Seanad Éireann debate -
Thursday, 18 Jun 1998

Vol. 156 No. 2

Order of Business.

Mr. Cassidy

Today's Order of Business is items 1 and 2. All Stages of item 1 will be taken today with the contributions of spokespersons on Second Stage not to exceed 15 minutes and all other Senators not to exceed ten minutes. Senators may share time.

Item 2 will also be taken today without debate. Item 2 relates to the Committee Stage of the Copyright (Amendment) Bill, 1998. It is procedural motion to ensure that the Government amendments already circulated to Members can be discussed within the scope of the Bill as passed by Dáil Éireann. The Government was advised by the Office of the Attorney General that these amendments were relevant to the subject matter of the Bill. However, since the amendments represented a substantial departure from the precise original matter of the Copyright (Amendment) Bill, 1998, it was decided on the Government's part, following consultations with the Cathaoirleach, to move this procedural motion in order to eliminate any doubt as to the power of the House to consider these amendments under the Copyright (Amendment) Bill, 1998. The motion will be moved at the commencement of Committee Stage.

Mr. Manning

After the display of unanimity and reason which preceded the Order of Business, I do not wish to be disagreeable. Therefore, the Order of Business is agreed and I accept the reasons for item 2.

I do not wish to be difficult or to carp but I ask the Leader to desist from the practice of taking all Stages of a Bill on the same day. The Copyright (Amendment) Bill deals with important issues and there should be a breathing space between Second and the remaining Stages. This side agreed to take the Bill today, but it is bad parliamentary practice to take all Stages of a Bill on the same day.

As I stated previously, the House is under scrutiny. We must justify our existence and one of the things we are expected to do well is to give detailed scrutiny to legislation. By and large, the House does that, but it is bad practice to take all Stages of a Bill on the same day. The Leader will agree that we should not be too obliging to Departments or allow ourselves to be rushed into taking all Stages of Bills. It is acceptable to this side to take all Stages of the Copyright (Amendment) Bill today but I ask the Leader not to request the taking of all Stages of a Bill again except in cases of urgency.

Dr. Henry

I share Senator Manning's concerns. I realise the Leader has many problems regarding time constraints but I am also concerned about putting important Bills through the House in one day.

What hope is there of having the Geneva Conventions (Amendment) Bill taken before the end of the session?

Mr. Costello

The Order of Business is agreed. I usually object to taking all Stages of a Bill on the same day. However, item 1 involves an insubstantial amendment to Copyright Acts so this side will not object to taking all Stages today. I look forward to the publication of the substantial Copyright Bill, containing 400 sections, which must be introduced on foot of an EU directive. I do not expect all Stages of that legislation to be put through on the same day.

Members agreed to a motion yesterday to refer the Murphy report on child abuse in swimming to the Joint Committee without seeing the report, although parts of it were leaked in the newspapers and the Minister spoke about it on a number of radio programmes. The newspapers today contain full coverage of the report but, as yet, Members of the House have not received a copy of it. Will the Leader ensure that Members receive a copy of the report?

We should have received an intimation of its contents before agreeing to the motion to refer it to the Joint Committee. It is important that Senators receive copies of this important report. This matter should be debated before the summer recess because it is so important. It has been discussed in detail elsewhere but Senators have not yet received the report or had an opportunity to discuss it. This is not good enough and I ask the Leader to facilitate an urgent debate on this matter.

The issue of prisoner releases in the context of the British-Irish Agreement was raised yesterday. I understand the Taoiseach gave a commitment to introduce legislation to implement the provisions of the Agreement. I presume this must be introduced before the summer recess. Will the Leader indicate the position in that regard? Similar legislation has already been introduced in Britain. If legislation in this jurisdiction is not introduced before the recess, it appears it will not be possible to facilitate the process provided for in the Agreement. Will the Leader indicate when this legislation will be introduced?