Today's business is Item No. 1 from now until 4 p.m. with a sos between 1 p.m. and 2 p.m.
Order of Business.
I want to refer very briefly to the statement you have just made, Sir. I accept that the facts are as outlined by the Cathaoirleach in his statement today. I am still very unhappy that the House will be used next week in that way but I do accept——
May I say that this should not be discussed on the Order of Business.
I will be very brief because I did make some public statements yesterday and I want, for the record, to say that I do accept that it was done through incompetence and not through malevolence or taking this House for granted. I accept what is more important, that this is not seen as a precedent; that it is seen as a one off which will not be repeated.
My opinion has not changed since yesterday. I have to accept an apology in deference to the people who have offered it. I still feel the same about it — that the House has been brought into disrepute and demeaned.
I accept the apology which has been given and I am very happy we have been assured that this is a once off error, that it will not be repeated and that we will not be taken for granted again.
May I ask the Leader what is the situation in relation to the commitment in the reform document on topical items on a Thursday afternoon? It does not appear as if we are going to have anything on that topic today. May I also ask what the situation is in relation to our debate on the banks? Is this going to happen, or when is it going to happen, now that the banks have sorted out their problems?
I am not at all happy with regard to the use of this Chamber next week and there is one question which should be answered. You, Sir, referred to a situation in which, apparently, the Minister for Finance was informed incorrectly that the proper channels had been gone through and that the right of access to the Chamber had already been granted by the Committee on Procedure and Privileges. I think we are entitled to know by what process the Minister was misinformed. The only other thing I want to raise on the Order of Business is to indicate to the House that I remain very dissatisfied with the Government's response to the judgments granted in my favour by the European Court of Human Rights. I have been in touch with the Leader of the House on this matter which has been raised several times on the Order of Business. He transmitted a letter from the Minister for Justice to me. I pursued this matter and, unfortunately, the Minister appears to be standing over statements he made to The Irish Times in which he said it was not an important part of the Government's agenda. In consequence of this, I will be moving an amendment to the Order of Business next week. I am just signalling to the Leader what I propose to do. It also looks, unfortunately, as if I am going to have to go to Strasbourg again.
I would like to raise a couple of matters on the Order of Business. First, what are the proposals for sitting next week because certain people, including spokespersons, will have to rearrange their time? Is it proposed that the Maastricht debate will take place and that all stages of the Bill will be passed next week? I understand that there is a deadline involved. Second, most Members would support the peace efforts in Yugoslavia of Commandant Doyle and his team.
We have endeavoured to bring in reforms, unfortunately, it is not appropriate to raise this matter on the Order of Business.
In the light of yesterday's events one wonders whether the reforms were positive.
I regard it as being a different type of matter which needed a little latitude, the whole purpose of the reforms was to streamline the Order of Business, and that is what we are endeavouring to do.
Thank you. May I ask the Leader of the House if he will make a serious effort to have the communications that existed in the House restored? Finally, in relation to the matter raised by Senator Norris, if this is raised next week we will be supporting an amendment to the Order of Business.
Mr. Farrell
I congratulate you, a Chathaoirligh, on resolving the situation and I also congratulate Senator O'Toole and Senator Norris on being so gentlemanly this morning and agreeing to your decision.
Its their education.
We are the victims of a good up-bringing.
I do not have such a soft approach to the fact that the Cathaoirleach, the Leader of the House and the Committee on Procedure and Privileges seem to have taken the shilling and have agreed to a situation where the integrity of the House suffers.
You know better than anyone——
I certainly do.
I was very upset you took that view yesterday. Having been a long standing Cathaoirleach and Leas-Cathaoirleach yourself, you know more about the situation than anyone else.
I recall, Sir, that on two or three different occasions similar attempts were made but we upheld the integrity of the House; that is the difference.
It was explained to you that the people in question knew nothing about it until 1 o'clock yesterday. I am not going down that road. Have you a question on today's Order of business.
I would like to ask the Leader of the House, in view of the worsening famine in two African countries——
That is not relevant to the Order of Business.
When we can have the motion in my name and that of my colleagues debated in this House? Can he give me a date for that debate? It seems to be completely left aside. As a Christian country, we do not seem to care. Especially through the EC, we can make a significant contribution.
It is not relevant to today's Order of Business.
May I ask the Leader of the House if he will continue to seek an occasion when the Taoiseach could come into this House at an early date? We have been waiting for this for a some time. The only time we have seen him was in the Gallery during the visit of the King and Queen of Sweden. Such a visit would help to restore good relations between the two Houses.
I must respond on a positive note to Senator Murphy and in answer to Senator Cosgrave's question about next week's business. We will he sitting on Thursday and Friday of next week — 10.30 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Thursday and 10.30 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Friday. The Taoiseach will open the debate in the House next Thursday morning on the referendum Bills and all Stages will be passed by Friday. The following week we will be sitting Wednesday, Thursday andn Friday, Thursday and Friday, 21 and 22 May, to deal with the Finance Bill. Senator Murphy raised the issue of the Electoral Bill. Hopefully that will be with us quite soon. I have made inquiries with both the Minister and the Minister of State.
As regards Senator Upton's comments on topical issues, I would have thought the Culliton report on industrial policy, jobs and all related issues must be the most topical issue at the moment.
It is passé now.
It was because so many Senators wished to contribute to the debate that I brought it back in again. With regard to the many other issues that Senator McDonald mentioned, I would hope, with the Whips, to identify various topical issues for debate over the next two or three weeks.
Order of Business agreed to.