The Order of Business for today is No. 1, statements on Partnership for Peace. Contributions of spokespersons will be 20 minutes and those of other Senators will be 15 minutes.
Order of Business.
The Order of Business is agreeable. I compliment the Minister of State at the Department of Foreign Affairs, Deputy O'Donnell, on her courageous intervention in the immigration debate to tell the truth about matters as they stand. I hope this intervention will be more than merely rhetorical and that it will be followed by action.
Will the Leader of the House enlighten Members as to whether the Government now has two immigration policies, an official and a provisional one? I hope he will arrange an early debate on the matter at which both Ministers will be present. The Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform can outline the official version, or perhaps it is the provisional version, and the Minister of State can outline the other version. At least then we will see where the Government stands on the issue.
I welcome Senator Manning's comments. He hit the nail on the head. The Minister of State, Deputy O'Donnell, is concerned with human rights, something which appears to have passed by the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform. I propose a change to the Order of Business, that the House take No. 20, motion No. 4, which expresses concern about asylum seekers. The Government side of the House helpfully pointed out that this motion is almost one year old and appeared to think that this would undermine it. It only undermines the position of the Minister who is claiming that he was not aware that this situation would arise. How did we know about it?
Words such as "swamped" are being used by Cabinet Ministers. This type of thing stirs up hatred of asylum seekers. It is as if they are deliberately trying to create an atmosphere in which people will feel overwhelmed, even though we are not.
I would like—
Senator Norris cannot discuss the substance of the motion now. You have moved an amendment to the Order of Business but you cannot pre-empt the debate at this stage.
I understand. Will the Leader get information for Senators in advance of the debate to ensure we are not unfair to the Minister? I have never heard the Minister express concern, Christian compassion, sympathy or solidarity with asylum seekers. However, I do not wish to be unfair to my friend, the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, during the debate so perhaps the Leader would dig from the archives evidence of those occasions on which the Minister has done this instead of stirring things up. I will be glad at that point to put it on record, but I do not believe he has done so. There is plenty of evidence to the contrary. He will fingerprint 14 year old children in defiance of the Members of the European Parliament.
I echo the words of Senator Manning. Thank God for the Minister of State, Deputy O'Donnell, who is the conscience of this Government, one it badly needs. It is important to have somebody such as that in the Government, although not to stir up division. I hope there will not be division but that the Fianna Fáil element will learn from Deputy O'Donnell and not attempt to suppress the proper expression of her viewpoint.
I support the proposal by Senator Norris to amend the Order of Business and take motion No. 4 dealing with the refugee issue. We have raised the matter repeatedly but there has not been an opportunity to have a proper debate on it. Last week we asked that the Minister come to the House to explain why there is chaos and an inadequate number of staff in the refugee centre and what he proposes to do about it. Thank God for the Minister of State, Deputy O'Donnell, who spoke the truth about the position. We should amend the Order of Business to take that item first and invite the Minister and the Minister of State to this House to enunciate the position on human rights issues and the anti-refugee sentiments that seem to have been expressed in all utterances by the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform. That is a very serious matter.
That is nonsense.
On the Trade Union Recognition Bill, 1999, in the name of the Labour Party, which has been on the Order Paper for some time, I raise this matter in the context of the compaign launched by Trócaire and the Irish Congress of Trade Unions which highlights that most of the toys on sale come from multinational companies in which there is no trade union recognition and where women and children work for a very low wage. The price of one toy, which costs approximately £10, is equivalent to one or two months' wages for employees in China and Indonesia. When shopping for toys in the run up to Christmas, people should bear in mind the rights of children and women, in particular, who constitute the majority of workers in these companies.
In recent weeks it appears somebody has deliberately tried to raise a head of steam about asylum seekers coming here. Much of what has been said has not helped applicants to get refugee status. Having spoken to a number of them, I am aware they are annoyed at the language used not only in this House but in the other House in regard to the way they have been treated.
The Senator should bear with me.
Some 90% of them—
I put the same point to the Senator that I put to Senator Norris. These are points that can be made during the debate which has been sought. We must not pre-empt that debate on the Order of Business.
I accept what the Chair says, but we must answer some of the points raised.
No, that is not appropriate to the Order of Business. On the Order of Business questions are posed to the Leader of the House and he replies to them.
We should support the call for a debate.
If Senator Norris is talking about Christian compassion, there are other types of compassion apart from Christian compassion. Approximately 90% of the people seeking refugee status here are not Christians, and that is not saying anything against them.
