Today's Order of Business is item 1 to conclude and item 2.
Order of Business.
Is it the Leader's intention to deal with the Social Welfare Bill today?
Yes.
I wish to raise an issue that is on the front page of every newspaper today — the gangland executions over the last eight to ten months in our capital city. Fianna Fáil will co-operate, in any way possible, to ensure that whatever legislation is needed is introduced to tackle this. I stress the word "crisis". The Leader of the House is a very important person in the major party in Government. What I hear today, both in person and on the telephone, is that there is a crisis in our city. We have had one execution per month for the last eight to ten months. It is totally unacceptable to the general public that this should be going on in our city. Recently the gardai asked for a murder squad. A special unit like this, or legislation, is needed to stop these gangland executions, which used to be seen on the cinema screen, but are now a part of everyday life in Dublin. As I said, my Fianna Fáil colleagues and I will do all in our power to put in place whatever legislation is needed. I ask the Leader to convey to the Taoiseach and the Minister for Justice that what is happening in our capital city is unacceptable to all of us. It must be stopped, and we will support whatever measures are needed to do so.
I agree with what Senator Wright has said about crime in our city. However, I think calls from this House some time ago for the execution of criminals did not assist the climate in which this debate is taking place. I ask the Leader to pass on to the Minister of Justice the congratulations of the local people on the busting of a "crack" cocaine factory in Parnell Street two weeks ago, after information was passed by local business people that this activity was taking place. Would he also convey the concern of local people that this Chicago style execution should take place in the area of Parnell Street where many decent business people and a growing number of residents are combining to create a positive community?
Will the Leader pass on to the Minister for Justice — and I have been positive in everything I have said up to now — our strong resentment at the placing of a kind of halfway house for female prisoners in the old Kennedy bakery? We are doing our best to raise this area, attract investment and bring young people back to live in the inner city and we are not helped by this kind of development. I know we are going to be preached at and told "not in my back yard".
This does not arise on today's Order of Business.
I am sorry. I want to finish this point.
There are other ways in which the Senator can raise these issues.
If it is our Christian duty — and of course it is — and if we can be preached at that we must extend hospitality with these facilities, let us have a few of them in Foxrock.
Senator, we are not discussing that matter today.
If they are of such a benefit to the community, let us have some in Ballybrack, Stepaside and in some nice middle class areas——
Senator Norris, we are not discussing that matter on today's Order of Business. It is not relevant to today's Order of Business.
——and not have them all concentrated on the north inner city.
The Senator will have to find some other way to raise that issue.
Will the Leader be kind enough to pass on a mixed garland of my congratulations and a strong rebuke to the Minister for siting this facility in an historic building which could have been restored for some artistic purpose?
We are not discussing that matter on the Order of Business today.
The Order of Business as presented to the House is agreed. I realise there is an urgency in dealing with the matter so that the Bill can be signed.
I support strongly the remarks of the leader of the Fianna Fáil group and urge the Leader to make time available in the next session to discuss this matter. When we last talked about crime, a commitment was given that we would return to the matter and I believe now would be the appropriate time to do so.
There seems to be a growing prevalence of executions; if somebody is alleged to be dealing in drugs, people believe they can go out and summarily execute them. That is not how the rule of law works in this country and I hope we will never descend to those levels. I support what Senator Norris has said in respect of capital punishment. It is totally abhorrent in any civilised society that there should be capital punishment or that it should even be considered.
The other matter I wish to raise has to do with BSE, with which we dealt last week when we discussed the bovine TB levies. There was a disturbing report in a Sunday newspaper to the effect that it was quite easy to move back and forth across the Border because many roads were not manned. In view of the commitment that the security forces would ensure that the Border was secure so that beef or cattle from the North would not enter the Republic, I ask the Leader to bring that matter to the attention of either the Minister for Justice or the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry so that we can be sure the positive health status of the Irish herd can be maintained. I also suggest that contact be made with the British authorities to ensure use is not made of Larne, County Antrim, as an access route for live cattle because if the price at the marts is two or three times higher here than in England, it would be fairly easy to conclude that cattle will move in this direction.
Senator, we have discussed this matter for the last two weeks and I do not want another discussion on it on today's Order of Business.
After the recess, how soon does the Leader expect the House will discuss the White Paper on Foreign Policy?
I echo the remarks made by the leader of my group. In admitting in fairness that the Minister has come into the House on several occasions and we have had some good debates on law and order, the Minister might come here again to deal with a related topic. There is deep unease among the public and members of the Garda Síochána on the bail issue. It is a complicated area and the subject of many Law Reform Commission reports but the Minister promised a referendum on bail and we do not know what has happened. For the purposes of clarity, will the Leader ask the Minister for Justice to come into this House again to make a clear and unequivocal statement of her intentions and the timescale for introducing much needed reform of the bail laws?
