Today's Order of Business is items 1, 2 and 19, motion 31. Item 2 will follow immediately after item 1 until 6 p.m. If item 1 does not finish by 6 p.m., item 2 will be deferred until next week.
Order of Business.
Two weeks ago I raised the issue — Senator Bohan followed it up last week — of the Government's decision to send 150 gardaí from Dublin to the Border. I do not question the need to protect our Border in regard to the movement of cattle but I ask the Leader to convey the concerns expressed in Dublin about moving these gardaí from the most sensitive areas of Dublin. This will become an issue. It is already having a negative effect on Garda services and activities in the city. Garda sources have told me that this decrease in Garda numbers is having a negative effect on two of the most important manpower need areas in the city.
Last week I raised with the Leader the importance of giving people proper and full information on issues such as food, etc. I also mentioned the fact that a lot of publicity regarding the non-risks attached to passive smoking had been subsidised by the tobacco industry. Similarly, we were told that salt in processed food posed no danger, only to find out later that this was on the basis of information issued by the food processing industry.
Matters reached a new low last week with the scare about ingredients in baby foods which may have a serious effect on the health of future generations. The British Government is not prepared to let us know which baby foods are dangerous. It is time our Government took a stand on these issues, made proper information available, demanded from the British Government that people are made aware of the brands that may pose a risk and until such time as the opposite is the case, we should reject such foods. It is disgraceful. We need to take a stand. The Government should deal with this or we should discuss it here and go through each detail.
I support Senator O'Toole. It is imperative that all information available to the British Ministry for Agriculture and Food should be given to the Minister for Health. When we had the BSE crisis in recent weeks, the Minister for Health was reassuring the public about the safety of our beef. It is imperative that a similar statement is made on baby foods.
Two weeks ago I mentioned the report of the visiting committee to Mountjoy Prison. There was support for this on RTE this morning, especially in relation to the women's prison and the fact that many women prisoners who were there recently are now dead. There does not seem to be any after care or follow up facilities for our women prisoners, who account for a very small percentage of our total prisoners. Recommendations were made in this regard by the Second Commission on the Status of Women. Can the Minister for Justice come to this House so that we can specifically follow up on these matters to see which recommendations the Government is prepared to put in place?
Can the Leader ask the Tánaiste, representing the Government, to protest in the strongest way at the brazen effrontery of the British Government in disrupting the business of the European Union because of a problem caused exclusively by itself, particularly because of the damage it is doing to our economy? Over 170,000 animals in Britain have been infected by BSE; we had only 126 cases; it represents 10 per cent of our GNP and a value of £1.6 billion per annum. The British Government, which failed to take the necessary actions when required, is now blaming everybody else, including the unfortunate developing nations which will not receive their support programmes from the European Union if the British succeed in blocking European activity. I ask the Leader of the House to protest in the strongest possible way against their insensitivity and brazen effrontery.
Many people have been worried about the cost of the rescue services and there was much comment in this morning's newspapers about the cost of the recent rescue of two fishermen in Kerry. I compliment the services involved.
However, in the next few months thousands of people will be using our rivers and seas for leisure and business purposes. They will include fishermen and people bringing visitors to our islands. If one wishes to drive a 50cc motorbike on the road one must get a licence and insure the vehicle. However, if one takes out a boat with an outboard engine there is no obligation to have a licence and I doubt that many of such boats are insured. Can the Leader of the House, in the interest of saving lives, introduce legislation to make it mandatory that every boat be registered, taxed and insured, as is the case for a 50cc motorbike?
We are not discussing the matter now. The Senator is stretching the Order of Business; he has made his point.
Can the Leader introduce such legislation immediately? Then people would know who owns and hires out boats.
I have another marine question to raise with the Leader. Over recent months there have been many false alarm calls on our rescue services. The Leader should ask——
I am sure the Senator can find another means of raising this matter.
——the Minister to make it mandatory that a log be kept of every time a two way radio is used in Ireland. In addition, when two way radio licences are issued they should be accompanied by some type of bug that would allow the rescue services to determine the location of the call.
That matter is not relevant to the Order of Business.
Would the Leader ask the Minister to do something about this dangerous trend of false alarm calls being made on our rescue services?
I support Senator Wright's calls regarding the Garda Síochána. There is no doubt that vigilantes appear to be taking over the city and they will take over every town in Ireland in a short time if they are not curbed. The only people who can curb them are the gardaí. We must support the Garda and ensure that the vigilantes do not get stronger.
