Today's business is items 1, 2, 3 and 31, motion 24. Item 1 will be taken without debate and item 2 will be taken after item 1 until 1.30 p.m. with 20 minutes per speaker. Members may share time if they wish and the Minister will conclude not later than 1.15 p.m. Item 3 will be taken from 2.30 p.m. until 6 p.m. and this will be followed by Private Members' time from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Item 3 will resume at 8 p.m. until 10 p.m.
Order of Business.
Do I understand there is no Government amendment to the Private Members' motion?
Yes.
That has been a positive trend in recent weeks. Last week the Minister of State, Deputy Stagg, announced a policy in relation to waste. I thank the Leader for furnishing a list of the legislative programme until Easter. We look forward to the Litter Bill which will soon be debated in the House. However, the Minister for the Environment, Deputy Howlin, recently asked the four local authorities in Dublin to introduce and implement a waste policy before November. It is strange that the Minister asked the four local authorities to introduce independent advice on a waste policy for Dublin and for the Minister of State to announce an incinerator in Dublin——
A waste disposal unit.
Will the Leader ask the Minister, when he comes to the House, to outline the real policy on waste in Dublin in the future?
I identify with Senator Wright's sense of bemusement about the Government's strategy of accepting Private Members' motions. It is laudable and it is fooling me.
It is called the art of the possible.
I compliment the Government for seeing something which the rest of us have yet to see.
Compliments are always welcome.
Will the Leader raise with the Minister for Enterprise and Employment the recent statement by the Irish Small and Medium Enterprises body which described up to 50 per cent of unemployed people as social misfits? That is irresponsible and extraordinarily degrading and insulting to a group of people who find themselves without work. I do not suggest that 100 per cent of people in any category are perfect but one could find as many social misfits among employers as anywhere else.
It should be anathema and unacceptable to every public representative to describe up to 50 per cent of people who work in a tyre company in Ballyfermot or a clothing company in the west who suddenly find themselves unemployed through no fault of their own as social misfits. I want the House to make that position clear. I am not requesting statements on this issue at this point because I want to hear if the Minister will respond. However, the House has a duty to preserve the dignity of people who find themselves unemployed. Social misfits, whether they are employed or unemployed, need to be dealt with but it is unacceptable to dismiss people in such a demeaning way just because they are unemployed. The Minister should ask ISME to withdraw such an insulting statement.
I support Senator O'Toole's comments. It is important to debate economic and monetary union following the Taoiseach's statement last night in Brussels regarding an unequivocal commitment to European Monetary Union and the single currency. Item 20 on the Order Paper is statements on economic and monetary union. There was a previous discussion but there must be a meaningful debate on this issue. Reservations have been expressed about what will happen if Britain remains outside and Ireland joins. This would have major implications because Britain is our largest trading partner.
I attended a conference at which the Taoiseach stated that the debate on this issue had concluded. I must inform him that it has not even begun in earnest because this matter is extremely important and will have profound implications for Ireland. I agree with the Taoiseach that there is a certain political imperative and desirability in joining EMU. However, we must address the economic consequences of doing so and we cannot divorce the political reality from its economic counterpart. It is time there was a meaningful debate on this matter to tease out the issues in detail.
When is it intended to resume Second Stage of the Merchant Shipping (Commissioners of Irish Lights) Bill, 1997?
Never.
I thank Senator Daly for that information and I am glad someone is prepared to answer questions addressed to the Leader. Last week Senator Enright was very helpful in answering questions and Senator Daly is doing likewise today.
That is all the Senators' parties agree on.
Will the statements on sport conclude this afternoon or will the debate be adjourned? It may be difficult to include all speakers before the Minister of State replies at 1.15 p.m.
I also intended to raise the matter to which Senator O'Toole referred but not in any combative sense. ISME made a rather silly statement which has now been withdrawn but its spokesperson got himself deeper into the mire when asked to categorise "misfits".
Public representatives.
He stated they were people with "mental problems" who, in normal society, were called "patients". ISME needs to consider the problem of unemployment and the need to seek work in a sensible and sane way and not make stupid statements about people's ability to find employment.
With regard to the issue of European Monetary Union to which Senator Dardis referred, I express concern at the tone and manner of comments made yesterday by the EU Regional Affairs Commissioner, Monika Wulf-Mathies. She seemed to imply that EU structural and cohesion funding would end in approximately two and a half years time. This is a very serious matter and the Minister for Foreign Affairs or the Taoiseach should appear before the House to provide reassurance that we will not give up the fight for structural funding.
