Today's Order of Business is items 1, 2, 3 and 4. Contributions of Senators on item 1, motion on Bovine Diseases (Levies) Regulations, 1998, are not to exceed ten minutes. The Committee and Remaining Stages of item 2 will be taken at 3 p.m. Second Stage of item 3 will then be taken, with contributions of spokespersons not to exceed ten minutes and those of all other Senators not to exceed eight minutes. Senators may share time. If not previously concluded, proceedings will resume after item 4. Item 4, statements on Northern Ireland, will be taken at 6 p.m., with each statement not to exceed ten minutes.
Order of Business.
We agree with the Order of Business. I wish to raise the issue of lorry driving tests. It has been brought to my attention that there is a backlog for car and lorry driver testing. This is causing severe hardship in the lorry industry where jobs are very scarce and lorry drivers are being brought in from England. Will the Leader call on the Minister for the Environment and Local Government to sort out this backlog as a priority?
Will the Leader clarify the position in regard to legislation over the next number of months? I recognise this is our last sitting week because of the planned renovations. How is it intended to deal with outstanding legislation in September? This is crucial. Would the Leader consider dealing with Committee Stage of some of these Bills in committees during the summer? Is it necessary to take all this legislation this week? I raise this because there are three major Bills and an important debate ordered for today. All Members agree that this is necessary, but given the pressure of time we should be able to come back to some of these Bills later.
I support Senator O'Toole's comments on the business ordered for today and for the rest of the week. The Leader has done some excellent juggling in organising the items, but there are 16 Bills being dealt with this week both here and in the Dáil, and all Stages of 12 of those Bills are due to be taken. The Leader has juggled the timeframe and the effect has been to cram a large amount of legislation into a short space of time, which is not how we should conduct our business. Will he clarify whether it is possible to take some Stages of these Bills later?
Item 20, motion 18, on the Order Paper reads:
That Seanad Éireann expresses its grave concern at the failure of the Irish Government to secure a senior management or executive Board position on the new European Central Bank.
That bank is now being launched, and it seems that the only Irish input will be the performance of Riverdance at its opening. I would like to know if the Government has succeeded in getting senior representation in the bank because I have asked the Leader about this matter in the past. According to newspaper reports, the Governor of the bank has announced that interest rates will drop in line with those of the bigger states, such as Germany and France, and the smaller states will not be taken into consideration. There seems to have been a failure to get senior Irish representation in this bank.
I support Senator O'Toole's call last week for no reduction to be made in the number of teachers employed in rural schools in the west. Will the Leader ask the Minister for Education and Science not to implement these cuts, as they would have a detrimental effect on education in the west and on the fabric of society given the peripherality of the western seaboard and its disadvantaged nature? I ask the Leader to impress upon the Minister not to impose these cuts particularly in Galway.
I compliment the Leader on the amount of business he has ordered for today and this week. I have been seeking a debate with the Minister for Public Enterprise on transportation policy in Ireland for some time. I welcome the Minister's recent announcement but I am disappointed that no money was made available for the Tralee to Killarney route, which is the most dangerous route in the country. Will the Leader ask the Minister to come to the House for a debate on whether more money will be made available for upgrading that line?
I refer to a previous debate in the House on the Insurance Ombudsman. Will the Leader request the Minister to explain how it was that, in breach of a clear and binding agreement with the current ombudsman, that no announcement will be made about the successor to this post until the end of August, a public relations firm, apparently acting on the instructions of the Department, was simultaneously faxing an announcement about the post at the time the debate was taking place in the Seanad? I ask the Leader to request the Minister to come to the House and explain this very curious behaviour which seems to undermine the Office of Ombudsman and the Seanad and violate a serious agreement.
As spokesperson on the environment and local government I wish to refer to item 5 on the Order Paper which forms part of tomorrow's Order of Business. Am I correct in assuming this is a procedural matter and will be taken without debate?
I share Senator Kiely's concern and join him in calling for a debate with the Minister. While welcoming the announcement of funding for the Killarney to Mallow line, I ask the Leader to ascertain if the line from Killarney to Tralee is being discriminated against. This line contains some of the most dangerous sections and there have been a number of accidents on it.
I share Senator Norris's concern regarding the Office of the Insurance Ombudsman. I am concerned for the independence of the office and ask for a debate on the matter.
I wish to raise the Turf Development Bill. I know the House is under pressure of time and that it is always unsatisfactory to rush legislation through at the end of session. However, the Bill runs to 25 pages and 50 sections and it seems very wrong to restrict speakers to ten or eight minutes. The provision of time on Second Stage should be far more flexible.
The glorious uncertainty of turf.
What would the Senator know about turf?
Senator Burke raised concerns about current delays in truck or lorry driving tests and I will pass his request to the Minister. Senator O'Toole queried the status of legislation in the context of the works which will take place next door to the Chamber. The Committee on Procedure and Privileges is endeavouring to address the issue and will discuss it tomorrow afternoon. I am sure the Senator may attend the meeting.
Senator Costello made various comments about the amount of legislation coming through the House. It helps if parties are represented on Second Stage and I hope there will be a full attendance by all parties on Second Stage debates throughout the week. The Senator also referred to motion No. 18: I will examine the matter and discuss it with him after the Order of Business.
Senator McDonagh raised concerns about the proposed cuts in education. The House is aware that the Minister for Education and Science will take the Education Bill to the Dáil on Friday and the Senator's concerns can be expressed when the Bill comes to this House. It is proposed that the Bill will be the next legislation to come to the House after what is proposed for the current week. I share the joy and congratulate the Minister for his stance on two teacher schools, something which affects many rural parishes throughout the country.
Senators Dan Kiely and Coghlan represent the kingdom of Kerry. I share their concerns regarding the rail line from Tralee to Killarney and will pass their comments on to the Minister, my constituency colleague. Senators Coghlan and Norris called for statements on the Insurance Ombudsman. Members are aware that the Minister of State at the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Deputy Treacy, announced the new Ombudsman in the House. We have heard Deputy Treacy on the radio over the past two or three days. He is very able and experienced and is one of the Ministers of State who has most impressed me. I will pass on Senator Norris's further concerns to him this afternoon. Senator Joe Doyle asked for time to be made available to discuss item 5 tomorrow and I confirm time will be made available.
Order of Business agreed to.