The Order of Business is No. 1, Broadcasting Bill, 1999 – Second Stage (resumed), with the contributions of spokespersons not to exceed 15 minutes and all other Senators not to exceed ten minutes; No. 2, motion re referral of the report of the Ombudsman on nursing home subventions, to be taken at 2 p.m., with the contributions of spokespersons not to exceed 15 minutes and all other Senators not to exceed ten minutes, and Senators may share time.
Order of Business.
The Order of Business is agreed. Will the Leader of the House indicate what legislation he intends to take during the remainder of this session? It would be useful to have an informed debate on a subject that occupied much of the airwaves this morning, the problem of teenage and under-age drinking. It is a problem of almost epidemic proportions in some parts of the country. While I do not hold myself up as a role model as far as drinking is concerned, I am shocked by what I see on almost a daily basis in universities, the extent to which virtually every event is sponsored by drinks companies, not only beer companies but hard drink companies, producing vodka in particular. The drinks industry seems to have no conscience or scruples about the way in which it encourages and makes it easy for young people to get drink at a very cheap price and often free. The encouragement to join a society is often that there will be free vodka and free beer. As Senator Fitzgerald will be aware, the governing authority of UCD has set up a body to ascertain how curbs can be put on such sponsorship. It is major problem. I am sure Members on all sides of the House would like the Leader to make time available for a debate on this matter.
A leader article in The Economist this week states that the most important aspect of fiscal policy is not to do with inflation, interest rates or gross national product and that the most important future indicators have to do with productivity. In yesterday's Financial Times an article outlined that Ireland's unit of productive cost in comparison to the rest of Europe, the US or elsewhere has continued to reduce. That is the information this House should convey to Commissioner Solbes when we meet him. I did not ask, nor am I asking for the Commissioner to address this House. I want to make it clear that I intend to write to the Commissioner to ask him to have a meeting with interested Senators. It would be far more important if that were done by the House, that we could meet and have a discussion and invite the Minister for Finance to discuss these issues with the Commissioner. I make this point seriously.
I will meet Commissioner Solbes as one of the social partners. People in this House have asked me time and again why are we never allowed to have an input or influence where it matters. The Commissioner is coming to Ireland and this is an opportunity for us. At least Senator Ross is consistent, he wants to have an input and does not want to leave it to only the social partners and others. Let the public representatives share their viewpoint on this matter and let us discuss it. Let the Commissioner put up or shut up in regard to his arguments. This is the place to do it. Let us hear what he has to say and let us respond to it. I appeal to the Leader—
Perhaps it is a matter that could be pursued further at a meeting of the Whips of the parties.
Thank you, a Chathaoirligh. I seek the support of the other groups in doing that so that we will have relevance and topicality on a matter of gross national importance.
In relation to the Second Stage resumed debate on the Broadcasting Bill, each spokesperson had 30 minutes to make their contributions last week. As our spokesperson is the last remaining spokesperson to speak, I presume last week's time ruling on the contributions of spokespersons will hold for my colleague, Senator Ryan.
That is a matter on which I intended to seek clarification from the Leader before I called on him to conclude.
With regard to the matter raised by Senator Manning on under-age drinking, the figures that are about to be revealed show that Ireland is the worst country in Europe in this regard. It is unbecoming of the Minister's spin doctors to churn out material to cover him on this matter. He is tilting at various windmills in terms of being opposed to deregulation of the industry as if that had anything to do with this. There should be a debate when the report is published so that we can examine the areas which have been neglected.
One area that has been seriously neglected is enforcement of legislation. Photographs are published in newspapers every September of students who receive their junior certificate results in Dublin and proceed to Temple Bar and elsewhere, yet there is no enforcement of legislation. The sponsorship of sports by drinks companies is atrocious. Virtually every sport is sponsored by the drinks industry. These issues can be addressed. Over recent days the Minister churned out material about what he will do but said nothing about what he could have done previously. He should come to the House when the report is published and be accountable for his stewardship.
When will No. 8, the Electoral (Amendment) Bill, 2000, be introduced? We are not able to get a commitment on this. It was raised in the Lower House yesterday. Donations to political parties are part and parcel of the legislation but the Taoiseach thought it was too simplistic to examine this area because there were constitutional issues involved. If so, surely we can examine the possibility of a referendum. However, we must find out where we stand on donations to political parties because of the corruption there has been in this area. This important legislation should be taken at the earliest opportunity.
The issue of litter has been debated extensively in the House in recent times. I am happy that finally the Minister for the Environment and Local Government announced a new set of initiatives yesterday to tackle this issue. What resources will be put in place to enable the implementation of these new initiatives on the ground and to enable new measures to be taken to tackle that scourge? It is good for those of us on local authorities to know that the Government believes that litter wardens must be on the streets 24 hours a day. However, local authorities have adopted their estimates and no provision has been made for the additional expenditure to enable that to happen. Will the Leader ask the Minister to come to the House as soon as possible to debate this issue again? We welcome the initiatives but we want them to be implemented.
