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Seanad Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 5 Jun 1996

Vol. 147 No. 12

Order of Business.

Today's business is item 1, item 18, motion 33, and item 2. Item 1 will be taken from the end of the Order of Business until 6 p.m. and I suggest 20 minutes per speaker. Item 18, motion 33, will be taken from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. and item 2, Committee Stage of the Refugee Bill, 1995, will taken from 8 p.m. until late, but not later than 12 midnight.

The Order of Business is agreed and 20 minutes is acceptable. The Leader intimated that he would be supportive of changes, at Committee on Procedure and Privileges level, to Standing Orders relating to Private Members' business. I ask the Leader to place this on the agenda for the next Committee on Procedure and Privileges meeting so that we can discuss the matter.

On behalf of myself and my party I extend our heartfelt sympathy to the Maher family and the people of Portarlington following the tragedy that has gripped the nation. We hope with our prayers that the remaining family will be able to overcome this tragedy.

I intended at the outset to join with Senator Wright in extending the sympathy of the House to the Maher family in light of the terrible tragedy which has befallen them, and the people of Portarlington. I am sure all our sympathy goes out to them.

I add my voice to that because it is the part of the country from which my family originated. It is an appalling tragedy. It is difficult to understand how the remaining family members can recover from such a traumatic experience.

I have been approached by a group from the North of Ireland who are planning an international day of peace and reconciliation. They requested that I raise this matter today and ask the Leader of the House if he could find some formula for transmitting to Government the suggestion that, as we enter the six months of Ireland's Presidency, it might consider taking international peace and reconciliation as a theme.

Will we have a debate on broadcasting? I certainly have something to say on that issue. I was in Belfast during the recent elections. It is virtually impossible to get RTE radio in large sections of Northern Ireland. One can get Raidió na Gaeltachta, but if we are interested in reconciliation between the two parts of the island, a strong broadcast signal from Dublin would be one method of informing people in the North of Ireland. Could the Leader find a way of raising this with RTE? Its signal should be clearly audible throughout the North.

I join with Members in extending sympathy to the Maher family and the wider community in Portarlington on this dreadful tragedy. It almost defies belief that an ordinary domestic accident could have such devastating effects. The loss will be greatly felt not just within the family but in the wider community.

Perhaps Senator Norris is on the wrong wavelength. If he tuned into the medium wave he might be able to hear RTE in Belfast. When is it proposed that we discuss the Forfás document Shaping Our Future, which is a strategy for enterprise in Ireland? This document is important and merits debate. There were suggestions that if a Fianna Fáil-Progressive Democrats Administration were in place, the document's proposals might not be implemented. They are more likely to be implemented by that possible Administration than by any other.

With regard to Northern Ireland, we congratulate those who were elected to the forum and the parties which will be represented at it. We express the desire that all parties will come to the table to decide their future and that the ceasefire will be restored. I do not know if it would be useful for the House to debate the matter at this time, although it was indicated that we would debate it before the forum meets on 10 June. Perhaps in the circumstances all we can do is wish the Taoiseach and the Tánaiste well in London. We hope there will be a fruitful outcome to those talks and that the forum will proceed on schedule. Perhaps we should leave it at that until the forum meets.

On behalf of the Labour Party I wish to join with other speakers in extending sympathy to the Maher family and all the people of Portarlington. They must be stunned and shocked and it will take them a long time to recover from this tragedy. As Senator Dardis said, this tragedy will touch every member of that community.

I support Senator Dardis's call for a debate on the Forfás document. I welcome the fact that it indicates the need for a discussion on long-term planning with regard to the economy and enterprise development. I do not think it would be appropriate for us to have a debate on Northern Ireland in the immediate future in view of the speed of activity there at the moment but I wish everybody involved well.

The KPMG report on the financing of local authorities is with the Minister at the moment. It has not yet been published but the Minister has indicated it will be fairly soon. When it is published, we should have an early debate on the financing of local authorities. This is a particularly interesting subject and needs detailed and widespread debate but action should be taken sooner rather than later.

Some time ago it was agreed that there would be a discussion on the Irish language. Ós rud é go mbeidh Teilifís na Gaeilge againn tar éis na laetheanta saoire, beidh cothrom na féinne ag gach éinne a bhfuil ábalta cúpla focail a rá. I would like a general discussion which would not be confined to particular items. Such a discussion could cover the use of Irish in the House, the impact of Teilifís na Gaeilge and any other matters related to the language. It could be open to Members to contribute in Irish or English.

I would like the Leader to ask the Minister for Finance when funds will be released so that the reports of the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs can be printed. Since this session started, that committee and its subcommittees have met at least once a week. When I looked for some past reports, I received a copy of a letter the committee secretariat sent to the committee's chairman, Deputy Dukes. This stated that no money has been allocated to the committee to report on its activities. That might not seem to be anything extraordinary, but it is diabolical that a joint committee of the Oireachtas cannot have the range of issues it discusses each week published.

Hear, hear.

It is a disgrace when Ministers are printing thousands of words on glossy paper every week. If they have money to produce these glossy PR jobs they should at least allocate money so that Oireachtas committees can be properly reported. Many people are looking for these reports in libraries but they cannot obtain them.