Can the Leader of the House convey to the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry the readiness of our party, particularly those of us who were involved in the Department when the first BSE outbreaks occurred in Britain, to be involved in a campaign to convince markets, particularly those in Iran, Libya and Egypt, that our beef is safe? At the time of those outbreaks I went to Iran with some vets and brought Iranian vets back with me. We received total and utter clearance from those markets, as well as from international organisations like the WHO and the IAU, that we met every international standard to establish us as having white country status. The current Minister has vigorously maintained that policy.
In trying to build on that acceptance, particularly in those markets, we are ready to help in any way possible. While the Irish consumer has now been reassured because of the clear actions taken, if there is still a residual doubt in those markets about the quality of our beef, the Leader of the House should convey to the Minister our readiness to be involved in such a campaign.
It would be only right and proper to compliment the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry for his work on this issue last week, ensuring that the confidence of the overwhelming majority of Irish consumers in Irish beef was brought back, according to a recent poll, and his work in the last two days at the Council of Ministers.
Has the Leader been given notice by the Leader of the Opposition about a Fianna Fáil motion circulating in certain parts of the country about abolishing water charges. When will this be discussed?
Unfortunately not before the by-elections.
The by-elections are over.
I voice my concern on behalf of the farming community about the proposed industrial action by the Civil and Public Services Union with the Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry. This will have a serious effect on the farming community. Fewer of the Department's offices will be open and those that will be, will only open for a few hours. This will mean delays in premium payments. The Minister has been lauded already by Senator Farrelly but I would not be quick to do so. When the Minister announced this charter of rights, which was definitely a PR exercise for his self-promotion, he never consulted the CPSU on how it would be operated.
He should be talking about the water charges.
He also failed to consult with it in regard to the new TB scheme. The CPSU is correct in demanding its rights but farmers will suffer. The Minister let them down badly.
We have often brought the Minister before this House; I do not know why since we never got much from him. Can the Leader convey our concerns to the Minister?
Is the Senator for or against water charges?
Farmers have suffered enough because of falling beef prices and it is time the Minister addressed their issues.
When will the ethics in public office legislation be discussed in this House?
When are we going to get down to tackling the issue of crime and how best can the problem be resolved? The Leader, members of our party and the general public have been asking this.
Does the Senator know that his colleagues did not vote for the motion last week in the Dáil? The Senator is playing politics with the matter.
Crime is a matter of major concern to the public. A huge number of matters have to be addressed, the first of which is the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions. Members on both sides of the House have asked that this problem be addressed. Today's newspaper and radio bulletins carried reports about a murder in Dublin last night; hearing about it is like the Mafia or Chicago but it happened in Dublin. People have suggested that this was the result of a killing that took place in Dublin many months ago. Why has it taken so long to get the file which was prepared on that case to the courts? It has been suggested that if that file had been presented sooner, the gentleman who was killed last night would not have died; he would be in jail having been charged and convicted.
Everyone is innocent until proven guilty as the Senator knows.
We are prepared to make an exception in the Senator's case.
Is there confusion between the offices of the DPP and the Solicitor General? There is a crisis out there.
You have made your point, Senator. You have asked the question.
I agree with Senator Dardis's request for a debate on the White Paper on foreign policy. However, we cannot discuss this on one day only because there are 40 or 50 elements to be addressed. I am not sure how the debate can be constructed but it cannot be done on the basis of a two hour debate alone.
People call it a White Paper but I have never seen one coming from any area of Government that has so many pictures which, while they are beautiful to look at, take away from the content.
I take it you are supporting a debate on that, Senator.
I want to ask a question.
I hope it is very brief and relevant to today's Order of Business.
There is no constriction on the time taken by any Senator to ask a question or a series of questions. We received the DoE News again today from the Department of the Environment reporting a crackdown on litter. This magazine is produced on recycled paper but it can never be recycled again because it is glossy.
In fairness, that is not relevant to today's Order of Business.
It is. If the Minister sends out a magazine on recycled paper it should be capable of being recycled again otherwise the Department of the Environment will create more litter.
The Senator should know that the rules of the House do not allow the display of documentation.
Only invitations.
The Senator is taking the gloss off it.
The content does not seem to be important but the presentation is.
I am sure the Leader of the House will agree when I say that, as regards litter, this is still one of the dirtiest countries in Europe. When somebody attempts to address this issue they should be supported rather than ridiculed.
