Vol. 133 No. 14
I hope I am not out of order in extending my congratulations to our colleague in the House, Senator Liam Cosgrave, on his appointment last night as Chairman of Dún Laoghaire Corporation. I have no doubt that he will follow in the footsteps of the Chairmen in the past and I certainly wish him well in his position.
Today's Order of Business is item No. 2 without debate and item No. 3 until 8 p.m. tonight. We will have sos between 5.30 p.m. and 6.30 p.m.
First, I thank the Leader of the House for his good wishes.
On the Order of Business, we agree to take item No. 2 and we hope that tomorrow's event will be marked with the respect and the recognition it deserves.
In relation to the Regional Technical Colleges Bill tomorrow, I wonder if the Leader would accommodate us if extra time is needed? Also, would be make time available to discuss the summary dismissal at the weekend of the chairman of Telecom Éireann? In the light of this Minister's apparent difficulties with semi-State bodies and the apparent gagging of certain members in recent times, and also in——
This is not relevant to the Order of Business.
——the light of the apparent writs that are emanating from Merrion Street, would he tell us if this is compatible with the new open Government policy.
I have a number of points to raise with the Leader of the House. I think it is important that we clear item No. 2 without debate; it is simply a decision of the House, and I have no difficulty about that. However, in terms of time that would be lost, I would like a guarantee that tomorrow night we will not be putting an anti-democratic guillotine on educational matters which might be under discussion at the time, and I would need from the Leader a commitment that as much time as is required will be available tomorrow night.
On a related educational matter, the Green Paper on Education has been with all Members for at least a week and people will have had time to look at it. I think the Leader should indicate when the Minister intends coming to the House to have a discussion on it. I want it to be discussed, with its implications for all aspects of the educational system, before the end of this term.
May I ask the Leader if he would be prepared to review the manner in which business is handled as we approach the recess? There seems to be a big rush to get legislation through in the last week or fortnight; this is a very unsatisfactory way to do business.
May I also congratulate Senator Cosgrave on his appointment to the chair of Dún Laoghaire Corporation. May I join with him in requesting that time be made available for statements on the Telecom affair? This business is shrouded in mystery and I think it is very important that the various aspects are cleared up and that the issues which seem to have given rise to this problem are made clear to everybody.
Finally, may I express my dismay at the fact that children appear to be hospitalised arising from problems relating to the capacity to foster them? May I also say how pleased I am that the Minister for Health has spoken out firmly and very clearly against this type of activity?
I support Senator O'Toole's request for a debate on the Green Paper on Education. In regard to the Minister for Education's decision to increase the income threshold for third level grants, I accept that the Minister appreciates the difficulty and I am glad the lobbying has brought it to his attention, but it does not dispel my fears. I will be asking that he abandon means testing pending the review of that committee which is supposed to report back.
I, too, join with the Members who have offered their congratulations to Senator Costello on his election to the Chair of Dún Laoghaire Corporation. I also wish to congratulate another colleague, Senator Naughten, who was yesterday elected vice-chair-person of the Western Health Board.
I would agree with what Senator O'Toole says in relation to the guillotine on the Regional Technical Colleges Bill. It is of extraordinary importance that this Bill would get the fullest discussion in this House. Many elected members of vocational education committees around the country will be looking to this House for a proper debate on what will ultimately be disenfranchising the vocational education committees. For that reason it needs a complete debate.
On the second matter Senator O'Toole raised, I appeal to the Leader to provide time for a debate on the Green Paper on Education. For me, representing the kind of constituency I do, the notion that our small schools would even be——
It is not on today's Order of Business.
I am asking the Leader to get an assurance for this House at the earliest possible moment that nobody would conceive of destroying——
You are abusing the sitution, Senator O'Reilly.