There have been disturbing reports from the hospital services in Britain over the past number of weeks concerning the condition of mechanical devices used in hospitals. The reports concern machines used for ECT and defibrillators used for heart resuscitation. It was proven that in a large number of cases people were not adequately trained to use such electrical or mechanical devices. They are supposed to be life saving devices but, in fact, they were killing people. Hospital staff did not know how much electricity was going through the defibrillators or the ECT machines with the result that patients in psychiatric hospitals were coming out much worse than they were admitted.

I suggest that this issue is more appropriate for the Adjournment than the Order of Business.

Can the Leader find out from the Minister for Health whether staff are being trained to use these electronic devices in hospitals, and whether the devices are being adequately maintained? Is there a national maintenance or safety programme for these items? In view of the alarming statistics, we should have a report of that nature.

I compliment the Minister for Enterprise and Employment on the two initiatives he launched last week. The job start programme and the work experience element are two extremely important initiatives. Can the Leader ask the Minister to clear the way for younger people between 18 and 21 to avail of these opportunities? The 18 to 21 year old group is an important one, yet these projects are for people over 21. If the 18 to 21 year olds were brought into this scheme it would be a fine one. The Minister for Enterprise and Employment should examine the situation.

I am concerned at reports from Bonn, as reported in The Irish Times today, in relation to discussions which the Taoiseach had with Chancellor Helmut Kohl. I have no reason to doubt The Irish Times' report which says that:

The two men did not agree a joint approach to the beef crisis, and Mr. Bruton was unable to present Dr. Kohl with a new initiative to resolve it...

That in itself would be very serious, but we read in the same article that:

The Taoiseach... has backed British demands for a framework of measures to remove the worldwide ban on British beef exports...

I find it incongruous that the Taoiseach could not present any initiative to Chancellor Helmut Kohl to deal with the beef crisis in which we could not only promote but insist on the highest possible standards that will guarantee the most stringent consumer requirements.

Surely the Taoiseach, in his discussions with Chancellor Kohl, could lay down very clearly that nothing less than the highest standards will satisfy us in the interests of consumers. In view of the fact that we will insist on the highest standards, how can the Taoiseach back British demands for a framework of measures to remove the worldwide ban on British beef exports which is a consumer reaction?

We are not discussing the beef industry on the Order of Business.

Will the Leader convey our concern to the Taoiseach and have this matter clarified in this or the other House as quickly as possible? It defies comprehension that an industry here is in crisis because of problems in another country.

Will the Leader ask the Taoiseach or the Minister for Justice when the proposed legislation on defamation will be brought before the House? The Leader will recall that either the Taoiseach or the Minister for Justice gave a commitment to the other House before voting down a Private Members' Bill on defamation that a new Bill would be brought forward. The Leader will be aware the National Newspapers of Ireland called for the reform of the law on defamation which dates back to 1961. Perhaps he will give me an answer tomorrow.

Last week I was pleased when the Leader informed me that he would arrange a debate on agriculture in the near future. Given what Senator O'Kennedy has said, there is an urgent need for such a debate. Will the Leader indicate when such a debate will take place?

Senator Wright raised an issue which I will put on the agenda for the next meeting of the Committee on Procedure and Privileges, which I am sure will meet in the near future. Senator Norris raised the question of a theme for the EU Presidency and I will pass on his suggestion to the Taoiseach. I cannot help him as regards the faulty RTE signal in Belfast as that is a matter for the station.

Senator Dardis called for a debate on the Forfás report, which will take place soon — I will have a definite date tomorrow. I agree with him and Senator O'Sullivan that a debate on Northern Ireland at this time would not contribute very much as events are moving too rapidly. I join with them and others in hoping that the talks which are to begin will be as comprehensive as possible and that they will be undertaken in a spirit of genuine reconciliation. All Members join with me in saying that. Senator O'Sullivan raised the question of the KPMG report on the financing of local government. As soon as the report is published, we will have a debate on it because it is a matter of great importance.

Last year attempts were made to have a debate on the Irish language which is long overdue. We will have one before the end of the session. Senator Lanigan raised the non-publication of the reports of the Foreign Affairs Committees. That is a matter for the committee to take up with the Minister for Foreign Affairs. I agree the publication of all parliamentary reports should be given priority. I will convey my views on this to the Minister. Senator Finneran could raise health matters on the Adjournment to get fuller replies. I noted what Senator McDonagh said.

The Taoiseach will make a full statement in the other House today on the Bonn meeting with Chancellor Kohl. We should wait to hear what he says in his comprehensive statement rather than referring to paragraphs in newspapers which, even if they are accurate, may not be in context. Senator Mulcahy raised the question of defamation. I understand the legislation, which is with the parliamentary draftsman, will not be published until the next session. The Government awaits the publication of the Finlay report on the newspaper industry which, among other issues, will look at defamation. That is one of the reasons the legislation has been delayed.

Senator Kiely called for a debate on agriculture. The Government is to publish the Bord Bia Bill. Although it is a short Bill, it deals with consumers and the beef industry which are of concern to Members. I requested that it be a Seanad Bill. If so, it will be in the House shortly. While that does not mean we will not have a wider debate, this Bill, which will be in the House next week or the week after, would be a good start to that debate.

When will a wider debate on agriculture take place?

I cannot give the Senator a date now but there will be such a debate.

Order of Business agreed to.
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