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Seanad Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 26 Apr 1995

Vol. 143 No. 1

Order of Business.

It is proposed to take item 1 and item 12, motion 18. Item 1 will be taken until 6 p.m. with 20 minutes per speaker. As this is a Bill with one section it is proposed that, if the Second Stage is completed before 6 p.m., we start Committee Stage.

The Order of Business is agreed. I am sure the House will agree when I ask the Cathaoirleach to communicate to the American Ambassador our revulsion at the recent events in Oklahoma and our sympathy for the tragic loss of life there.

I welcome that exploratory talks will now take place between Sinn Féin and the British Government and I hope the House will have an early opportunity to have a further debate on Northern Ireland. I remind the Leader that he agreed before Easter that we would have an opportunity to discuss the violence at Lansdowne Road.

Before Easter I asked the Leader of the House if he could arrange for the Minister for Enterprise and Employment to make a statement to the House on Shannon Aerospace. At that time negotiations were in progress and the Minister was reluctant to come to the House because of those discussions. A conclusion to those negotiations has been reached and we would like to hear an update from the Minister and have assurances for the future of the 700 jobs in that company. There is grave doubt as to the commitment of Lufthansa and Swissair to this project and it would be advantageous if the Minister could explain the situation to us at an early opportunity.

Talks are due to take place between the British Government and Sinn Féin and, on behalf of my party, I wish them well. Before Easter the Leader agreed that the Minister for Health would come to the House to discuss the report of the expert committee. The Joint Committee on Women's Rights discussed it at one of its meetings but it is important that the Minister come to the House as soon as possible.

I ask the Leader if it would be possible for the Minister for Justice to report to us on the serious circumstances that pertain in Cork with regard to drugs. We should discuss this matter as soon as possible.

Senator Wright referred to the report on the violence at Lansdowne Road and it is appropriate today, while we wish the Irish team well, that the only body to emerge with credit from the report was the fans whose money the FAI insists on keeping. They ought to have been given a refund or a ticket for tonight's match. There is no excuse for hanging on to their money. When the report comes before the House I hope the Minister of State with responsibility for sport will tell us of the efforts he has made to recover the money which rightfully belongs to the followers of the Irish team who did not get what they paid for.

I support Senator Wright's comment in relation to the bombing in Oklahoma. We saw recently on TV scenes of urban terrorism in Japan. Perhaps the Leader, when communicating with the Minister for Justice about coming to this House, might raise with her the problem of urban terrorism by cults with political axes to grind. This is a trend from which, so far, we have escaped although we have had our own forms of terrorism. Would the Leader ask the Minister for Justice to deal in her address to the House with the steps which are being taken to deal with similar acts of terrorism which may happen in this country? There is no reason to believe that we will be totally immune from acts of terrorism.

When is it hoped to take the arterial drainage amendment Bill? The Minister of State at the Department of Finance, Deputy Jim Higgins, who has responsibility for the Office of Public Works, said that this Bill would be initiated in this House at an early stage.

I also welcome the decision of the British Government to enter into exploratory talks with Sinn Féin. While we all understand the sensitivity that needs to be shown in that area, it is only by sitting down, face to face, expressing concerns and explaining positions that progress will be made.

I support what Senator Daly said about Shannon Aerospace. It is very welcome that the Government responded so quickly in deciding to put £12 million into the company, and I hope this will safeguard the hundreds of jobs in the company.

There is no shortage of money.

I thank the Leader for getting the potholes at the gate filled. Unfortunately only two of them were filled and the big one was left. The Leader might arrange to have Wellingtons provided for the next flood because it will be another two or three years before this pothole is filled. It took a very long time to get the other two filled.

The Leader will recall that some time ago I asked for a debate on the rural environment protection scheme. Last year £10 million was made available for this scheme but only £1.4 million was used. The EU is to finance 75 per cent of the scheme and the Government is to finance the remaining 25 per cent. I have had representations locally from the IFA, which is anxious to get the scheme under way, and I think a debate on it would be helpful.

Has the Leader had any indication from the Minister of Health when he intends to bring forward the White Paper on mental health? This matter has been raised here on a number of occasions. The House is aware that the legislation governing mental health treatment is 50 years old and we have seen the results of this legislation in the last few days. At present there is a controversy between the Department of Justice and the inspector of mental hospitals. The Minister for Justice should clarify whether political pressure was put on the inspector to withdraw his statement. It is time the Minister for Health brought forward the White Paper on mental health and I ask the Leader to ask him to indicate as soon as possible when this is likely.