Senator Wright rightly raised the issue of crime which has bedevilled various Ministers for Justice over the last 15 years. However, the Senator's remarks were made in a bipartisan manner. It is a common problem; it is not a political football, nor is Northern Ireland since this type of gangsterism where criminals are "hitting" each other can easily spread to the uninvolved, we are deeply concerned about it.
Do something about it.
We would if we were let.
For heaven's sake, be quiet. I hate being interrupted by a midget.
I heard that remark and it should be withdrawn.
I heard it too.
I withdraw the remark. The emphasis is increasingly on resources and seldom about how we utilise the resources we have at present. We have huge resources in terms of manpower and finance and I am not sure they are being properly utilised. I ask the Leader to arrange a wide ranging debate which would examine all aspects of this matter.
This weekend in New York and London thousands of part-time policemen will be on duty; they are put on duty for weekends and special occasions. They have limited powers but they release thousands of policemen to do the job we want them to do. Much of the work carried out by patrolling gardaí is humdrum and is not unlike that of watchmen.
We are not discussing the matter now.
The size of the serious crime problem in this country is not enormous. With vigour and a focused effort it could be ended. The idea I have mentioned is not original and was previously suggested by a former Taoiseach, Liam Cosgrave. I urge the Leader to provide money for the debate sought by Senator Wright.
Will the Leader of the House ask the Minister for Defence, Deputy Barrett, to make a statement about the garda on UN duty in Cyprus who appears to have been victimised?
That matter does not arise on the Order of Business.
I am requesting the Leader to ask the Minister——
It does not arise on today's Order of Business.
In Cyprus a garda appears to have been victimised for an innocent comment——
It is not a matter for today's Order of Business.
It is a matter of urgency.
I ask the Senator to resume her seat.
I wish to make a further point. Senator Farrelly mentioned a motion he is expecting to be debated. How does his party intend to vote on the motion before the Dáil tomorrow?
Members will agree that the experiment we conducted last week in inviting a distinguished person to the Chamber to address a matter of major importance was successful. The Committee on Procedure and Privileges will arrange further such occasions.
Senator Wright, in a bipartisan contribution, addressed the crime problem. It is a matter of grave concern to everybody. When executions are taking place in broad daylight in our cities something fundamentally important has gone wrong. Shortly after Easter item 19 will be discussed; it offers an opportunity to have an early debate on crime. It is a motion but I will use it to provide time for an extended debate on crime.
Senator Dardis, in a strange slip of the tongue, described the leader of the Opposition group as a member of Fine Gael. We have room for him but I cannot promise him this position just yet.
I apologise for that.
It is a compliment to him really.
He cannot imagine Fine Gael being in Government.
The Senator's concerns about cattle crossing the Border will be passed on to the Minister.
The White Paper on foreign policy will be debated on the first Wednesday the House sits after Easter. I will make available as much time as is necessary for that debate. Senator Mulcahy raised the question of bail. He will be aware that views on all sides are divided as to the efficacy of curtailing the bail laws. The issue can be raised soon after Easter during the debate on crime which I mentioned.
Senator O'Kennedy made a useful point about a campaign of persuasion which may be needed in the national interest to persuade those outside the European Union that our beef herds are safe. I agree with Senator Farrelly that the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry, the Taoiseach and others have done a good job in the past couple of days to try to undo the two days of madness in the House of Commons which destroyed ten years of good work by all Governments.
I have not received notice of a motion on water charges, which Senator Farrelly raised. I note Senator Kiely's comments about industrial action. There is no proposal for an immediate debate on the ethics in public office legislation. However, if he wants a discussion, I will make time available.
Senator Lanigan mentioned the Director of Public Prosecutions. I am aware there is concern about the way in which the office of the DPP is working. I do not know if those concerns have any basis but we could include that aspect in a debate on crime when we resume after Easter. There is a need for clarification which will probably indicate everything the DPP has done. I will pass on the Senator's comments to the Minister that paper from the Department of the Environment should be recycled. I note Senator Magner's views on crime.
Senator McGennis raised two issues which I am sure are not influenced by where she comes from today. What the other House does is a matter for it——
I thought Senator Farrelly might like to enlighten us.
——in the same way that what we do here is our prerogative.
It might have some bearing on both Houses.
Perhaps the Senator should have listened to the Minister for Defence, Deputy Barrett, this morning when he said he was not involved in the incident which took place. It was handled by the Garda authorities. If there had been political interference, the other side of the House would be right to intervene and to complain. However, there was no interference by the Minister; it is a Garda matter.
So he will not be transferred.
We do not want politicians interfering in what the Garda does.
Order of Business agreed to.