It is proposed to take all Stages of item No. 1.
Order of Business.
The Order of Business is agreed.
I am pleased the difficulties this group has been experiencing have been resolved. We have received a commitment in writing to extra space and secretarial assistants. Our quarrel over the past few weeks was not with another group in the House. I thank other groups for their support because they realised our impossible position. They also realised the great difficulties we experienced getting a straight answer from anyone about our problems. I appreciate the efforts of the Leader, Senator Cassidy, who in the tradition of this House strove to do his best for all groups. It was certainly not his fault we could not get a decision on the matter. I also thank the other groups for their solidarity.
We encountered these difficulties because the House cannot regulate its own affairs. We should not have to depend on the goodwill or grace of a civil servant in the Department of Finance or the Government Chief Whip for the allocation of secretaries or rooms. This should be a matter for the Committee of Procedure and Privileges or another body set up by the House. Will the Leader seek to have those rules changed as a matter of urgency so that this House can be in charge of its own destiny?
I cannot speak for all my colleagues in the Independent group, but I am opposed to the Order of Business. The Report Stage of a Bill which involves the expenditure of £250 million of public money should be taken separately. The Minister should have sufficient time to consider amendments. If it is taken today, we will not have sufficient time to reflect on amendments between Committee and Report Stages. I oppose the Order of Business on those grounds.
I support Senator Manning's insistence that the House asserts its right to control its own affairs. It should not be under the gift of the Chief Whip for the Government in the Dáil, who is not the Government Chief Whip. He is the Chief Whip for the Government in the Dáil and that House does not have a bearing on our affairs. We certainly should not be under the thumb of a civil servant. It is time the House asserted its right to handle its affairs.
We are delighted to see the Leas-Chathaoirleach in the Chair and I pay tribute to him for his role in resolving the difficulties we experienced in the past few weeks. I also thank the Leader of the House and the Leader of the main Opposition party for their efforts in that regard.
I am sure all true democrats are delighted the previous Leader of the Labour Party proposes to introduce a Private Members' Bill to extend the franchise to all third level graduates in Seanad elections. With the expansion of third level education, it is not acceptable that the NUI and Trinity College are the only two educational facilities with voting rights in such elections. This important legislation will have a significant impact on the profile of the House. As it is an important exercise in democracy, the matter should be debated prior to the introduction of the Private Members' Bill.
I support Senator Ryan and his problems with today's Order of Business. Bills are not initiated in this House very often. I congratulate the Leader of the House on enabling us to take this Bill to which 60 amendments have been tabled, but it is unbelievable that we would be expected to deal with Committee and Report Stages on the same day with practically no time for reflection between them, even with a break of an hour. This Bill is linked to the problems in Seagate if, in the future, we are to create enterprise to a large extent based on technology. While we must congratulate the Government on initiating this Bill and presenting it with such alacrity, it is not acceptable that the Government will not consider amendments or conduct the business of the House in such a manner that Members will have an opportunity to adequately consider them. I urge the Leader to consider delaying Report Stage until next week. No doubt he will understand the reason Members feel so strongly about it.
We had a very useful debate on social housing last evening. When I requested a debate on the subject several weeks ago I had in mind then a debate on homelessness, a specific phenomenon necessitating a specific set of initiatives, to be discussed in its own right and on its merits.
As soon as practicable in the first session of the new year, I ask the Leader to arrange for a debate on homelessness. It is appalling to see the numbers of people now homeless on the streets of our cities and it is particularly harrowing to see the numbers of very young boys and girls sleeping rough, wide open to all kinds of exploitation and abuse. It is something that warrants very swift political action. I should like the issue to be debated thoroughly in this House as soon as possible with a view to undertaking some kind of initiatives to tackle and surmount the problem.
I met Senator Costello in the lift this morning and I mentioned to him that his former Leader was going to introduce a Bill in this House about its composition, of which he was not aware. I said I intended to raise the matter on the Order of Business but he has now done that, which was extremely good and helpful of him.
(Interruptions.)
I am grateful to you, a Leas-Chathaoirligh, for allowing him the opportunity to do so. Perhaps I might respond by saying that, because of his recent retirement, obviously the former Leader of the Labour Party has not enough to do because the crux of that Bill will be not just to allow what sounds wonderful, that is a vote to other third level students, but to give extra seats in this House to the Labour Party. That will be its eventual result. Anybody who considers that as some sort of gesture to democracy should see the hidden agenda behind it and realise why Senator Costello, who has only just heard about the idea, is so enthusiastic about it.
I might remind the Leader of the House that, on one of the first occasions I sat in this House, I raised the matter of extending the franchise of Seanad votes to graduates of all our third-level institutions. Contrary to what Senator Ross has said, I believe there should be Seanad representation of all parties, not just one——
Exactly, one from Fine Gael, one from Fianna Fáil and one from Labour.
An Leas-Chathaoirleach
Senator O'Dowd, please, without interruption.
On that occasion the Leader of the House gave me a commitment that we would have a full debate on the Oireachtas all party committee report on the overall future of the Seanad in all its aspects. It is not as narrow as extending the franchise to all third level graduates, regardless of how welcome and important that is, but the method of election, the fact that county councillors around the country vote for a small number of panels. Important changes were proposed in the second report of the all-party committee. I ask that we be given the opportunity to debate our own future by discussing the second report of the all party committee, which is comprehensive.
