The Order of Business is Nos. 1 and 2. No. 1 is a motion regarding referral for discussion to the Joint Committee on Justice, Equality, Defence and Women's Rights of the Agreements between the Governments of Ireland and the Russian Federation and it will be taken without debate. No. 2 is the ICC Bank Bill, 1999, all Stages to be taken today with the contributions of spokespersons not to exceed 30 minutes and of other Senators not to exceed 20 minutes.
Order of Business.
The Order of Business is agreeable. Will the Leader inform the House when it is proposed to take the Intoxicating Liquor Bill which was ordered for today and is not being taken? If this legislation is to be in place before the end of the year all Stages will have to be passed before the House rises next week.
Will he tell us what business we will be taking next week and the arrangements being made to accommodate Members of this House in the Lower House for the joint sitting for the President's address? Will he also tell us the legislative programme for next week and how many days we will be sitting?
I am opposed to the Order of Business and will be calling a vote on it. An alarming new trend is developing and is being applied to the ICC Bank Bill. The Government has changed its mind on this Bill and the right thing to do would be to drop it entirely. The Leader told me yesterday this was enabling legislation. It is no longer enabling legislation. What the Government has done is quite preposterous, it rushed this Bill through the Dáil yesterday and changed it on Report Stage. It is not the same because ICC is not now to be sold. Even the Long Title has been changed. The Bill we received this morning has nothing to do with the original Bill and is there is no urgency attached to it now.
Like Senator Connor, I assumed we were taking the Intoxicating Liquor Bill today. That Bill was pulled on us just before the recess in June, rushed through the Dáil yesterday and was to be before the House today. Such trends are insults to this House and democracy. This is not the way in which we should do our business. We should not deal with the ICC Bank Bill today – it has been completely changed and now deals only with money. I propose that we debate the Report of the Inspector of Mental Hospitals, as requested by Senator Henry several times. I am opposed to the Order of Business on the grounds that there are other much more urgent items to deal with today.
Mr. Ryan
My sympathies are with Senator Quinn. Unfortunately, I agreed the Order of Business with the Government Whip which leaves me in a difficult position. I took my eye off the ball for a moment, which I regret.
Senator Ryan can change his mind.
Mr. Ryan
No, I will not. I gave my word and I will keep my promise. The matter is not that big an issue.
All sorts of trends are developing. This House does its business with considerable expedition and efficiency but the other House seems to spend its time standing on its head reversing decisions, including budgets. In some cases they are reversed outside the Houses of the Oireachtas and announced at parliamentary party meetings, which is a profound insult to the Houses of the Oireachtas and a breach of precedent.
Yet again I ask the Leader what is happening about the telecommunications infrastructure. Old spoof about the best telecommunications infrastructure in the world is not a reply to my question. The world and its wife knows that there are large segments of this country, including the most underdeveloped areas about which Members on the Government side tend to whinge in this House, where the telecommunications infrastructure is abysmal. Nothing is being done about it. The Government has decided to pursue the route of the private sector to do it. It has not produced the legislative framework and we are sitting, with a Bill here on the Order Paper, apparently paralysed on the issue of the most fundamental infrastructure, more important even than the roads infrastructure. This is the future of the country's prosperity. The prosperity will go down the drain if something is not done about this and I cannot get an answer out of the Leader of the House about it.
Yet again I ask the Leader for a debate on the health services. This morning The Irish Times contains a story that people with spinal injuries are now having to pay between £25 and £100 more for things which used to be refunded, again not because anybody decided to take these things from them but because of the continuing extraordinary incompetence of the Government.
I have never spoken here on the Northern Ireland issue because I am so close to it. It is deplorable, despicable and sad the way a newly appointed Minister's car was bugged in Northern Ireland. It augurs badly for the peace process. I would appeal to whoever did it, in the interest of peace in this country, to come forward, admit it and apologise. They have done a great disservice to peace, which we all prayed for and longed for so much.
I second Senator Quinn's call that we should change the Order of Business and instead discuss the report of the Inspector of Mental Hospitals. We have had this report for two months and there has been plenty of time for people to read it.
Are you proposing an amendment to the Order of Business?
Yes, I am proposing an amendment to the Order of Business, that we take the report of—
Sorry, Senator Quinn, you have already spoken.
I thought you were asking me.
I just asked Senator Henry if she was formally proposing that amendment to the Order of Business.
I understood Senator Quinn proposed it.
We will take it as a proposal which you have seconded.
No doubt Senator Quinn is right about improvisation. We have seen much of that over the past week. It appears that is the era which we are in with the Government. Yesterday there was this balancing measure.
Senator Coghlan, I will not allow you to proceed along that road. We debated this matter in great detail yesterday evening, as you will recall.
I enjoyed that debate, a Chathaoirligh. I ask the Leader if we can expect further balancing measures next week and over the next while.
Balancing statements.
I support Senator Farrell's statement on the announcement in today's media about what I would call an element of breach of trust in the peace process.
It is not relevant to the Order of Business in this House.
It is worthy of observation, a Chathaoirligh, on the basis that strong trust has been built between the parties during the negotiations. It is important that that understanding is continued. I hope it does not damage the agreement and the strength of the relationship between the parties involved.
If the original ICC Bank Bill was before the House today, certainly I would not have agreed to take all Stages today but, of course, that Bill has been changed dramatically owing to the fact that the bank is not being sold. There is only one real issue before the House today, that is to extend the borrowings for ICC Bank which must take effect immediately. For that reason I am only too happy to support the taking of all Stages of the Bill today.