Since we cannot have the Adjournment debate tonight on my motion about pollution of rivers and restocking of rivers, may I ask the Leader of the House if we could have a debate on it some time later in the year? This is a very important topic as rod line fishing is one of our greatest attractions for tourists and year in year out we are having these fish kills. We had two major fish kills in the Blackwater tributaries in the last two weeks. I think this subject is an important enough to warrant a debate, because it is a great asset that we should not lose.
I join in congratulating Senator Cosgrave on his election to chairman of Dún Laoghaire Corporation and to Deputy Gay Mitchell for his election as Lord Mayor of Dublin. It has been a great night for Fine Gael.
We have reached the guillotine season and it is a shame that two of the most important Bills before us——
They are for tomorrow's business, Senator Costello.
One of them is for today — the Housing Bill. I wish to convey to the Leader of the House my concern that there should be any need for limiting the debate, because there is a housing crisis of massive proportions throughout the country. We should have no limitation on the discussions of the provisions of this Bill, some of which are very important. Secondly, in relation to the Education Bills, it is a shame that Bills of this importance should——
The Senator is talking about legislation that is on the Order Paper for tomorrow, not today. He can make his point tomorrow, not today.
I am talking about the Order of Business for the week——
It is today's Order of Business we are talking about.
I want to refer it to the Leader so that he has the opportunity of taking cognisance of what I have to say for tomorrow as well. We have so much important business concentrated at this time that there is always the threat of the guillotine, whereas those Bills could have been before the House in the past nine months. I hope the Leader of the House will take note of that and ensure we have a full debate on the Bills tomorrow and the next day.
I join with the Leader of the House in extending heartiest congratulations to the Chairman of Dún Laoghaire Corporation and wish him every success for the coming year. I also wish to extend congratulations to a former Member of this House, Deputy Michael D. Higgins, who has been honoured with the Sean MacBride International Peace Award by the International Peace Bureau.
I would like to ask the Leader of the House if he would allow a debate on the report of the inspectorate of mental hospitals which has just been issued. In my view it is a report which needs to be discussed by this House because it raises very serious issues. One must be reminded that it dates back to 1989. We should also have a debate on the Green Paper on Mental Health.
I would like to refer to what Senator Upton said about the ordering of business in the House and to say that I would personally exonerate the Leader of the House, Senator Wright, from any direct responsibility. I think he orders the business with considerable efficiency and courtesy. I share Senator Upton's concern that at the end of every parliamentary session Bills are railroaded through the House. As I understand it, this frequently happens because Departments realise that deadlines are coming up and Bills have to go through. It is a pity. I hope the Leader of the House, in his efficient way, will attempt to ameliorate this problem. Can the Leader of the House give us some indication when the long-awaited and controversial Bill on contraception will be coming to the House?
Finally, may I refer to your ruling on the Adjournment Matter, a Chathaoirligh, which of course I completely accept, as there is no ministerial responsibility. On foot of that, may I ask the Leader of the House if he would be prepared to grant time for a debate on the necessity to establish a court of appeal in this country, because the problem arises from the fact that this person has had a case heard by the Supreme Court on appeal and there is no appeal from that despite the fact that there may be a miscarriage of justice.
I have already ruled and it is not appropriate for the Order of Business. It is certainly not in order for the Senator to make a speech on it.
What I will do, with your assistance and guidance, is to resubmit it in a new form and test the Department of Justice on this one. If not, perhaps the Leader of the House might consider it of sufficient importance to have a debate, particularly because this is part of the difficulty we have already experienced with the Nicky Kelly case also.
I would like to congratulate Deputy Gay Mitchell on his election as Lord Mayor of Dublin, Senator Liam Cosgrave as Chairman of Dún Laoghaire Borough Council and Senator Liam Naughten on being elected Vice-Chairman of the Western Health Board. I also think it is appropriate to add my words of congratulation to Deputy Michael D. Higgins——
These matters are not at all appropriate to the order of business.
I wish to say that Deputy Michael D. Higgins got this award.
It is not on the Order Paper.
He is the first person in the world to have got the Seán MacBride Peace Award. It is a great distinction for this country and for all of us.