I ask the Leader of the House to bring to the attention of the Minister for Public Enterprise the fact that promises made to reduce costs for telephone users in private homes have not materialised. While we obviously welcome the reduction in the cost of international telephone calls and business calls in general — they are important to the economy — private individuals have not had comparable reductions for the past number of years. Such reductions are overdue and Telecom should honour its promise to reduce the price of calls to the most frequently called numbers from private dwellings. The cost of telephone calls for the private citizen is far too high.
Finally, will the Leader of the House bring to the attention of the Minister for Finance the welcome that the £20 million allocation by him to the GAA has received from sporting organisations in Drogheda? I would point out, however, that I have a mandate from my three sons who play other sports as well as Gaelic sports, particularly rugby and soccer, and they would welcome a commitment to those sporting codes which are very much in need of similar funding. I ask the Minister for Finance, in his next budget, to give an equivalent amount to other sporting organisations which is urgently required.
Given the recent difficulties the Department of Finance experienced in finalising counsels' fees for the tribunal, I ask the Leader of the House to take up this matter with the appropriate Minister to ensure that the legal profession, particularly barristers and senior counsel, are subject to the spirit and effectiveness of competition law. The mere fact that they sought fees of £2,000 and subsequently agreed what seem to be exorbitant fees to the average person of £1,400 tends to bring the administration of law into disrepute. Perhaps the Leader might consider, if the opportunity arises in the future, having a debate on this topic.
I agree with Senator Quinn and Senator Brendan Ryan that the Bill before us today is being compressed. It is unfair to expect us to deal in any great detail with the Bill when we must take Committee and Report Stages. The amount of money involved is over £250 million, including donators' funds — I hope that will be a substantial amount — and we should deal with the Bill another day. Report Stage could perhaps be taken next week and it might be helpful if Fianna Fáil deferred Private Members' time so that we could discuss in detail this important Bill.
I would point out to the House that this Bill will be before the Dáil next Tuesday. I accept the various comments made by Senators Manning, Ryan, Quinn and Coogan in this regard. A week has passed since we took Second Stage of the Bill and, as the Senators stated, over 60 amendments have been tabled. I am willing to grant whatever time is required between Committee and Report Stages. We can review the time allocation as the Bill progresses through the House. Learning from yesterday's experience, when a Bill concluded earlier than the time allocated, I think this would be the correct road to proceed. I ask Senators to co-operate on this occasion if it all possible.
In relation to the remarks made by Senator Manning about the facilities and the great concerns of all Members in that regard, I thank the party leaders and their Whips for their co-operation. I am pleased to report that progress was made last evening on the secretarial facilities for the Progressive Democrats and the Fine Gael Party. I hope that all office accommodation will be organised by the first week in January. I have been assured of that.
On the long-term proposals, particularly the reference by Senators Manning and Ryan about us having control of our destiny, that is a matter for the Committee of Procedure and Privileges. At our first meeting after Christmas I will propose to the Cathaoirleach that matter be included on the agenda to ensure that this does not happen ever again.
Regarding Senator Quill's call for a debate on homelessness, as I said on the last occasion, I will be only too pleased to concur with her on that. Many requests were made for time for debates and with the introduction of so much legislation in the past two or three weeks, it was difficult to provide for her request. I agreed to the taking next week of Senator Joe O'Toole's proposal on adult literacy, which was raised here on three or four different weeks. We will probably take Senator Quill's proposal on homelessness the second week after we resume after Christmas.
Senator O'Dowd requested a debate on the all-party report on the Oireachtas and I believe that can be facilitated. He raised concerns about the high cost of telephone charges and Senator McGowan raised the same request earlier this week. That matter could probably be taken in Private Members' Time.
Regarding the Senator's comments on the allocation of £7 million in 1998, £7 million in 1999 and £6 million in the year 2000 to the Gaelic Athletic Association, I understand from the Minister that there was no other serious proposal before him from any sporting organisation, professional or amateur. Last year he will recall that his party quite correctly made a very decent allocation to the Racing Board which Members on both sides of the House welcomed. I welcome this allocation from surplus lotto money to the Gaelic Athletic Association. Originally when we, as legislators, put through legislation on the national lottery it was intended for the areas of sport and culture. What greater organisation could qualify on both fronts than the Gaelic Athletic Association? I commend it for its £141 million project. As an amateur organisation, it is a credit to the country. Taking account of revenue in the form of income tax, VAT and PAYE, more than £45 million will be returned to the Exchequer. On a business footing alone, the Government will get back 2:1 on its investment. This allocation is a recognition of our commitment to our local games and for what the GAA has done over the last 100 years. I congratulate the Taoiseach and the Minister for Finance and the Government on that proposal.
If proposals are submitted from other sporting organisations that are as serious about creating a state of the art facility as is the Gaelic Athletic Association, the Minister gave a commitment on a television programme the other night that he will give serious consideration to such proposals. If there was ever an example of what is best for the younger generation, it is that which those of us who had the great honour of representing our county were always taught — that a fit body was a fit brain, that a fit brain gave one confidence and that when one had confidence one could move mountains. Involvement in sport is also likely to stop young people from engaging in those other activities we talk about here day in day out, such as the drugs, violence and ill-treatment of our senior citizens. I commend the allocation to the GAA because it has many pluses from many angles. I am sure that the people will respond to the lotto to enable the Minister to give that allocation to the GAA.
Regarding Senator Walsh's concern about the high cost of tribunals, I will communicate with the Senator later this evening to see how we can progress his proposal.
An Leas-Chathaoirleach
Is the Order of Business agreed?
No.
Question: "That all Stages of item 1 be taken today", put and declared carried.
Order of Business agreed to.