Today's Order of Business is item 1 and item 19, motion No. 30. There will be 30 minutes per spokesperson on item 1 and 20 minutes thereafter.
Order of Business.
I did not know the promotion of Senator O'Sullivan was part of the revival of the Labour Party's fortunes.
I asked the Leader last week about our forthcoming legislation programme. Can the Acting Leader remind him of that? This side would like to know the programme of business for the rest of this term. Can she also pass on to the Tánaiste the request made by this House on a number of occasions in the last few months to bring us up to date and to give us a say on the Northern Ireland process?
The House should note the unfortunate incident in the south-side of Dublin relating to drug abuse. These problems have been raised many times in this House. There is no proper substance abuse education programme in our schools and no resources have been made available to provide such a programme. A start must be made somewhere on this issue and that will require imaginative and creative thinking from the Department and the Minister for Education. The sooner that happens, the better.
On the matter referred to by Senator O'Toole, the House should express its view that it is not acceptable in a civilised society that anybody should be taken out and beaten to death, irrespective of what they are alleged to have done. We discussed this matter in the past when people were summarily executed in Belfast for alleged drug trafficking. We condemned that practice and it would be consistent to condemn this matter in the same way.
The other issue I wish to raise — it was also raised by Senator Wright — is statements on Northern Ireland. The Leader indicated that he would attempt to deal with this matter before the Northern Ireland forum meets on 10 June. It would be wise to do this sooner rather than later. The House has a good history of giving balanced views on this issue and it is an important time in the electoral and peace processes. Our views would be valuable and I ask the Acting Leader to find time within the next week to debate this matter.
My point is related to another faux pas by the Department of Education in transporting examination papers. There seems to be something radically wrong with the administration of how these boxes are brought from the examination centres to the Department. The Minister said in the past that this would not happen again but it has. It is now nearly examination time and it is extremely important that the Minister comes to the House and lays down how this practice will be tightened up to the extent that it will not happen again in any physical examinations taking place this year. The Minister has not made any statement about this matter in this House and it is important we get this message across to her.
I ask the Leader to arrange for the Minister for Health to come into the House as soon as possible to hear a proposition. A committee at Letterkenny General Hospital, County Donegal, has raised in excess of £600,000 for a CAT scan. The CAT scan unit has been bought, the building has been put out for contract, the North-Western Health Board has approved the development plan and we are just waiting for the Minister for Health to give his approval. Where the voluntary effort has raised £600,000 we are entitled to a response from the Department of Health. We have been waiting for over 12 months for the Department and the Minister to respond and to give approval. I ask the Leader to arrange a debate on this issue in the House. Will we get approval from the Minister for Health or will the decision be put on the long finger? I hope we will not be waiting for this approval until the weeks before the general election.
I join Senator O'Toole and Senator Dardis in their condemnation of a vigilante group dealing with the drug problem which exists in Dublin and in many other areas. It is appropriate that this House would utterly condemn the use of vigilante groups. It is totally inappropriate and we should send out that message.
There are two other items I want to mention. First, with regard to the major fish kill which took place on the River Shannon over the weekend, it is important the the Minister instigate an immediate investigation and seek a conviction so that such an occurrence does not happen again. Hundreds of guesthouse owners, proprietors of B and Bs and people who promote angling tourism are being put out of business because of fish kills.
That matter would be more appropriate to a motion on the Adjournment or a Private Members' motion than the Order of Business.
I appreciate that that may be the case but I ask the Leader to bring the matter to the attention of the Minister because it is of national importance.
Second, we have been seeking a debate on health for months. I do not blame the Acting Leader but I am extremely disappointed with the narrow debate we are to have. While the drugs issue is important we have been seeking a broader debate. A number of speakers, including me, have emphasised the need for a debate on the White Paper on Mental Health. I ask the Leader to tell the Minister for Health that we have been seeking a debate on that issue for nine months. It is nearly an insult to this House that at this stage we cannot debate the matter.
I support Senator O'Toole and others in condemning the vigilante group who beat up a person last night in Dublin. Is it not time we had a debate on law and order, because there is nearly one murder every week and vigilante groups are taking over? Where that happends, is it not true that law and order has broken down completely? If we do not do something about it, the situation will get even more serious and there will be a return to mob law.
The Minister set up a task force recently in response to the situation at Packard Electric which was a good development, but a factory closed in Ballyshannon, County Donegal, a short while ago with the loss of 300 jobs and this had a far greater impact in proportion to the numbers of people in north Sligo and north Leitrim than had the Packard Electric closure.
There were not 300 jobs.
There was very near it.
The Senator should get his figures right.
We were refused a task force. Why will we not provide a task force in rural Ireland? Have we no regard for jobs lost in rural Ireland? Is all the emphasis on what happens in the city? I am asking the Leader of the House to ask the Minister why they were refused a task force for Ballyshannon. The job losses were equally important to them as Tallaght.
The Minister of State, Deputy Rabbitte, is not the public representative there.
