The Order of Business is item 1, Committee and Remaining Stages, and item 2 which will be taken at 2.30 p.m.
Order of Business.
I was not in the House yesterday for the Order of Business but I understand there was a vigorous dispute in relation to the cut in Ireland's overseas development aid programme as presaged in the Book of Estimates. I understand a request was made for a full-scale debate on the issue in the House and that the Leader was unwilling to accede to it.
An amendment was proposed to yesterday's Order of Business which was put to a vote and defeated. We are discussing today's Order of Business, not yesterday's Order of Business.
I fully appreciate that, but the issue of overseas development assistance will not go away just because of the manner in which the issue was dealt with in the House yesterday. The issue will be raised later by another Senator. Unless the Leader is willing to provide a full debate on the matter — not just statements — we will not agree to today's Order of Business.
I wish to raise the Wildlife Bill which has many implications for certain rural areas, particularly where there are sensitive landscapes to be legally defined as special areas of conservation. We have been promised the legislation for several years and designation of the many controversial areas and the issue of turf cutting cannot legally proceed without such legislation being put on the Statute Book. Is it proposed to introduce the Bill before the end of the session?
Mr. Ryan
Increasingly I find myself raising the damage being done to the country by the Minister for Finance. I intend proposing an amendment to the Order of Business. I wish to link this to the Minister's most recent outburst in which he said he knows better than the other European Ministers for Finance how to run the European Central Bank. Senator Ross used to be an ally on the inequity of the European Central Bank but is now swinging to the defence of the Minister whom he described in the Sunday Independent as his Protestant friend.
I move amendment No. 1:
That item 14, motion 30, be inserted before item 1.
I will continue to raise this matter until the Government either changes its mind or allows a debate in Government time on a motion on this topic. I do not want to postpone the debate until after the budget, when it will be meaningless. The Government has done something disgraceful and needs to explain that to the Houses of the Oireachtas. Item 14, motion 30, calls on the Government to provide the sort of generosity that the Irish people expects from it in the area of overseas development aid.
I support the calls for a debate on overseas development aid. I thought the Leader indicated yesterday that he was willing to allow a debate at an early stage on this matter. I would like him to confirm a date for that debate.
I raised items 18 and 19 previously which relate to literacy and pre-school education. We had a debate on the Education (No. 2) Bill yesterday which we thought would allow us to discuss the broader educational framework, but there was no reference to pre-school education, third level education, continuing education, literacy or numeracy. A debate on these subjects is needed in view of the fact that we were not able to discuss them in the debate on the Education Bill. It is time we debated these matters because while the Education Bill provides major consolidation of that sector, it does not deal with those educational issues.
Is the Senator seconding the amendment?
Yes. I second the amendment.
I propose a debate on electronic commerce based on the report issued today by the Minister for Public Enterprise. It is an interesting report from high level international experts on how we can become a European leader in electronic commerce. This is the correct time to work on this as it is similar to the IDA's work 20 years ago when it proposed the steps to be taken in order to achieve our present economic success. I would like a debate on this matter very soon.
We will be supporting Senator Ryan's amendment, which calls for the Minister to explain to the House his decision to reduce the percentage of overseas development aid.
We spoke previously about the possibility of statements on the bicentenary celebrations of 1798. I ask the Leader for time for these statements before the end of the year. It has been a memorable year, and given the associations this House has with that era and rebellion, the bicentenary should not be allowed to pass without discussion in this Chamber.
I was disappointed that my matter on the Adjournment was not selected for debate, as the Cathaoirleach has always been very good to me. As I cannot raise this matter later——
The Minister has no direct responsibility in this matter.
The Minister is capable of going around the country to announce jobs for every part of Ireland. She came to Clonmel when Seagate closed over 12 months ago. She said that she would follow up——
I ask Senator Hayes not to endeavour to subvert my ruling by raising this matter on the Order of Business.
I ask the Leader to bring to the Tánaiste's notice the dire need to fill a factory that has been left idle for 12 months. I know certain industries considered Cashel in the past year but then located in other parts of the country. There is widespread concern about this. I ask the Leader to bring it to the Tánaiste's attention. I am sorry, but I must raise this matter on behalf of the people there.
I support the call for a commemoration of 1798. This House should be associated with some commemorative gesture to the memory of Lord Edward Fitzgerald. He knew this House very well, was a leader of the 1798 Rebellion and came from the minority tradition. It would be appropriate to remember him in the bicentenary.
I ask the Leader to pass on to the Minister for Education and Science the concerns expressed to Members about the safety of school buses. These buses, which are apparently hired by CIE, may not have safety belts and it is only a matter of time until there is a fatal accident involving schoolchildren.
I will let Senator Connor know when the Wildlife Bill is due. In relation to the matter raised by Senators Connor, Ryan and Doyle, I told the Senators requesting this debate that we would endeavour to have that debate at the earliest possible opportunity. I make the same offer this morning. I will do everything I can to facilitate them, possibly on next Thursday. As I said yesterday, the Order of Business is set out week by week and matters proposed a minute before the Order of Business can only be discussed that day if they are extremely urgent. I will put this down for next Thursday afternoon.
Senator Costello called for a debate on literacy and adult education, and I have no difficulty in allowing a debate on this matter. Senator Quinn called for a debate on electronic commerce. This country will be transformed and I agree with the Senator's views. We will have a debate on this matter at the earliest possible opportunity, which may be three weeks from now. Senators Walsh and Norris called for statements on the bicentenary of 1798. I have already given a commitment to this and we will have statements on this matter in this session. I will pass on Senator Hayes's concerns to the Tánaiste and I will pass on Senator Norris's concerns about school bus safety to the Minister for Education and Science.
Senator Ryan moved an amendment to the Order of Business: "That item 14, motion 30, be inserted before item 1". Is the amendment being pressed?
Mr. Ryan
Yes. To have this debate next Thursday afternoon would make it entirely marginalise it. This is an urgent matter. If the Leader does not realise how urgent it is, that is the Government's problem, not mine.
We want a motion, not statements.
Amendment put.
The Seanad divided: Tá, 17; Níl, 25.
Tá
- Caffrey, Ernie.
- Connor, John.
- Coogan, Fintan.
- Cosgrave, Liam T.
- Costello, Joe.
- Doyle, Avril.
- Hayes, Tom.
- Henry, Mary.
- Jackman, Mary.
- McDonagh, Jarlath.
- Norris, David.
- O'Dowd, Fergus.
- O'Meara, Kathleen.
- Quinn, Feargal.
- Ross, Shane.
- Ryan, Brendan.
- Taylor-Quinn, Madeleine.
Níl
- Bohan, Eddie.
- Bonner, Enda.
- Callanan, Peter.
- Cassidy, Donie.
- Chambers, Frank.
- Cox, Margaret.
- Cregan, John.
- Dardis, John.
- Farrell, Willie.
- Fitzgerald, Liam.
- Fitzgerald, Tom.
- Gibbons, Jim.
- Glynn, Camillus.
- Keogh, Helen.
- Kiely, Daniel.
- Kiely, Rory.
- Lanigan, Mick.
- Leonard, Ann.
- Mooney, Paschal.
- Moylan, Pat.
- O'Brien, Francis.
- O'Donovan, Denis.
- Ormonde, Ann.
- Quill, Máirín.
- Walsh, Jim.
Tellers: Tá, Senators Ross and B. Ryan; Níl, Senators T. Fitzgerald and Keogh.
Amendment declared lost.
Question, "That the Order of Business be agreed to", put and declared carried.