I want to ask the Leader of the House two questions. When can we expect a debate on health embodying what was referred to already, the health report? When can we expect a debate on the worsening position in agriculture? I appreciate the time constraints in the weeks ahead, but would be timely to have these two issues debated at the earliest possible opportunity.
I just want to raise two issues on the Order of Business. The first relates to the Roads Bill. Two towns in Country Cork have recently been taken over by travelling traders — well heeled, I might add — who park indis-criminately——
How do you know they are well-heeled? Chamber of Commerce propaganda.
I live in one of the towns which was taken over and I know exactly what happened.
Leave them alone, for God's sake.
The Roads Bill is not on the Order of Business for today.
May I ask the Leader of the House, given the serious difficulty that each of us in the various councils is experiencing, when the Roads Bill is to be brought on the floor of this House?
Second, may I raise the issue of the proliferation of drugs in this country and remind the Leader that he suggested it may be possible to have a debate on this issue in the House in the near future? Would it be possible to have this debate before the summer recess?
As Senator Cosgrave's immediate predecessor, may I be allowed the indulgence to congratulate him and wish him well in a particularly historic phase in the development of Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown. I would like to remind the Leader that he undertook to consider the possibility of having a debate on the situation in Sarajevo and possibility of having such a debate before the summer recess.
In view of your admonition of Senator Hourigan, Sir, I wonder if we could deal with these matters of congratulating everybody for everything they have ever achieved. I join with other Members in congratulating Senator Cosgrave on his election and to advise you that the grand coalition between Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael survives intact in Kildare, and that today we elected a Fine Gael chairman.
May I ask the Leader of the House what is happening to item No. 7 — the Milk (Regulation of Supply) (No. 2) Bill, 1991 — which is now one of the long standing matters on the Order Paper? At this stage I think it could be said to have turned sour.
Many speakers have raised the point that we will miss some hours on the colleges Bill tomorrow. If need be, we will extend the time tomorrow night. Even if it means going to midnight tomorrow, if that is the wish of the House we on this side will adhere to that. Be assured, however, that we will be dealing with it all day tomorrow and all day Friday. If tomorrow, the House feels there is a need for more time, that will be accommodated.
With regard to a statement on Telecom Éireann, I will communicate the Senator's wishes to the relevant Minister.
With regard to the Green Paper on Education, I mentioned last week that I thought the autumn would be a more appropriate time for all who are not involved in the education world to get a chance to read the document and to debate it. As has been pointed out, this is a discussion document.
With regard to the comments by Senator Upton and Senator Norris about a rush of legislation, the Whips decided we would finish on 17 July and basically we are working towards that. There is no real rush on the Bill itself. We have several pieces of legislation this week, some legislation last week lasted the day in question, some did not — it is a matter of judgment. Next week we have three Bills to deal with and I have no doubt they can be accommodated within the week. In answer to Senator Norris, the Family Planning Bill will be dealt with in this House next week.
I am surprised at Senator Jackman's comments this morning on the Minister's recent announcements on the increase of income levels for third level grants, particularly when one considers a 30 per cent and 50 per cent increase and also his commitment to ensure that only those who deserve a grant receive it. I believe the two-pronged approach should be welcomed by all sides of the House.
Senator Raftery mentioned a debate on river pollution. I would be very pleased to accommodate that in the autumn. The same applies to Senator Naughten's call for a debate on the inspectorate of mental hospitals report. We will take that on board for topical debate in the autumn.
Senator O'Keeffe mentioned the Roads Bill. That has gone into Special Committee of the Dáil, so it will not be with us before the recess. We will have it in the autumn.
With regard to a debate on the availability of drugs, I have a already made the commitment that when time allows, and subject to agreement by the Whips, we will have that debate. In regard to the Milk (Regulation of Supply) Bill, I have been in constant touch with the Department on that Bill and I still hope it will be accommodated next week.
