On today's Order of Business we will take Item 1. I do not intend to put time limits on speakers as it is a detailed report which gives the opportunity to discuss many issues relating to European policy. The debate on Item 1 will continue until 2 p.m. There will be a sos from 2 p.m. to 4.30 p.m. and from 4.30 p.m. to 6 p.m. we will take Item 2. From 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. we will take Item 26, a Fine Gael motion, in Private Members' time.
Order of Business.
I am not sure that the timing for the sos given by the Leader of the House is accurate. We might discuss that later. I welcome the opportunity to discuss the report on the European Communities and I am glad that there are no time limits.
Will the Leader of the House state what legislation it is intended to take during the remainder of this session and, in particular, what Bills will be initiated in this House?
I question the priorities on the Order of Business that means we will spend our time today debating the 40th report of the European Communities. When I got my copy of the report yesterday I discovered it is the report on the Portugese Presidency of the EC which concluded in July 1992. It was published in September 1992 and we will now debate it in October 1993. That is history and debating something so out of date is like reading last month's newspaper. Surely we could debate other items of greater priority rather than looking at the changes in Europe in the past 12, 15 and 18 months.
I will give an example. Yesterday I saw the NESC report on education and training policies for economic and social development. That is important, valuable and relates to job creation. We should debate that in the Seanad and not a report that is so out of date it is history.
I disagree with Senator Quinn. This House is being given the opportunity to debate developments in the European Community and which the other House has never debated. If blame is applicable to anybody it applies to the publications office of the European Community which does not issue these reports promptly. The statements on these developments will not be associated with that report but the debate gives Members an opportunity to discuss what happened in the European Communities before and since its publication. It is essential that these matters are discussed here since they are not discussed in the other House.
I wish to raise two matters. The newspapers devote coverage to two items today, one of which is the match. The priorities in newspapers have gone astray in the sense that the front pages of at least two national newspapers are about a soccer match whereas there is a much more relevant——
It is not a matter for us to decide what the newspapers should print.
There are two items which are critical to business but the soccer match takes precedence. Will the Leader of the House contact the Minister for Tourism and Trade and ask him to get in touch with the Dunnes Stores directors and families to stop the unseemly squabble inside——
I am sorry, that is not a matter for the Seanad. It is a private matter.
I ask this because 8,000 jobs are involved and a huge amount of business is generated by this firm.
There are more appropriate ways to deal with that matter.
A Minister should get involved because 8,000 jobs are involved in that firm.
I thought, Senator Lanigan, when you mentioned the match that you were going to ask the FAI for a ticket for all the Members here. However, that is beside the point.
We asked the Leader of the House yesterday if it would be possible to have the Minister for Agriculture in the Chamber for a debate on agriculture. He told us that the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs would be present today when we could speak on European affairs and other matters. I know his vast knowledge of agiculture will be useful but, with all due respect to him, the Minister for Agriculture should be here to discuss agricultural matters and the serious effect the GATT negotiations will have on our agricultural community. I ask the Leader of the House to reconsider and please not fob us off by saying the Tánaiste will discuss agricultural affairs today.
It is appropriate that the House should wish the Irish team well today. If the team qualifies there could be a problem in securing visas to the United States for younger people.
It will be big business.
I ask the Leader of the House to convey to the Tánaiste — if we qualify this afternoon — the importance of immediately initiating negotiations with the American Embassy to ensure that no difficulties are faced by young people in securing visas to travel to the matches in the US.
He will probably kick to touch.
Perhaps Senator Lanigan is disappointed that Kilkenny, for a brief period, are no longer on the front pages after their successes this year in hurling. Maybe it is a good thing to see the Irish soccer team, instead of the Kilkenny hurling team, getting some publicity.
The Kilkenny hurlers are not paid.
On a more serious note, a problem has arisen with the closure of a clothing factory in Mayo with a considerable loss of jobs. It is important that where there are serious job losses with the closure of that factory in Westport——
This would have been ideal for a matter on the Adjournment but, as I indicated this morning, there is no item on the motion for the Adjournment. It is not suitable for the Order of Business.
I appreciate your position, a Chathaoirligh, I am also aware that some matters relating to this are sub judice so I will be careful in what I say. I agree with Senator Lanigan that some contact should be made with the Minister for Tourism and Trade regarding Dunnes Stores because so many jobs are affected. As approximately 8,000 to 10,000 jobs are involved and as it is such a big player in the supermarket industry the Government and this House should make a positive contribution toward resolving some of these matters or internal problems as it will benefit everybody. It is of the utmost urgency that the Minister attends to it, otherwise one of our major firms may self-destruct and no one wants that. We want to see this matter resolved and if the Seanad can assist it should.
With regard to Item 1 on the Order Paper, I take the same view as Senator Quinn. Despite what Senator Lanigan said, the report is distributed by the Government Publications Office and the copyright is held by the Government. We are discussing something which is well out of date. There have been developments to a point where many of the items covered in this document are not relevant, under the Common Agricultural Policy there is not one reference to GATT, one of the major elements confronting us at present in agriculture with regard to what is likely to take place over the next two months. Are we to take it that because there is no reference to GATT in this document if we mention it during the debate it will be ruled out of order?
I am sure in that event the Chair would allow plenty of discussion and use its discretion.
A Chathaoirligh, on a point of clarification, will the debate be open ended in so far as we can range beyond what is in the report?
That is the point I made. It is a matter for the Chair.
Next week I will bring forward the legislative programme the Government intends to deal with between now and Christmas and I assure the House that legislation will be initiated here.
What about the agriculture debate?
Order of Business agreed to.