If Senator Maloney does not want employment in north Sligo-Ballyshannon and in this area — that is all right. Let him be honest and say that he condones the closure of factories because that in effect is what he is saying. Senator Maloney's party is saying "To hell with the country, let the jobs go, we do not want them". If that is Labour's attitude, fair play, but the Senator should come out openly and say it.
Senator Farrell should resume his seat now.
The Senator did not even ask for a task force.
I sincerely hope I will cause less disorder. Can the Acting Leader make some arrangement to deal with the Freedom of Information Bill which we will be addressing tomorrow in the context of delivering better Government. The Committee Stage of the Bill was dealt with on 30 April and it is important that we should put it in place. There is a technical problem because the Bill is effectively stuck on Committee Stage, unless we can refer it to the Dáil Committee which is examining the Government's draft headings. It is important to resolve that issue.
Can the Acting Leader arrange to let us know, through the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry, how it is that Ireland seems to be more sanguine about the BSE ban on British products than other European states? Gelatine sweets are on sale in our shops. They are technically banned, but they are still coming in from Britain. The ban is a sham because it clearly does not exist here.
The Senator will have to find another way of raising that issue.
I join with other Senators in condemning the crime by a vigilante group in Dublin.
According to the newspapers the report of the Commission on Local Government Restructuring has been finalised. Can the Acting Leader arrange to have the report circulated as early as possible?
While I share Senator Ormonde's concern in asking the Minister for Education to examine the situation with regard to the delivery of practical examination projects, it should be pointed out that the system in question has been used for many years. I supervised examinations over 20 years ago. The system has worked well and has stood the test of time, but it is regrettable that in recent times there have been problems. The Acting Leader should ask the Minister to consider the idea of sending examiners to correct practical examinations in the schools. In that case there would be no need to send exam pieces back to the Department of Education, which is a cumbersome method. It is a pity that problems have arisen but with the amount of goods being sent on trains nowadays, some errors may occur along the way.
One would think they would have changed the lorry after 25 years.
The Senator's party would be against such expenditure.
The Minister should come in here and discuss it.
Can the Acting Leader arrange a debate on the issue of defamation? Increasingly public representatives are being muzzled because they cannot raise issues of general interest in public. When my colleague, Senator Gallagher, raised an issue of public interest she was immediately threatened with a law suit. We have seen this even more recently in the public domain. Recently entire sections of the report on the inquiry into Madonna House were deleted because of defamation considerations. If issues of public concern cannot be raised by public representatives, county councillors, Senators or TDs, democracy is diminished. We need an open debate on this topic as soon as possible.
I understand legislation dealing with discrimination against certain people and establishments will shortly come before the House. When is the legislation due and will it apply to casino owners?
A young girl died tragically at an indoor concert last weekend. Will the Acting Leader ask the Minister for the Environment if anything more than a code of practice must be undertaken by those promoting these concerts? In the past I raised the issue of the lack of regulations, even in relation to the supply of drinking water, at some of these events. Is there legislation allowing a particular number of people to a certain square footage? In this case things seem to have got out of control.
I support Senator Finneran's call for a debate on the fish kill in the Shannon. This concerns Members in whose areas inland fisheries are located. I also support the call for a debate on Northern Ireland because it is some time since we last discussed this. As regards the matter raised by Senator Farrell, the Ballyshannon factory would not have closed if the local Deputy had not transferred a factory to his own town of Dungloe and given a promise that the Ballyshannon factory would not close. The unfortunate aspect of this is that the factory in Dungloe is thriving while the Ballyshannon factory is now closed.
That is not true.
Is the Senator worried about cash flow in Ballyshannon?
That is false; the man is not here to defend himself.
We will not get into Donegal politics.
I would like to raise the delay in paying pollution grants. Farmers have spent a lot of money, have taken out loans and are paying high interest rates. There is a delay of up to two years in the payment of these grants to farmers. I understand they will not be paid before the general election next year. That will not soften farmers. I ask for a debate on agriculture; I understand the Leader is in favour.
We must all be pleased that there has been a breakthrough in relation to the difficulties with the CPSU in dealing with blood samples, providing cards and so on. While I hope the entire matter will be resolved in the near future, this breakthrough will be welcomed by many farmers.
It is extraordinary that the problem was with the Minister for Finance but the breakthrough was made by the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry.
It is a good job Senator Dardis is not in the Department of Finance.
Senator Rory Kiely called for a debate on agriculture where a number of problems must be resolved. As regards the tragic death in the Point Depot this weekend, it is essential that we have a debate on crowd safety. I attended a match some years ago and I was alarmed by the crowd pushing and shoving at the entrance. The entrances and exits at a number of venues are dangerous. There is a real danger in many places where people congregate. This matter extends over a number of areas and is the responsibility of various bodies, including the Department of the Environment.
A question on today's Order of Business, Senator.
The fire authorities and various corporations are also involved. Will the Acting Leader arrange an indepth debate on this matter in the near future? It is of great importance to parents and to those attending events.
We are not discussing the matter now.
