Today's Order of Business is Item 1, Item 2 without debate, Item 3 the Heritage Council Bill, 1994, Committee and Final Stages and, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., Item 23 on the Supplementary Order Paper.
Death of Former Member. - Order of Business.
Would it be possible — and I am aware that this request is made at the beginning of every session and is rarely answered — for the Leader of the House to furnish us with a list of the legislation it is proposed either to introduce or to process during this session? It is important to the orderly planning of business for the Opposition parties that such a list be furnished in good time. It may be that there is a dearth of legislation — there is certainly a light amount this week. However, we hope that will be rectified.
I welcome the announcement that the courts Bill will be published. Could it be introduced introduced in this House? If that is not possible, perhaps this House could take the Labour Party version of the Bill and the Lower House could look at the Fianna Fáil version and maybe somewhere down the line we might get it together.
In Wicklow.
I ask the Leader to have that Bill introduced in this House.
We might get a President of the High Court appointed.
It is a strongly held view in my party and, I suspect, in most parts of the House that it is important that the Government be made aware that there is great outrage and annoyance over the way the Alliance Party is being treated with regard to the proposed Forum for Peace and Reconciliation. This is the only unionist party which will take part in the forum. As such, it is taking a great risk but it is also providing a beachhead for the unionist community in the North across which the other unionist parties might eventually — and maybe not too far into the future — travel. The insensitivity with which their representation has been handled is something we should regret. It should be rectified straightaway and, if necessary and if there must be an imbalance, the party should be given more representation than the broadly nationalist parties. I ask the Leader to convey our sentiments to the Government.
In 1982 the Government received the Gleeson report on pay awards to higher civil servants, politicians, the judiciary, etc. but it has never been considered by the House in any great detail. It is crucial to bring to the attention of participants in the political process the reason for the increases and the process which was followed. This should be done in order to make it clear in this House that arbitration awards presented to the Government by independent arbitrators should be implemented in full and immediately.
People should be take on board the seriousness of what is involved and the diminution of the political process which has taken place through many of the discussions on this issue in recent times. However embarrassed or uncomfortable people feel in dealing with this matter, it should be addressed. There is an industrial relations issue here, as well as a need to give a clear understanding of the political process and the method of determination of salary awards and increases. I would like this to be discussed in full in this House.
I join with Senator Manning in asking the Leader to outline, if not today then in the near future, the Government's legislative programme between now and Christmas. At the outset you, a Chathaoirligh, expressed the hope that we would work hard this term. I share that hope but there are only three Bills on the Order Paper, one of which we will deal with today. After three months one would expect there to be more legislation on the Order Paper. I ask the Leader to indicate when it is proposed to introduce the Bill on occupier's liability and if it is intended to bring it to the Seanad before the Dáil.
I also support Senator Manning's remarks about the Alliance Party. Without it, the Forum for Peace and Reconciliation will be almost worthless in that it will primarily be people of the nationalist tradition speaking to one another. Given the party's representation at local authority level in Northern Ireland, and on the basis of equity alone, it should at least have parity with Sinn Féin in the forum. I appeal to him to put that view to the Taoiseach and the Government to ensure people who will bring a unionist or similar perspective to the talks will be fully represented. We can say with certainty that over a long and distinguished history the Alliance Party has been one of the voices of reason in Northern Ireland and for that reason alone it should have full and adequate representation on the forum.
I welcome the recent publication of the operational programme on tourism by the Minister, Deputy McCreevy. I ask the Leader if we will have an opportunity to discuss it in this House soon. The plan will have a major economic impact on tourism and on the development of employment in that sector. It is a vitally important plan and we should have an opportunity to discuss it here.
Almost two years ago I requested that the Leader of the House arrange a debate on the growing drug problem in this city and throughout the country, which at the time I thought an urgent matter. This is Drug Awareness Week and I again ask that he arrange such a debate. It is not sufficient for one Minister to come into the House. We need an input from the Minister for Health, the Minister for Education and the Minister for Justice because people need to know how we are going to tackle the growing drugs problem.
I wish to be associated with the remarks made about the number of seats given to the Alliance Party on the forum. Over the summer the Minister of State, Deputy O'Rourke, gave a number of interviews about bank charges. Is it intended to introduce legislation to deal with the exorbitant charges levied by the main banks? If this legislation is not forthcoming soon, will it be possible to debate the matter in this House? Everyone is affected by this and we all have constituents who have suffered.
I wish to reinforce the requests to the Leader that he say firmly to the Taoiseach that the allocation of two seats to the Alliance Party is not enough. This is sending out all the wrong signals to the Ulster Unionist Party and the Democratic Unionist Party who will, it is hoped, eventually join the Forum for Peace and Reconciliation. When they see that the Alliance Party only has two seats, they will not be encouraged to do so.
On foot of the announcement last week of the renunciation of violence by the loyalist groups, this House, as it had during the last term, will have an opportunity of expressing its views on the peace process. I thank the Tánaiste for this. From 10.30 a.m. to 1 p.m. tomorrow there will be statements on Northern Ireland. I am aware that the Taoiseach is meeting the Leader of the Alliance Party. I hope the views expressed here today will be part of those discussions and that a suitable resolution to the matter will be found.
I am surprised that Senator Manning suggested I am not always forthcoming with a list of legislation. As soon as this list is available from the Chief Whip's Office, it will be available to Members. The courts Bill will be debated in the Dáil next Tuesday. Senator O'Toole mentioned the Gleeson report. The Whips may agree that this issue should be discussed. As this report is being implemented, now may be the time to discuss a future presentation to the Gleeson committee. The occupiers liability Bill will be initiated during this session.
At the time of the debates on the national plan, I mentioned that we would have a chance to discuss each operational programme. I suspect that we would need one or two days to discuss the fact that £652 million will be invested in tourism over the next five to six years. I am sure the Whips will agree that in the next few weeks the Minister for Tourism and Trade should be in the House to discuss this most important industry and the recent announcements on it.
Senator McGennis asked for a debate on drugs and said that the Ministers for Justice, Health and Education should be involved in this debate.
Senator Farrelly spoke about bank charges. The Minister of State at the Department of Enterprise and Employment, Deputy O'Rourke, has been prominent in dealing with this issue, which has been to the forefront in the Committee Stage of the Consumer Credit Bill, which I hope will be with us soon.
The problem is the Minister is only talking about it; she is doing nothing about it.
Order of Business agreed to.