Skip to main content
Normal View

Seanad Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 13 Dec 1995

Vol. 145 No. 14

Order of Business.

Today's business will be items Nos. 1, 2 and 13, motion 24. Item No. 1 will be taken until 4 p.m. with a time limit of 20 minutes per speaker if that is agreeable. Item No. 2 will be taken from 4 p.m. until 6 p.m. and item No. 24 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. If Second Stage of item No. 1 has not concluded by 4 p.m. it will recommence at 8 p.m. or after Private Members' time, which provides a certain incentive to Members. There will be a sos today from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m.

In relation to the next week and the days we are sitting, would the Leader outline the Government's intended legislative programme between now and then? I also wish to remind him of an issue that I raised with him before, that of item No. 13, motion No. 2 on the Order Paper in relation to international funding. The Leader might give that item priority when he is planning his programme for the new year. As the Leader is well aware major funding is now available for that programme and it is important that this House has an opportunity of discussing the special money for the Border counties.

The Leader is to be congratulated on his neat footwork. He is avoiding very studiously any temptation to introduce the guillotine to which he so strenuously objected when he was on this side of the House. Is it the Leader's intention to try to finish item No. 1, the Courts and Court Officers Bill, 1995?

The other matter is to do with the report in this morning's newspaper about the Council of Europe's report on the treatment of prisoners. We have had several calls here for a debate on crime in general. Whatever one's concern might be for alleged mistreatment, we need to put it into context. The newspaper report does not say that anybody was mistreated except in one particular case in Limerick, but it says that in Garda barracks, if I read it correctly, people run a not inconsiderable risk of being illtreated. That is altogether different from saying that people were illtreated. We have all seen the pictures of the two people who were attacked in Galway and what happened to them. The protection of their human rights is just as important as the protection of the rights of people in custody. For all of those reasons it would be appropriate that we discuss this matter in the near future.

Yesterday morning on the Order of Business I raised four matters and you in your wisdom, Sir, suggested that I was repeating myself. Just in case I fall into that trap again I am warning you that I will be repetitive.

He will clarify it in a statement.

I hope Senator Lanigan will not repeat what he said yesterday.

When the Leader answered my question concerning the role of the DPP yesterday, he suggested that it should be raised during today's debate on the Courts and Court Officer's Bill, 1995. I have read this Bill again. The DPP is not a court officer, therefore it would not be appropriate to discuss the role of the DPP in this Bill. A huge number of people are concerned about the role of the DPP and his office in the justice system in Ireland at present. It should not be debated in an inappropriate area such as the Courts and Court Officers Bill.

I mentioned UNICEF yesterday and the fact that two million children have died in conflicts during the past ten years. It has been suggested that the Irish media reported on this matter, but that is incorrect. The media received a PR statement produced by one of the aid agencies working abroad and The Irish Times, the Irish Independent and the Cork Examiner each carried the same report in relation to this issue. No Irish journalist has acquainted the Irish public with the fact that two million children have died as a result of international conflicts. It is disgraceful that the Irish media do not care whether these children die.

I request that this House be given an early opportunity to discuss the matter of international conflicts, particularly in relation to the number of children who unwillingly become involved.

Has the Leader received a response from the Minister for Health with regard to his coming to this House to discuss the hepatitis C tribunal? Last night the Minister informed the Lower House that he intends to announce the establishment of the tribunal this week. I have repeatedly requested that this House be given an opportunity to discuss the matter. The House will sit tomorrow for the last time this week. I believe that next week will be too late for such a discussion to take place. This situation is unfair. Will the Leader arrange that the Minister for Health come before the House tomorrow?

On the Order of Business two weeks ago I raised the matter of the dispute in the Midland Health Board where nurses are working to rule in three hospitals in Portlaoise, Mullingar and Tullamore. I asked the Leader if the Minister for Health might also address the House in relation to this issue. The Minister's attendance has been promised for a long time. Senator Finneran and I have raised many matters in relation to health. The House is sitting tomorrow and next week and I believe that it is time that the Minister came before the House.

At present about eight interdepartmental committees operate under the aegis of the Department of the Taoiseach. These committees deal with various aspects of planning and development and anti-poverty and local development issues. I am surprised that no women representatives serve on some of these committees. Of the larger committees, 22 members serve on both the anti-poverty and local development committees. In each case there are only two women members. I am surprised that the Taoiseach has permitted such a situation to exist because he made a major issue of having equal representation for women on the boards of State companies and other bodies which discuss important matters.

Will the Leader inform the House with regard to whether the Taoiseach intends to address this situation? Will the House be afforded an opportunity to discuss the work of these important strategic interdepartmental committees, some of which deal with long-term planning, European affairs and other issues? There is little or no representation for women on these committees and we know very little about the work they carry out.