On a point of information regarding the need to debate the report of the Inspector of Mental Hospitals, it will be taken by Fine Gael in Private Members' time in the absence of the Government bringing it in the House. Senator Henry will be able to support it. It is an issue which is close to her heart. It is a pity that we must use Private Members' time when by right it should be on the Order Paper for debate in Government time.
I hope we will be able to debate very soon the question of teaching principals and their heavy workload. We have all been lobbied by members of the INTO. It is essential, if we are talking about equality of education for all, that principals should not have to leave the classroom when they are teaching full-time to do administrative business, for which they should be given extra time. They are looking for a basic provision, that is, one day a month to look after the administration of schools.
I support the proposal of Senators Quinn and Henry. There is no need to take the ICC Bank Bill today. As Senator Quinn said as I was coming into the House, this Bill has been changed beyond recognition in a short time. It would be wrong to rush it through because we must look at the reasons for this. The ICC Bank issue is a shambles. A few weeks ago I asked the Minister in the House to delay the sale of the bank to the Bank of Ireland. He refused and said that he would go ahead with the sale. Now we find this whole matter has been turned on its head by a decision of the Government.
Senator Ross has made his point.
I have. We saw that this Bill was not treated with the normal importance which it deserved in the Dáil yesterday in that a Minister of State from a Department other than the Department of Finance took the Bill.
Senator Ross, this House has no control over how the Dáil conducts its business. You have indicated that you will be supporting the amendment and you have gone into sufficient detail on the Order of Business.
We would get through business much more quickly if you did not interrupt me quite so often. I have a question for the Leader of the House. Will the Leader give us an assurance before we get to the Bill that a Minister from the Department of Finance will take it.
I ask the Leader of the House to bring to the attention of the director general of RTÉ the widespread public concern that RTÉ has not broadcast several race meetings over the past weeks and will not broadcast several more between now and Christmas. A Chathaoirligh, I know you will say it is not a matter for the Order of Business but there is widespread concern about this issue because there are many elderly people who like to listen to and look at racing on a Saturday or Sunday. There are great races taking place. I ask the Leader to bring it to the attention of the director general of RTÉ.
In response to Senator Connor, the Intoxicating Liquor Bill, the concluding Stages of which are being taken in the Dáil on Tuesday, will be taken on Wednesday next. The Taoiseach will come to the House on Tuesday evening next at 7 p.m. for the statements on Northern Ireland and he will make a statement to the House. I expect to see a full attendance on this historic occasion in the House at the concluding stages of the session before Christmas and the new millennium.
Senators Quinn, Henry, Joe Doyle, Connor, Ross and Ryan expressed various concerns about taking the ICC Bank Bill today. As Senator Doyle stated correctly, it is to extend the borrowings of ICC Bank. As the House will be aware, the sale is not going ahead for reasons best known to other banks who are interested in the purchase. I have a sense of relief that ICC Bank is not being sold because it was the backbone of small business in Ireland. It kept small businesses going during the recession.
Mr. Ryan
Another backbench rebellion.
The only friendly bank on which small businesses could rely, Senator Ross probably would agree, was ICC Bank. Many jobs are secure and businesses are flourishing in rural areas, towns and cities today because of the understanding and patience of ICC Bank during the bad times which many people experienced in the 1970s and 1980s. I look forward to the debate and hope that many Senators will participate in it. While it is a very short Bill to extend the borrowing powers of the ICC Bank, I thank the Leader of the Opposition for his co-operation, as well as that of the Labour Party's spokesperson, in taking all Stages of the Bill today.
Senator Ryan inquired about the Telecommunications Bill which certainly will not be taken before the Christmas recess. I understand that it is not a priority of the Minister at this time.
Mr. Ryan
Typical.
However, I will try to find out what the programme is for the passage of the Bill. I have already told the House that I will endeavour to do this but, as Members know, at this time of year budgetary and other matters are being considered.
And improvisation.
Senator Jackman called for a debate on education and I will arrange to have time allowed for that. Senator Tom Hayes asked me to pass on his concerns to RTÉ regarding its lack of coverage of sporting events, particularly racing over the Christmas period. It is pleasing to see the wonderful work that is being done by TG4 and many of us watched the county finals on that station over the last few months. TG4 is now committed to covering such sporting events, which are of major importance in rural areas. The RTÉ Authority should examine the situation. Radio and television should support Irish artists coming up to Christmas, with all their latest products, instead of supporting artists from America and other areas who find it easy to have their products promoted in other formats. They have millions of dollars and pounds to pay for such promotions. I call on RTÉ to support Irish artists and sporting events which are hugely popular among viewers and of which we are so proud.
Before I put the question regarding the Order of Business, Senator Connor asked about the arrangements for the address next week to a joint sitting of the Houses of the Oireachtas by Her Excellency, the President. Those arrangements will be on next Tuesday's Order Paper and they will also be circulated to Members today.
Thank you.
Senator Quinn has moved an amendment to the Order of Business. The amendment is: "That item 18, motion No. 15, be taken before item 1".
Amendment put.
Vótáil.
Will the Senators who are claiming a division please rise?
Senators Quinn, Henry and Ross rose.
As fewer than five Members have risen, I declare the question defeated. The names of the Senators dissenting will be recorded in the Official Report and Journal of the Proceedings of the Seanad.
Amendment declared lost.
Order of Business agreed to.