The Taoiseach is aware that there are large parts of the country, urban and rural, where poverty remains a reality. Would he agree that Ms Wulf-Mathies' comment about "manna from heaven" was condescending? Would he also agree that any entitlement this country has to EU funding is a matter of contract and entitlement arising from the Maastricht Treaty? Will the Leader consider inviting a senior Minister to appear before the House to clarify the position?
I support the comments of Senator O'Toole and others regarding the ISME statement which was subsequently withdrawn on this morning's "Pat Kenny Show". It is extraordinary that a body such as ISME could use the term "social misfits" to classify a large sector of the population. Apart from the use of language, however, there is an underlying acceptance on ISME's part that a large section of those out of work are unemployable. This is a cause for concern and representatives of trade unions and the unemployed would not accept that such a large sector of the population could be deemed to be unemployable. That puts a slant on employment policy and it is extraordinary that a body such as ISME issued that statement.
We should aim to provide employment and train people, as a matter of policy, to reach a level of skill which would facilitate their obtaining employment. I would be disturbed if I thought a body such as ISME, which represents a large group of employers, believed that a sizeable proportion of our society was unemployable.
Are there any plans to introduce legislation to deal with the substantive issue of abortion and, if not, has the Government any plans for a meeting between the party leaders to stop this matter becoming a political football? I remind the House that Fianna Fáil's recent failure to come up with a form of words for its press statement indicates that it is unlikely to be any more successful at the umpteenth shot to provide a wording for a constitutional amendment.
That is not a matter for the Order of Business.
We have not been accused of being short of words.
A question for the Leader.
I hope I am not as short on sense as the Senator, particularly in relation to his idiotic question about Monika Wulf-Mathies who is attempting to assist this country and who indicated that a proper approach would be made to scale down the money we receive as a result of our success.
Does the Leader agree that this House should be pleased and proud that we have received the Europa Nostra prize for the restoration of the Turner greenhouses in Glasnevin since it was partly as a result of an Adjournment debate in this House that the money was initially released? The Government printed a stamp with these greenhouses on it for European Conservation Year, apparently unaware that eight years ago the greenhouses were closed because they were dangerous.
I thought the Senator was going to thank the RDS.
Or the Commissioners of Public Works.
I will leave that to Senator Dardis.
I thank Senator Norris for vigorously attacking Fianna Fáil. Our supporters will be reassured to know he is on the opposite side.
A question for the Leader.
I thank Senator Norris for making it clear that he is totally at odds with our views.
That is out of order.
I assure him we are totally at odds with every view he holds.
The Senator's party is at odds with itself. It cannot find a proper form of words so he should shut up about it.
We know exactly where we stand. I hope Senator Norris tells us again that Fianna Fáil's views are not in line with his.
The Senator is out of order.
I wanted to thank Senator Norris.
The Taoiseach has given an unequivocal commitment to membership of European Monetary Union. As Senator Dardis and others said, it is essential to have a discussion on this issue because it means we are totally committed to joining European Monetary Union, irrespective of what happens. Most people are committed to playing a constant and vigorous role in Europe through European Monetary Union.
Have you a question for the Leader?
Is our commitment unequivocal regardless of whether the economy is maintained in a disciplined fashion? Does it mean that because this Government is in a position to boast as a result of the disciplines introduced by the Government of which I was privileged to be a member to allow us to qualify for European Monetary Union——
We are not debating the Government of which you were a member.
If the Government continues to concede to every demand and to spend money as it has done for the past couple of weeks and months, does it think the Taoiseach can give an unequivocal commitment to membership of European Monetary Union?
I thought the Senator wanted more spending.
Will the Leader explain to the House how the Taoiseach proposes to square that circle? How can he continue to concede to every demand and to spend money within the disciplines of European Monetary Union?
Should he not have conceded to the nurses?
I welcome last week's announcement by the Minister for Transport, Energy and Communications. This decision is a milestone in proposals for dealing with waste and we should have a debate on how it was made. Many comments have been made by members of all parties who do not know what they are talking about.
When we debate the Buckley report on the remuneration of Members of the Oireachtas will the Leader include the latest Buckley report on the remuneration of senior executives in the semi-State sector? We should have a debate on what we regard as reward for performance.