I ask the Leader to confirm if comprehensive and adequate legislation is being planned to deal with wandering horses. This is very important. Would the Leader also confirm whether this legislation would be enacted before the summer recess? I say this in the light of the number of serious accidents we have had in the last few weeks and the road hazards posed by wandering horses. This problem is growing to epidemic proportions.

The Leader was kind enough to indicate that he would provide Government time to discuss what I consider to be very important items. There are a number of funding agencies and I ask the Leader to allocate time, sooner rather than later, to discuss INTERREG II, Leader II, the Delors package, the peace package and the International Fund for Ireland, all of which are related. A problem has arisen with regard to these programmes. People are going around the country whipping up interest and offering to act as consultants. They are approaching the public and local authorities and urging them to commit themselves to present claims or applications for funding. It is important that this issue be debated in the short term.

Could the Leader also provide time for a debate on the report of the Foyle Fisheries Commission? This is the only North-South agency and it has existed since 1952. A reorganisation of the Foyle Fisheries Commission is taking place at present and the British and Irish Governments are spending £400,000 assisting that reorganisation. As it is the only cross-Border agency in existence — and it is working reasonably well——

An Leas-Chathaoirleach

That subject is more appropriate for Private Members' Business.

I ask the Leader to provide time to debate this matter. It is an opportune time for the House to make recommendations and to assess the value and success of the Foyle Fisheries Commission.

Could the Leader of the House indicate when item 7, the Road Traffic Bill, 1995, will be taken? What time does he propose to allocate to that Bill? Would he also take the opportunity to indicate what legislation it is proposed to take during the current session?

Could the Leader of the House ask the Minister for the Environment if he has had any success in getting from Cabinet further funding for county and regional roads? The Minister made that promise during a debate in this House. This issue will not go away, despite the best efforts of a more urban oriented media. This issue is of major concern in rural Ireland and I intend to raise it in the House every chance I get until we get at least an indication of a further allocation of money for county and regional roads, especially in the light of press reports that the National Roads Authority intends to impose tolls on national primary roads.

An Leas-Chathaoirleach

A question for the Leader of the House, Senator.

It appears to be another attempt to take more money through taxation from the hard pressed people of rural Ireland. In the context of the debate that took place in this House and without being partisan — this issue crosses party lines — I ask the Leader to convey to the Minister for the Environment the fact that this continues to be a major problem which must be addressed.

I rise in a dual capacity — as a member of the British-Irish Inter-Parliamentary Body and as my party's spokesman on Northern Ireland — to endorse what has been said by colleagues regarding the decision, albeit belated, of the British Government to enter into ministerial talks with Sinn Féin. I welcome that decision.

With regard to the suggested debate on Northern Ireland, we should consider inviting representatives of the parties in Northern Ireland to attend the debate as our guests. In particular we should invite members of the Unionist Party. While the ban on talks with Sinn Féin was an imposed ban, the Unionist Party has, regrettably, a self-imposed ban which absents its members from the British-Irish Inter-Parliamentary Body and we would love to see them playing a meaningful role. What they will hear at our debate on Northern Ireland would reassure them and might even surprise them. They will find that the Government's and the Opposition's views are at one.

Will the Leader arrange a debate on the proposed cutbacks in the ESB workforce across the country which were announced by the Minister? This is a very serious matter, particularly in my area and that of Senator Daly, where it is envisaged that the entire workforce of both power stations will be cut by two thirds. That would be a devastating blow to our area and requires a major debate in this House. The Minister is going in the wrong direction and I call on the Leader to arrange a debate.

Following on the points made by a number of speakers, could I on behalf of the House express our revulsion at what happened in Oklahoma and send our sympathy to all those concerned? It is an experience which nobody could have envisaged and it brings home to all of us the reality of urban terror, as mentioned by a number of speakers.

Several speakers raised the question of Northern Ireland and everybody is heartened by the progress of the last few days. The sensitivity and surehandedness of both the Taoiseach and Tánaiste in their handling of this matter deserves commendation. A debate here would be useful and I will see if that can be arranged at an early stage. In reply to Senator O'Kennedy, if it would serve a useful purpose or if people would accept the invitation, it would be very appropriate and worth doing.

Time will be made available shortly to debate the report on Lansdowne Road. Senator Daly raised the question of the negotiations and, as I said on the last occasion, it would not have been appropriate to bring the Minister in then. I believe that the outcome of the negotiations is satisfactory, but I will ask the Minister if he will take some questions here and add further to what is being done.

