Vol. 146 No. 14
Today's business is item 1 and item 16, motion 28. On item 1 there will be not more than 30 minutes per speaker. The motion will be taken from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
On behalf of the House I wish to express sympathy for the parents of the children slaughtered today in the small Scottish town of Dunblane. It is inconceivable that horror on such a scale, so brutal and mindless, could take place in a small country town. Our hearts go out to the parents.
I join the Leader in extending sympathy to the parents of the unfortunate children in Scotland. We abhor what has happened. It was obviously done by someone who was deranged but that is of little consolation to the families.
This side of the House agrees with the Order of Business but I wish to raise a few matters. We must be conscious of the major protest outside by the farmers. This matter is of major concern nationally and we should——
I do not wish to speak across the Senator but there is a motion in Private Members' time tonight so I ask him to refrain from comment on the matter.
My colleagues will be moving our motion tonight.
The next matter I wish to raise is the war games being played by China off the Taiwan coast. Amnesty International recently reported serious abuse of human rights and evidence of torture and oppression in China and Tibet. I ask the Leader to request the Tánaiste or a Minister of State from his Department to attend here because the Seanad should have an opportunity to debate the issue. The Chinese intention in this case is to influence the forthcoming elections in Taiwan. We all remember Tiananmen Square and are conscious of the——
Senator, we are not discussing the matter know. I know you are seeking a debate.
Yes, a debate will be welcomed by Members because it would provide an opportunity to highlight many other issues, including Tibet. The Leader promised some time ago we would have a debate on the White Paper on mental health. I am extremely disappointed that it has not happened, as other Senators and I have sought this debate since the middle of 1995. The legislation governing the treatment of the mentally ill is 51 years old and in no way addresses the issues facing the psychiatric services today. As morale in the psychiatric service is at a low ebb it is important that we have a debate on the White Paper on mental health. If a case was taken Ireland would be found to be in breach of the European convention on the protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms.
When was that signed?
I take it the Senator is looking for a debate on the matter. We cannot discuss it now.
Yes. I have been seeking a debate on this for 12 months.
What about the 12 months before that?
This request has also been made by members of the Government parties. We must have an early debate on this matter.
I join the Leader in his expression of sympathy on the tragic deaths which took place today in Scotland. I share Senator Finneran's desire for a short debate on the China-Taiwan situation. It is coincidental that we are discussing the Refugee Bill, 1995, because developments in the Taiwan Strait could lead to our receiving refugees from that area.
I share the sympathy expressed to the families affected by the events in Dunblane, Scotland. The RTE news coverage of the events at lunchtime displayed a certain voyeurism. The fact was that 12 children had been killed and the news programme was trying to trawl for details which were not available. I did not find it very edifying.
There were requests for a debate on Northern Ireland last week. In view of the statement made last week by the Combined Loyalist Military Command that there would be blow for blow retaliation for IRA atrocities, it would be appropriate for us to return to the issue of Northern Ireland. It is the failure of the IRA to restore the ceasefire that is making matters worse by the day. Many of its demands have been met by the arrangement for all-party talks and we should discuss the matter again.
A report was published with regard to the proposals for Seanad representation for emigrants. Without commenting on the detail of the report or the merits of the proposals and because it would be an appropriate matter for discussion, I ask the Leader to arrange debate on the report.
On behalf of the Labour Party I join in expressing sympathy to the families of the children killed in Scotland. Our sympathy also goes to all the other children in the school who have been traumatised by the event. It is the antithesis of what we expect for children and it will have long lasting traumatic effects on all involved.
I agree it would be appropriate for the House to debate the discussion document on Seanad representation for emigrants so that we can express our views at an early date. The issue affects this House closely.
It would also be appropriate to have a debate in the near future on Northern Ireland. The leadership of the two smaller Loyalist parties have been giving responsible leadership in relation to what the Combined Loyalist Military Command has said. I hope this leadership will make an impression on them and that it will continue to lead in the way it has done so to date. It may be appropriate to have a further debate on Northern Ireland in the near future.
