Today's Order of Business is Item No. 1 with a sos from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Order of Business.
May I ask the Leader of the House if he remembers a strange animal called the foreign affairs committee, which has been promised to us here on a number of occasions, and whether it will assume some form of reality? Could he report to us at what stage the proposal for a foreign affairs committee is now at, especially in view of the obvious need for such a committee?
Now that Senator Manning has mentioned that fossil committee, or this committee which has not matured, indeed which has not been even conceived or born, can we have an idea when it is going to happen? May I also ask the Leader when we can expect a Bill to regulate or to make changes in the provision of grants for mature students entering higher education? I understand it will be necessary to introduce a Bill to amend the legislation and I also understand that that will need to be done before the end of this term. Therefore, I am interested in finding out what the present position is. Finally, may I ask the Leader can we expect legislation regulating the amounts of money granted to political parties by independent people and by companies and businesses in view of the recent remarks made by the Minister for Foreign Affairs on a television programme? Will the legislation be coming in the near future?
We should all look forward to the day when the foreign affairs committee comes into being. We have been looking for this committee for a long time, but I would like to hear if the Leader has any further information when that day may be, can any of us hope to be in this House or will it be down the road? When are we likely to have the Education Bills that are at present before the Dáil? In view of the statements made by both the Taoiseach and the Minister for Foreign Affairs, is it intended to introduce in the near future legislation dealing with the full disclosure of funds to political parties?
Now that you have wiped the sweat from your brow, Senator Norris, you may speak.
Thank you, a Chathaoirligh; it is honest sweat.
It is not from working, anyway.
A most uncharitable remark from Senator Honan, who frequently pays tribute to my qualities as a teacher. Unfortunately, it does not seem to have rubbed off on her.
Can the Leader give a clear indication of the programme to the end of the session? It is a little difficult for many of us to contemplate the fact that we always get this glut of work just before the summer break. For those of us who work in an academic environment — and there are quite a number on all sides of the House — this is an extraordinarily busy time and it would make it easier if we had a clear programme of work and if we did not have this doubling up of work in the last few weeks.
Finally, may I comment on the foreign affairs committee? I understood that a very clear, specific and helpful reply was given in the debate by the Minister for Foreign Affairs, and I rely on him to bring that into action; but if the Leader could give us some further indication on that, with a timetable, that would be helpful to all sides of the House.
I also look forward to the foreign affairs committee being set up. There is one matter I hope the Leader of the House will find time for us to discuss before the situation deteriorates further. I refer to the situation in Sarajevo. We are all thinking about Brussels, but there is a war going on in Yugoslavia. I must commend the Minister for his work but I think it would be helpful if the Leader could find the time for us to discuss the matter.
Like most good things worth waiting for, I am certain that the foreign affairs committee will come sooner rather than later. I hope the Seanad will play its part in the formation of the committee and on the committee itself.
With regard to the other matters raised, the Programme for Government is extensive and I would have thought the fact that we are working extra days is a compliment to the efforts of the Ministers to ensure that the programme is adhered to and implemented. I can genuinely say, as I said last week, that we will be sitting extra days from now until the end of July. As you can see from the Order Paper, several other pieces of legislation will be dealt with between now and the summer recess. The only way we can deal with them properly, as I mentioned at the start of my term as Leader, and ensure that we would not have to introduce guillotines, is by extending the hours and days of sitting. I would have thought that that would be in the interest of the reform of the House to which we are all committed.
One or two other items were mentioned, and I will come back to the Senators during the week with the information on some of the legislative programme that has been asked for.
With regard to the last comments by Senator Conroy about the situation in Yugoslavia, we will have a meeting with the Whips and the leaders to see if a debate on that can be arranged. I am sure it is with great regret that we see the pictures from Yugoslavia on our TV screens every night.
Order of Business agreed to.