I support Senator Honan's request that the Minister for Health attend the House. I raised this matter last week and asked that the Leader consider providing Government time to deal with it. He will be aware that the motion tabled by my party in relation to this issue remains on the Order Paper. We appreciate that the matter is under debate in the Lower House at present, but this House should not be slighted in relation to a discussion on it. I hope that the Leader will provide an opportunity to debate the matter either this week or next.

I also wish to raise the matter of the current influenza epidemic in England. While no such epidemic exists in Ireland, in the region of 12 cases have been identified throughout the country. Can the Leader request that the Minister for Health ensure that adequate supplies of flu vaccine are made available to GPs and health centres? This can be a very worrying time for people suffering with other medical conditions and the elderly. We do not want a repeat of past situations where, when the need arose, adequate supplies of the vaccine were not available. Will the Leader request that the Minister for Health ensure that adequate supplies of vaccine are made available to general practitioners and health boards? Perhaps he might inform the House of the up to date situation within the next week in order that people's fears may be allayed during the Christmas period?

I support Senator Daly's remarks in relation to interdepartmental committees and gender balance. Perhaps it is time to dispense with the requirement, introduced by the Minister for Education and others, which requires a 40 per cent gender balance on committees. This requirement now seem to ring somewhat hollow in practice. I believe that it is no longer politically correct, even in countries which introduced the term "political correctness". Women are increasingly being pitchforked onto committees in order that legislative requirements might be satisfied. There seems to be no direction to this policy.

In that context, Senator Honan and I happen——

Is the Senator suggesting that women are not good enough to serve on such committees?

We can have an argument or debate on the subject at a later date. This is just my opinion. Yesterday, Senator Honan and I attended a meeting of the National Economic and Social Forum at which the Minister for Social Welfare outlined a challenging prospect for the future. One of the things that came across during the Minister's speech was that 240 submissions in relation to the area of anti-poverty were received from places throughout the country——

A question to the Leader, please, relevant to the Order of Business.

——most of which came from women's groups and individual women. However, we now discover that only two women serve as members of two of the policy committees.

The matter is not relevant to today's Order of Business.

I believe this House must seriously consider the role of women involved with voluntary groups in rural and urban society. Following the speech made by Mrs. Bruton, it is now timely that such a debate should——

Does the Senator have a question for the Leader which is relevant to the Order of Business?

I am requesting a debate on the subject of gender and the role of women in Irish society, which has not been adequately addressed by the Government. I am not engaging in an attack on women, I am defending them.

The Senator has made his point.

In relation to the Leader of the Opposition's inquiry in relation to the programme of business for the remainder of this session, it is hoped to complete the debates on the Harbours Bill and the Courts and Court Officers Bill by the end of this session. The Energy (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill must also be completed by the end of the session because a large amount of money for Bord na Móna is involved.

Will that be part of this year's Estimates or next year's?

Senator Manning without interruption.

Prudent housekeeping and financial management have been, and will continue to be, the hallmarks of this administration. I am sure that the Intoxicating Liquor Bill, which owes a great deal to Senator Bohan, will pass all Stages very quickly. It is a very simple Bill and will be introduced next week.

The subject of flooding will also be dealt with before the end of session. I am unsure of the format this will take. I have received an undertaking that the Minister will be available to answer questions in relation to this issue. Flooding will, therefore, be dealt with next week.

There is also an agricultural Bill which deals with representation——

The Milk (Regulation of Supply) Bill.

Thank you, Senator. This is also a short Bill and will be introduced before the end of session.

Senator Dardis raised the matter of the Courts and Court Officers Bill and also raised a very interesting question in relation to the report of the Council of Europe. This is a very important report which merits careful consideration and should not be subject to soundbite treatment. However, a tendency may exist to highlight the spectacular rather than the substantial elements contained in the report. I hope to have a debate early in the next session on that report and the allied questions raised yesterday of conditions in prisons and so forth, all of which are covered in it.

In answer to Senator Lanigan, we will have to find a way to discuss the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions. I am not sure how we will do this but we can discuss it later. I note his concerns about UNICEF.

Senator Honan and Senator Finneran raised the question of hepatitis C. It is not a question of slighting this House by not having a debate this week but it would seem to be a pointless duplication to have a debate in the other House and a simultaneous debate here. Let us see the outcome of the debate in the other House and what new information is made available there. We can look at the matter again as the Minister will be in the House next session for a wide ranging debate on health. I will try to return tomorrow to Senator Finneran's question on the flu vaccine.

We would welcome a debate on gender balance because this Government has nothing to fear from its record in that regard nor on the quality of the women which it has appointed and will appoint to State boards. It is an issue worthy of a full debate and we would be willing to make time available next session.

Government time?

Order of Business agreed to.
Top
Share