A number of requests were made for a debate on health. I would say to Senator Finneran that I am remiss and I will find out for him the status of the White Paper and return to him very shortly on that. The Minister for Health has indicated that he will come here for a wide ranging debate on the whole health area. I will raise Senator Cregan's question on the drugs situation in Cork with the Minister today. I am quite sure that she would be happy to come here to discuss a situation which horrified people across the country. Senator Magner raised a number of issues about Lansdowne Road and the FAI which could be discussed during the debate on the report.

Senator Burke raised the question of the Arterial Drainage Bill, which was promised for this House. The most up to date information is that the Bill is on course and is almost completed. It should be finalised in the next week or so and it will then be brought into this House without any delay. It is on course, give or take a couple of days, as indicated.

Senator Townsend has asked on a number of occasions for a debate on the rural environment protection scheme and I will do everything in my power to facilitate him. Senator Ormonde asked about horses and there is a Bill in preparation to curb this menace. I do not think that it will be available this session but it is fairly high up on the Government's list of Bills to be published, probably during the summer to be taken in the autumn session.

Senator McGowan raised the question of a debate on the various Border schemes and I said to him during the last session that this would be done. I have spoken to the Tánaiste's Office about that and we will seek to have that debate at a very early stage, certainly ahead of the economic conference in Washington. I will communicate with the Senator afterwards to see what can be done about the question of the Foyle Fisheries.

Senator Howard asked about the Road Traffic Bill. Second Stage will be taken next Wednesday and Thursday, followed by Committee Stage in the normal way. In reply to Senator Mooney, I will ask the Minister for the Environment to come in and talk about the question of rural roads. I am not sure if it is appropriate to debate the internal affairs of the ESB here, but I will communicate Senator Dan Kiely's concerns to the Minister.

Senator Howard also asked for an indication of the legislation to be taken this session. In this House at present we have the European Communities (Amendment) Bill, 1995, which will be taken today; the Road Traffic Bill, which I indicated will start next week; the Civil Legal Aid Bill, which is half way through Committee Stage; the Family Law Bill, which is at Committee Stage; the Criminal Law (Incest Proceedings) Bill, which will be completed tomorrow and the Arterial Drainage Bill, which will be a Seanad Bill and will start in the next couple of weeks.

Other Bills before the Dáil which are due to come here are the Electoral Bill, the Transfer of Sentenced Prisoners Bill, the Finance Bill and the Courts and Court Officers Bill, all of which are for the forthcoming session. The Refugee Bill, the Casual Trading Bill, the Competition (Amendment) Bill, the Stock Exchange Bill, the Minerals Development Bill, the Ethics in Public Office Bill, the Occupiers Liability Bill, the Package Holiday and Travel Trade Bill and the Consumer Credit Bill is legislation currently in the Lower House which is expected to clear from there over the next couple of weeks. It will then come directly to this House.

The Bills expected to be published this session include the Industrial Development Bill, which is to reflect the restructuring of the agency; the Trade Marks Bill, to give effect to EU directives; the Constitutional Amendment (Votes for Emigrants) Bill, to allow for election of three Members to the Seanad by Irish emigrants which must, under the Constitution, start its life in the other House; and the Local Government Sanitary Services (Amendment) Bill and a Waste Bill, to provide a comprehensive modern framework for dealing with waste. There will also be a Domestic Violence Bill, to extend barring order legislation, the Houses of the Oireachtas (Privileges and Compellability) Bill, to provide privilege for witnesses before Oireachtas committees, an Investment Intermediaries Bill, to provide for regulation of investment intermediaries, a Health (Amendment) Bill, to strengthen the statutory accountability of health boards — this will be a very important piece of legislation — and a Health Medicines Board Bill, to restructure the National Drugs Advisory Board. In addition, the Harbours Bill, which the Minister for Defence and the Marine, Deputy Coveney, promised to Senator Fitzgerald, will be published shortly, will provide for the reorganisation of the commercial ports and will include a Dingle section. There will also be the Merchant Shipping (Liability of Ship Owners and Others) Bill, a Social Welfare Bill, to provide for changes in advance of the divorce referendum, a Tourist Traffic (Amendment) Bill to implement the recommendations of the Arthur D. Little report——

As somebody said, there is confidence in looking three years ahead.

Not at all. I am referring to this session, this year.

I hope that was recorded.

An Leas-Chathaoirleach

The Leader of the House, without interruption.

On the interim list, there is the Miscellaneous Provisions Bill. That is the workload for this session and we will probably break next October.

Order of Business agreed to.
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