I also support Senator O'Toole's call for a debate on food ingredients and food poisoning. There is no scientific evidence to justify many of the reports we receive. Often they emanate from a single professor who has given his opinion in the form of a statement. That is not good enough. In that regard, the Leader might ask the people in the RTE newsroom to put down the BSE cow they continuously show on television. The cow is well flogged now——
That is not a matter for the Order of Business.
——and it is about time she was put down. RTE should show pictures of a herd of good cattle, grazing in the green fields of Ireland rather than damn our beef business.
I support Senator O'Toole's request for information about the contents of baby food. It is important that such information be made available by the Minister for Health to reassure mothers that baby food sold in Ireland does not contain harmful components.
In view of the confirmed recent outbreak of BSE in County Longford——
An incident, not an outbreak.
I stand corrected, an incident.
One was also discovered in north County Cork last week.
Will the Leader request that the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry consider alternative methods——
This evening's Private Members' motion relates to that matter. I cannot permit any discussion on BSE at this point.
In view of that fact I will make no further comment on the matter.
Will the Leader arrange with the Minister for Social Welfare to discuss the collapse of the current student summer job scheme? This scheme has only been established and already there has been a reduction in the provision of student employment. Many organisations applied for the right to employ students under this worthwhile scheme. My local authority in County Donegal has advertised vacancies for students wishing to enter employment during the summer. At the same time the Minister of Social Welfare has written to students to inform them that he cannot recommend them for employment, despite the fact that they were given jobs last year. This is because restrictions were introduced in the amount of money provided under the scheme. However, the Minister informed students that he understood they were eligible to draw unemployment benefit.
It is criminal that the Minister for Social Welfare should refer students to employment exchanges to claim benefits.
That matter is not being discussed.
I appreciate that but I request the support of the Leader in this matter. I ask that each Member recognise that we are tearing at the hearts of young people who want to believe in the country in which they live.
That matter is not being discussed on the Order of Business. Does the Senator have a question for the Leader?
Will the Leader support my proposal to invite the Minister for Social Welfare to appear before the House to justify railroading third level students into claiming unemployment benefit?
I have already stated that this matter is not being discussed.
It is not a statement of fact.
Does Senator McGowan have a question for the Leader?
It is not a statement of fact. Members of this House must——
Senator Sherlock will resume his seat.
Why is the Senator rattled? I did not refer to the Minister——
Senator McGowan's comments are not a statement of fact.
Will Senator McGowan ask a question which is relevant to today's Order of Business?
It was not a statement of fact.
On a number of occasions I have asked Senator McGowan to ask a question which is relevant to today's Order of Business. For the last time I ask him to do so.
I have served in this House for 28 years——
If the Senator has a question for the Leader, he should put it to him now.
I ask that the Minister for Social Welfare be invited to the House to engage in a debate——
A debate on what?
On the student summer jobs scheme.
——on this urgent matter.
I support Senator McGowan's request.
I support Senator O'Kennedy's statement regarding the British boycott of EU business. I also request a debate on the beef industry and the inactivity of the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry and the Minister for Foreign Affairs in counteracting what is happening in this regard in Europe.
That matter will be debated this evening during Private Members' business.
That is not what I am talking about. You know, a Chathaoirligh, as does everyone else involved in agriculture——
I am not allowing a discussion on a matter which will be debated this evening.
——that by August, we will be back to 1974 prices. There is a crisis about which nothing is being done.
There is also a crisis in relation to milk and dairy products in County Clare——
I hope this is a question.
It is. Will the Leader draw the attention of the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry to a very serious situation where over 500 farmers have received massive bills for penalties arising from the oversupply of milk? This is creating great hardship for many farmers who have very small holdings in one of the most severely handicapped and depressed agricultural areas.
Will the Leader intervene to get the Minister for Education to see reason about the situation which has developed in Kilrush community school? Teachers there are on strike today and this will not help students in the lead up to examinations. The Minister's failure to take action to deal with this crisis has brought about this strike. The teachers, students and parents are very unhappy and dissatisfied.
We are not discussing the strike in Kilrush now. Does the Senator have a question for the Leader?
These are very serious matters and I want the Minister for Education——
Does the Senator have a question for the Leader?
This is part of an ongoing problem in Kilrush. Four years ago the schools decided to amalgamate and there was a plan for a new school but nothing has happened since. The Minister for Education has allowed the situation to deteriorate to the stage where people are now forced to take action——
We are not discussing the matter now.