Yes, but 98% of us are supposed to be. That is what is in the Constitution. The Senator should learn what is in the Constitution.
The less said on this subject in the confrontational way proposed on the other side, the better for the people seeking refugee status here.
I support what Senator Costello said about the ferocious rip-off of workers, particularly children, employed in the manufacture of toys in the Far East, but the importers of toys here do not seem to mind from where they import them, nor do the multinationals who control the toy market. There is a much bigger rip-off taking place here now that a third Manchester United shop has been opened. Manchester United products are made available to children at inflated prices. Manchester United is making a killing on the backs of the same workers who are making toys—
That is not relevant to the Order of Business. The Senator has supported the request for a debate on this Bill.
I call for an early debate on that Bill.
On the Order of Business, I second Senator Norris's motion that we change the Order of Business to debate this important topic. As I do not want to spread seeds of dissent on the Government benches, I praise the Minister of State at the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Deputy Tom Kitt, for his speech in Brussels on the issue.
I ask the Leader for a debate as soon as possible on the non-consultant hospital doctors. I raised this issue on the Adjournment recently and I got a most unsatisfactory answer. The European Parliament and all our MEPs support the non-consultant hospital doctors in their drive to make their weekly working hours more normal as both they and those who need treatment are in danger because of over-tiredness among their ranks. I ask the Leader for a debate on medical manpower. The reply to the Adjournment debate indicated something would be considered in the middle of next year. Non-consultant hospital doctors will be outside the gates, like the nurses, if we do not do something about this issue.
I join Senator Manning and Senator Norris in complimenting the Minister of State at the Department of Foreign Affairs, Deputy O'Donnell, on her forthrightness and honesty.
The Senator should also thank the Tánaiste for Pretty Polly.
I was about to do that. The Senator is reading my mind.
It is the Chair's wish that any matter raised should be relevant to the Order of Business.
I apologise for straying temporarily. Last week when I welcomed the Sarah Lee Corporation to Killarney as a replacement for Pretty Polly I asked the Tánaiste not to delay the formal announcement. When she made the announcement on Sunday, some people thought it was peculiar that she should issue a statement on that day, while many others in the constituency believed she only did so because of my request.
Is the Senator saying they were wrong?
I thank her for doing so and I hope the 300 jobs materialise.
We are all pleased to see progress in the North of Ireland and we wish everyone responsible further success. We hope we remember these few weeks for the rest of our lives as they will be important in changing the future of the island and its people forever.
On behalf of the House, I welcome the £40 billion master plan to transform our everyday lives over the next seven years which was unveiled yesterday by the Taoiseach, the Minister for Finance and the Tánaiste. We can expect to see unprecedented spending over the next seven years in the areas of housing, transport, roads, schools and hospitals.
I will pass on Senator Manning's views to both Ministers. As regards the amendment proposed by Senator Norris to the Order of Business, I do not agree with his sentiments about the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform. He is the hardest working Minister in the Cabinet. One third of all legislation initiated in this House last year was from the Minister's Department and this year it is running at the same percentage. I have the highest regard for the work, dedication and commitment of the Minister.
I did not ask for that but for a debate.
I understand the Minister is out of the country. As Leader of this House, I have tried to respond to Senators' requests on the Order of Business and, in return, I expect those Senators to participate in the debates. Senators Lanigan and Costello referred to the importation of toys produced under regimes we may not agree with. I will bring this to the attention of the Minister at the earliest opportunity.
Senator Henry called for another debate on non-consultant hospital doctors. We had a comprehensive and thorough debate and the Minister gave a very detailed explanation to the House. I do not envisage having another debate in this session and I will consider the Senator's request in the next session.
I am pleased, as is Senator Coghlan, with the announcement about the Pretty Polly factory in Killarney. Lest he go back to Kerry and claim the credit, there are two Government representatives in that constituency, who have worked extremely hard in bad times as well as in good times. I congratulate the Tánaiste on making the announcement and the two Government representatives and all other public representatives who have worked so hard to make this happen for Killarney.
What about the Chief Whip?
Senator Norris has moved an amendment to the Order of Business: "That No. 20, motion No. 4, be inserted before No. 1". Is the amendment being pressed?
I understood that the Leader was aware of this but I gather from him that he was not. I will not press it today but I will press it tomorrow. He has plenty of notice and he will be required to indicate whether he will allow a debate. In the circumstances I will withdraw it for today.
Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.
Order of Business agreed to.