or having a debate as quickly as possible; maybe the Whips would meet during the day to discuss that matter. A Whips' notice has gone out already but I am sure we could get agreement on that. The public have expressed great concern about the Greencore affair. I am sure the House would have many things to say on that affair that may be of interest to any future inquiries. Senator Costello quoted from last night's programme on Nicky Kelly. I am sure he also heard the Minister's quote on the Nicky Kelly affair and I am sure that is the up-to-date position.
Order of Business agreed to.