I join with the Leader and others in condemning the atrocity in the school in Scotland and in extending my sympathy.
Over the last few days bad news has hit my own town of Mallow. The electronics company, Mitsumi Ireland Limited, which has been in existence since 1990 and employs approximately 200 people, announced that it was making 80 redundancies and reducing the work-force to a very small number as a result of competition in the industry. Will the Leader impress upon the Minister and IDA Ireland the need to facilitate the company in a diversification programme?
Could we have a debate here with the Minister for Enterprise and Employment present? The Minister stated that the Cork local authorities were at fault for EU funding not being provided. It is disingenuous for him to blame a local authority for not being able to provide details of plans regarding EU funds. Given that Apple Computer Limited has made 300 redundancies since Christmas, it is important that employment in my constituency be discussed.
With regard to emigrants voting in Seanad elections, do Ministers who are often abroad qualify for a vote?
That hardly arises on the Order of Business.
My thunder has been stolen by other speakers with regard to the issue of voting in Seanad elections. I am not the only emigrant here. There are a few familiar faces I would have seen around London and Birmingham during my teen years. In endorsing the call for an early debate on this issue I am concerned about the decision of the Minister for the Environment to have a Dáil select committee, the Select Committee on Finance and General Affairs, engage in the consultative process.
I welcome the document and the motives behind its publications in that it is to commence a consultative process leading to specific legislation. However, I fail to understand why the Minister considered it necessary to state that a Dáil select committee was to deal with this process when it is a matter that is of import to this House. I would have thought that, in the first instance, he would have consulted this House on a matter of such grave importance, not only for the future of the House but also for its constitutional implications.
A group of Deputies will not have any real interest in the matter; indeed it is they who have been responsible for delaying progress on this issue.
A question to the Leader.
Some of them may be very interested.
Perhaps those Deputies who do not wish to see an extension of the voting franchise to Dáil elections are pursuing a specific agenda. This is what the emigrant groups want, and not simply a soft soap exercise of handing them three Seanad seats, which will cause enormous difficulties. However, it is another day's work whether the proposal will succeed.
We are not discussing this issue now.
The Leader should arrange for an early debate, even if it means getting ahead of our Dáil colleagues. We may inform them of a couple of aspects they may not have considered.
The debate on farming will take place this evening. Once again, Senator Kiely anticipated what would happen and put his motion down in good time. I am glad Senator Finneran raised the question of China and Taiwan, which was also raised by other Senators. Many of us view what is happening with great concern. We have very high regard for the attempts being made in Taiwan to move that country towards a full democracy and we would greatly resent the obvious intrusion in the internal affairs and the regime of terror which has been created. I will try to organise an early debate on that issue. I thank the Senators for raising the matter. Senator Henry also referred to the Chinese issue. The debate on the White Paper on health has been delayed and I will try to get a definite date for Senators.
Senator Dardis raised the question of a debate on Northern Ireland. If it is likely to be helpful, as all our debates have been, I will try to organise a debate in the near future. He and other Senators raised the question of the consultative document on emigrant representation. There will be an early debate in this House on that question. This is the obvious place to have a debate; virtually all Members will want to contribute. The Minister was showing courtesy to this House when he said "I expect that the Seanad would also wish to debate the issue". The Minister was not telling us what to do, he was acknowledging our right to decide if we will debate the issue rather than imposing a debate on us. It is the wish of the House that we discuss this issue and we will do so very soon. I want to ensure that everyone will have time to read the document but once that is done the debate will not be hindered by time constraints.
Senator Sherlock raised the issue of the Mitsumi plant; I will pass on what he said to the Minister. Senator Kelleher asked that the Minister for Enterprise and Employment be present for a debate in this House. The Minister will be here within the next couple of weeks for a debate on the local enterprise boards as requested by a number of Senators and I am sure that will be a proper occasion to raise these matters.
He will not have to pay £100 to come in.