I support the call for a debate on the tragedy at the Point at the weekend. I spoke to a parent of one of the children injured and learned that the number of people allowed into the premises and the way things were handled leave much to be desired. No further activities should take place at that venue until an investigation is held and a report produced. It has also come to light that the water was turned off at a recent rave party there. This also affected people who had not taken tablets.
We are not discussing the matter today but I take it the Senator is supporting the call for a debate on the matter.
It is serious that such a situation arose and we should ensure something similar can not happen again.
Senator Kiely should recall that former Minister, Deputy Walsh, did not provide enough funds for the payment of grants.
A question to the Acting Leader on today's Order of Business.
They have all been paid this year; money was provided for them.
The Senator's side is in Government now but it did not provide the money. Where are the high standards now?
This side does not need to be reminded.
I note the statement by the Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry yesterday that the Government intends to publish the Bill relating to wild horses soon. Will the Acting Leader make it known to the Government and the relevant Ministers that I understand the legislation can be introduced as a matter of urgency and dealt with in both Houses before the summer recess to ensure it will be on the Statute Book as soon as possible? This problem is affecting the new Dublin satellite towns and needs to be addressed urgently.
Senator Wright will realise my elevation is temporary and nothing to do with the Labour Party.
I thought it was another important move.
Senator Wright raised the issue of forthcoming legislation. When I discussed this matter with the Leader of the House this morning he indicated that he hopes to have a list of forthcoming legislation for the House tomorrow. Senator Wright also called for a debate on Northern Ireland. Many Members have previously sought this debate and I hope it can be arranged as soon as possible, certainly before 10 June which is the date for all party talks.
Senator O'Toole raised the drugs question. The Minister for Health will be in the House tomorrow for a debate on drugs and perhaps some of the Senator's points can be covered then. I understand his questions primarily apply to the Minister of Education, but he can mention them tomorrow.
In referring to drugs, a number of Members, including Senator Dardis, condemned the summary justice imposed on a man in Dublin yesterday. I add my voice to the condemnation of that matter. The House should condemn any type of summary executions, such as the killing yesterday. It is no way to deal with the issue.
Senator Ormonde mentioned the examination boxes which were found. I share her concern and I understand an inquiry is ongoing. When that is complete, I presume the Minister will be in a position to make a statement in the House and I am sure she will do so. Senator McDonagh's suggestion about having the examination corrected and marked in the schools is worthy of consideration.
Senator McGowan raised the issue of a CAT scan for Letterkenny hospital. As it is such a specific issue it might be more suited to be raised on the Adjournment. Senator Finneran requested a broad debate on health. I discussed the matter with the Leader of the House and he indicated that he intends to arrange a number of debates on health — tomorrow's is specifically targeted on drugs but there will be others. The Senator has made requests for a debate on the White Paper on mental health over many months and I am sure it will be given priority.
Senator Farrell referred to the issue of jobs in Ballyshannon; that might be more suited to the Adjournment. The Government has done a lot to target the west by giving a Minister of State responsibility for the area and in its general response to proposals for the development of the west.
Senator Roche raised the Freedom of Information Bill. There are some technical problems dealing with that Bill. He also raised his concern about the BSE ban and certain beef related products, such as gelatine, which should be brought to the attention of the Department.
Senator Sherlock asked about the local government restructuring report which he said is about to be published. I know it is near finalisation but I was not aware it was at the point of publication. I am sure Senators will receive it as soon as it is available.
Senator Kelly referred to defamation and the problems for public representatives raising issues of public concern. Privilege does not extend to fora other than the Oireachtas. It is a matter which is worthy of consideration. She referred to cases related to a Member of this House and to the Madonna House report; the Kelly Fitzgerald report might also be included as an example where difficulties in dealing with issues arose because of defamation considerations. Senator Lydon asked about the equal status legislation. I understand it is with the Attorney General and it should be ready in the near future.
Senator Henry, Senator Farrelly and Senator Enright raised the issue of the tragic death of a young girl at the Point Depot last weekend. An inquiry is ongoing. Senator Henry suggested there should be a code of practice and Senator Farrelly suggested there should be co-ordination of the various bodies with relevant responsibilities, for example the local authority, the Department of the Environment and the police. It is horrific that such a death should happen. The large numbers of young people who attend such events pose serious dangers and there will have to be regulations to protect the safety of young people.
Senator Rory Kiely asked about the delay in the payment of pollution grants. The Senator has been good at raising agricultural matters on the Adjournment and getting answers. This might be another case for that approach. I note he is seeking a general debate on agriculture.
Ask Deputy Joe Walsh where is the money.
Senator Enright brought us news of a breakthrough in the CPSU dispute, which is good news not just for farmers but for other groups. If Senator Enright had anything to do with the breakthrough I congratulate him.
I would accept credit gladly but I am afraid I will have to pass on this occasion.
Senator Hayes raised the legislation dealing with wandering horses and hoped there would be progress in that regard before the summer. I support him on the issue which is also of concern in Limerick. The legislation has been some time in the making and the sooner it is discussed the better.
Order of Business agreed to.