As we approach an election it might seem appropriate for politicians to run away from the Buckley report because of certain comments that have been made. This is a dismissive and disgraceful report. Those who prepared it have no concept of the work done by elected representatives. We should have a debate on it before or after the election. The media will attack us for seeking what we feel to be our rights as workers. The small group who will take solace from the Buckley report are those who constantly attack politicians. These people should be confronted.
That is not a matter for the Order of Business.
We should prove to the public, not the media, that elected representatives are worthy of the task. Can we have a debate on this before the election?
I have asked several times for a debate on the National Roads Authority. Overpasses and underpasses are being built everywhere. However, there is only one bridge going into Waterford. It takes three hours to get from Kilkenny to the hospital on the far side of this bridge.
That is not a matter for the Order of Business. Has the Senator a question for the Leader?
Can we have an urgent debate on this matter? A flying squad ambulance leaving that hospital cannot cross the bridge because of traffic. The south-east is gridlocked.
I welcome the statements that will be made on sports policy. However, there has been a delay in acting on the White Paper on mental health. The Green Paper was published in 1992 and the White Paper in 1994 but nothing has happened since. This is not an easy matter on which to legislate. Mental health is the Cinderella of the health service. Those affected are the forgotten members of society and the sooner we have a debate on this issue the better.
Would the Leader ask the Minister for Defences to clarify Government policy on the organisation and management of the Air Corps and the Naval Service? Recent reports have suggested that a review is imminent and there has been much speculation on what this may mean for the two services.
The Minister for Finance has adopted a new procedure of publishing provisions of the Finance Bill prior to the publication of the Bill itself. I understood the Government procedures for the publication of legislation set down that no information on the contents of a Bill would be divulged in advance of the publication and circulation of that Bill to Members of the Oireachtas. The procedure adopted by the Minister for Finance was also used last year and is most unusual in that it sets out clearly some of the areas to be covered by the Finance Bill to be published later. However, it does not indicate what the overall result of the Bill will be, and that procedure is most unusual. I ask the Leader to raise this matter with the Minister for Finance as it will lead to confusion unless Government procedures are complied with as they always were.
I support Senator Farrelly's call for a debate on waste disposal and I welcome the announcement by the Minister of State, Deputy Stagg. We need a debate on the disposal of refuse.
A number of Senators raised the question of waste disposal; there will be an opportunity to discuss this matter when we take the Litter Bill. However, it might not be fully relevant and a specific debate would be useful.
Senator O'Toole and others raised the ISME report. The remarks, as reported, were insensitive and crass and I am glad they were withdrawn today, although it raises a question about the thinking behind that type of remark.
Senators Dardis and O'Kennedy raised the question of a debate on European Monetary Union. In light of the Taoiseach's statement yesterday that would be helpful and I will try to arrange one for shortly after Easter. Senator Dardis also asked about the Second Stage debate of the Merchant Shipping (Commissioners of Irish Lights) Bill, 1997. The Minister will be making the annual visit to the troops in the Lebanon until Easter but I expect the Bill to be taken as a priority immediately after Easter. A number of Members want to contribute. I am very interested in Senator Daly's role in the origins of the Bill, given that Fianna Fáil brought it in, signed it, ratified the international conventions and are now standing on their heads.
The Bill is dead and the Leader knows it.
I look forward to a vigorous debate on that Bill. Senator Mulcahy raised economic and monetary union and Structural Funds. This Government will fight for the strongest possible deal for Ireland and I am glad of his support in this matter. I join with Senator Norris in sending congratulations on the Europa Nostra prize for the restoration of the Turner greenhouse and I am glad this House played a part in that. There are no plans for legislation or a referendum on abortion.
Senators Lee and Lanigan raised the Buckley report. The Committee on Procedure and Privileges considered this briefly yesterday and will be considering it again next week. I have no difficulty with a debate on it if Members think it would be useful. The committee from this House made a detailed, careful, prudent and modest series of proposals based firmly on the Programme for Competitiveness and Work. That submission was treated in a dismissive and derisory way in the report and the arguments used in dismissing the case were specious. Many people feel angry about the way the case was dealt with rather than the result because there was a lack of intellectual content in the handling of the case.
I will try to arrange a debate for Senator Lanigan on the National Roads Authority. I see his problem. Senator Maloney mentioned the White Paper on mental health. The legislation is at an advanced stage of preparation but it is a difficult Bill with long sections. However, it has been given priority by the Department of Health. I will try to get clarification on the policy on the Air Corps and Navy for Senator Daly. I am not aware of the point he raised in regard to the Finance Bill but I will make inquiries.
Order of Business agreed to.