It is a very serious issue. As we speak——
The Senator has tabled a matter for the Adjournment, which is the proper way to raise it rather than on the Order of Business. It is not relevant to today's Order of Business.
I want to make this point to the Leader because I think he needs to emphasise——
The Senator must put a question to the Leader.
Is the Leader aware that a Deputy in the constituency from the Minister's party used these students to advance his profile in a television documentary? He indicated how much work he was doing to get this new school built and to get all the problems solved.
Never.
That is a good speech.
Today there is a strike in the school and there is chaos.
We are not discussing the matter.
I want to draw this to the attention of the Minister for Education——
The Senator got an opportunity to do that. I asked him three times if he had a question for the Leader but instead he continued to discuss the school in Kilrush.
Will the Leader draw the attention of the Minister for Education to the desirability of taking immediate action to deal with this situation before there is further chaos——
I am sure the Leader will recognise the point the Senator is making.
——and inconvenience for the students who are about to sit the leaving certificate examination?
On a point of order, I wish to bring to your attention the presence of some distinguished visitors in the House. They may leave before the Order of Business is over.
That is not a point of order.
I wish to state on behalf of my friend, Senator McGowan, it is a fact that the Minister, Deputy De Rossa, has misled the students.
A question to the Leader, Senator.
In the light of the information which is coming on stream and the confusion regarding students who thought they were taking up jobs and now realise they will not have jobs, will the Minister come into the House and clear the air?
No decision was made on that matter. If the Opposition comes here to attack a Minister without justification——
I have already asked the Senator to resume his seat.
I will not be silenced by those people — I never was and I never will be. I will stand and speak any time——
(Interruptions.)
I ask you, Senator, to resume your seat.
I suggest, a Chathaoirligh, that you conduct the Order of Business with propriety.
Resume your seat.
The Chair should not allow a Minister to be criticised in this way because the other side of the House will continue accordingly.
Senator Ormonde, I ask you to put a question to the Leader. We are not having any further discussion. There are other ways of raising this issue more efficiently and effectively for those Members who are serious about it.
Will the Leader obtain further information on this issue? Students will no longer have job opportunities during the summer. If the Leader can give me that information——
That is outrageous. No decision has been made. In the area I represent students' applications are being accepted.
I call on the Leader to reply.
The truth hurts.
Senator Wright raised the question of gardaí being transferred to the Border. He knows this is an operational matter for the Garda to decide on how best to deploy resources. However, I will draw his concern to the attention of the Minister who will attend the House tomorrow when the matter can be raised again.
Senator O'Toole referred to issues such as smoking, salt and baby foods and the question of proper information. The matter of baby foods is one, in the first instance, for An Bord Bia to examine whether proper information is being provided. A Bill will come before the House shortly concerned with strengthening the consumer element of An Bord Bia. This will provide a good opportunity to debate this issue in full. I do not minimise its importance. There is an extremely important problem about vested interests not being made public when supposedly scientific information is being passed off.
Senator Honan raised the question of the women's prison. I would be happy to arrange a meeting with the Minister for the Senator and any other Senators who are concerned about the issue to at least establish some facts rather than basing the discussion on a short radio programme.
I endorse and support Senator O'Kennedy's remarks. It is an important point. We all deprecate the petulant disruption of EU work, especially since the problem was not just caused but exacerbated by the country in question. I will be happy to convey the Senator's strong views to the Tánaiste.
Senator Lanigan raised questions on the rescue services which I cannot answer off hand. However, I will convey his concerns and his positive suggestions to the Department of the Marine.
Regarding Senator Farrell's question, I suggest a telephone call to the RTE newsroom would be as effective as raising it with me.
On Senator McGowan's question, I would have thought that, if information in the first instance was what was being sought, the easiest, speediest and most effective way to proceed would be a motion on the Adjournment to at least establish the facts. I am sure that, given the importance of the matter, the Senator would be obliged to do this. I am not going to adjudicate because I do not know the facts.
Senator Fitzgerald raised the question of the beef industry. I had promised a debate on this and I will review the request after the debate tonight on the current beef crisis. We will certainly have a debate before the end of the session.
Senator Daly raised two issues, one of which is on the Adjournment and was well aired. I will convey the Senator's concern about the situation regarding the school in Kilrush, and about the farmers, who find themselves in a certain situation as a result of the super levy.
I have already answered the point raised by Senator Ormonde.
Order of Business agreed to.