Today's business is items 1 and 2. Item 1 will be taken at the end of the Order of Business until its conclusion. There will then be a sos until 3 p.m. when item 2 will be taken. I thank the Acting Leader of the Opposition for his co-operation in agreeing to take all Stages of both Bills today.
Order of Business.
How much time will be given per speaker?
Fifteen minutes.
Aontaím le Riar na hOibre agus na rialacha faoin am.
The Order of Business and the time arrangements are agreed. It is a little late in the day to raise matters or make demands.
The Senator will do it anyway.
However, there is concern about the contradictory statements from two sectors on tourism.
It is a beautiful day.
Before this session draws its last breath, perhaps the Minister will come to the House and explain the contradictory statements.
There are plenty of those.
There is also concern about overcrowding in casualty departments in Dublin hospitals. According to a newspaper report, up to 40 people had to wait 24 hours for treatment in one hospital.
It is a shame that the Merchant Shipping (Commissioners of Irish Lights) Bill was not concluded because two aspects are causing concern. One relates to the opposition to the mast and the other to the worries of the Commissioners of Irish Lights. It is a pity the commissioners' problems were not addressed first. The opposition to the mast could have been dealt with later.
I intended to mention the Shannon River Council River. However, my best suggestion is that Senator Daly and Senator O'Kennedy can introduce it when they become Ministers.
That will be the day.
The Order of Business is agreed. The Circa report has been published and it suggests that a research committee involving humanities and sociology should be established. Will the Leader suggest to the Minister of State with responsibility for science and technology that it would be more advisable to establish two separate committees? Lumping humanities and sociology together reduces the value of the contributions people can make. The importance of considering sociology in conjunction with economic development is overlooked. This most important area needs to be addressed.
I call the Leader to reply.
I wish to speak.
What would an Order of Business be without Senator Lanigan?
Where is Senator McGowan?
It is the Senator's swan song.
The Leader hardly expected to get away without a contribution from me on the last day of the session.
It is the second last day.
Will the Cathaoirleach and his officials consider the purpose of the Order of Business? Is it a forum to ask questions?
The Senator has been told often enough but he ignores it.
In the context of the rules of the House, when is a question a question and a debate a debate?
This is priceless.
What is the Order of Business?
I read the rules of the House——
Is this information for the Senator?
——but it is difficult to understand what Members can raise on the Order of Business.
Whatever one thinks one can get away with.
There is a certain sense of people being happily demobbed this morning. Senator Fitzgerald raised tourism. I had lengthy and detailed discussions with the Minister for Tourism and Trade late last evening on this topic.
And this morning.
He assures me the official figures show that bookings are up; they are as good as last year. He does not understand the nature of the information given by Ms Fahy which seems to be based on a small sample. He is confident this year's tourism figures will be met. I will bring the issue of casualty wards to the attention of the Minister for Health.
I agree with Senator Fitzgerald about the Merchant Shipping (Commissioners of Irish Lights) Bill, 1997. I am sorry we have not managed to complete it in this session. As colleagues are aware, it ran into a little local difficulty in County Clare and the Minister strenuously sought to reach a compromise. It is an important Bill which has international and other ramifications. As I said yesterday about the Adoption (No. 2) Bill, 1996, if we are back on this side of the House we will reinstate it at the Stage it is now at and try to bring it to a swift conclusion. I am sure the party opposite will do likewise if it is on this side.
We will facilitate that.
As regards the Shannon River Council Bill, 1997, in the unlikely event that Senator O'Kennedy and Senator Daly are Ministers in the incoming Government, I suspect the Bill will not have long shrift at the Cabinet table.
In the likely event of us being back.
We will deal with that when we come to it.
I am slightly lost as regards Senator Henry's question on humanities and sociology. On a morning like this, I might need notice of that question but I will refer her concerns to the appropriate person.
I am delighted Senator Lanigan raised existential and philosophical questions which remind me of something from Samuel Beckett — what is the meaning of life and the nature of being.
Samuel Beckett did not know what he was writing about.
My understanding of the Order of Business is that Members are only allowed to ask questions about legislation which is promised or pending or business which is underway. A number of tolerant, wise and farseeing Cathaoirligh over the past number of years allowed the Order of Business to develop into a slightly poor equivalent of the Dáil's Question Time where all matters of concern were raised. In common with the last Leader of the House and with Senator Lanigan when he was Leader, I would like the Order of Business to develop in this way so that Members have an opportunity to raise questions of concern to them.
Order of Business agreed to.
Sitting suspended at 10.45 a.m. and resumed at 11 a.m.