I support Senator Manning's comments on the report of the problem of teenage and under-age drinking. It is extremely serious. It costs the country a minimum of £1.7 billion per year so it is also a major negative economic indicator. I pay tribute to my colleague on the other side of the House, Senator Farrell, who has consistently raised this problem through most of the period I have been a Member of the House. It is very important that we discuss it. It is not just that we appear to have inadequate laws but they are not properly enforced. I hold the Judiciary partly to blame. Why is it giving licences all the time? Why does it never reject licences? Why does nobody control the behaviour of publicans? Why not close public houses that behave outside the law—
The Senator is pre-empting the debate which he seeks.
It would be against my nature to do that. Will the Leader organise a debate on Northern Ireland or at least, as a matter of considerable urgency, talk to his colleagues in Government about the alarming situation that emerged today in the North where medical staff in the Mater Hospital, Belfast, walked out because they were being targeted by the so-called Protestant paramilitaries? A call should go out from the House to people such as the Reverend Ian Paisley, who poses as a Christian and who is a parliamentarian. It is time for him to speak out unambiguously to his own people and say this is simply not acceptable in a democracy.
Senators
Hear, hear.
Will the Leader invite the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment to the House? The activities of Chorus, a cable television company, have been brought to my notice. Its activities. which are evident in my home town of Mullingar, are scandalous. Through slithery means it has obtained a £30 increase for its service and if people opt out they must pay a £45 fee. If the service breaks down and it is the cable company's fault, the customer must pay. That is outrageous and it is an underhand way of obtaining an increase. This issue has received a sound airing on the airwaves and it is not a new problem but something should be done about it. It is a disgrace.
I support the call by Senator Manning and others for the Minister for Health and Children to come to the House to debate under-age drinking. I am concerned about second level students. Senator Manning described the activities on the campuses of third level institutions but at second level absenteeism is a problem among 12 and 13 year olds on Mondays – the problem is particularly prevalent among young girls. I am concerned that, according to "Morning Ireland", there has only been one prosecution in this regard. This issue has been debated in the House on numerous occasions. Prohibition and the implementation of the law are the primary concerns. We must impress on the Minister when he comes to the House that we can debate the issue forever, we are aware of the problem and the statistics but we need to know how he will address it.
I refer to Senator Quill's call. Limerick County Council employs two litter wardens. Where will the council obtain the money to fund additional posts? We can debate this issue as much as we like but unless there are prosecutions and hands-on deterrents, it will not be addressed. I support her call for additional resources.
I refer to the extra charge of £2.50 which has been imposed on customers who took on the Chorus multichannel service. That is disgraceful because one must pay the charge whether one ever has a call out. It was slipped in quite insidiously and must be addressed in the interest of fairness and competition.
Will the Leader invite the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform to the House to discuss law and order issues? In recent years the number of unprovoked attacks in Dublin and throughout the country has increased. A common feature in a number of these attacks is kicks to the head and face. Such a kick is potentially a lethal act and is no different from someone being knifed in the back or chest. It is time for the Minster to consider mandatory sentencing. The entertainment value of such acts would soon disappear if such a decision were taken.
It is a long time since the Government promised a decision and an announcement on the single regulatory authority for financial institutions, but they still have not been made. Will the Leader explain why? Are the two Departments involved still at loggerheads? When can we expect a resolution of the matter?
I support Senator Manning's call for a debate on teenage and under-age drinking. There is no doubt this is a serious, growing problem and something must be done. I look forward to that debate.
I support Senator Costello in regard to No. 8. Donations are too important to be a grey area.
I thank Senator Norris for his kind remarks about my campaign against teenage drinking and alcohol abuse and I would welcome a debate on the matter. I do not think prosecutions are the answer. I would appeal to parents, teachers and society to play their part. It is a social problem, not a joke, and they must get involved. I congratulate the Minister for Health for taking a hands on approach in the matter. He should get the support of football and sports clubs, parents, teachers and all of us in helping to eliminate this scourge from society.
I too join in the request for a debate on this subject. Senator Manning indicated how, in third level institutions, companies are giving drink free to societies and clubs. Advertisements of night clubs offering cheap drink also encourage students to drink. There is a need for debate.
The Leader gave a commitment that the local government Bill would be taken by the second week of this month. Are the rumours that the Government is having difficulties with this Bill true and is it still intended to take it?
I also support the call for debate on under-age drinking. On radio this morning a parent referred to the fact that society was different and it was easier to rear sons in the 1970s than it is today. I was a student myself in the late 1960s and 1970s and I liked to enjoy myself. Circumstances and society were a lot different then. I blame a lot of our problems on night clubs and discos. Evidence of unsocial behaviour is to be seen late at night. Our only entertainment was in dry halls with the like of Joe Dolan or Senator Cassidy and so the problem did not really exist.
Can we have a debate on the Comptroller and Auditor General's report yesterday on housing for the elderly? We need further funds and a review of the system to enable elderly people to have a better quality of life. I would like to extend that debate to cover local authority grants for elderly or disabled people. I find that system even worse than the health board system because they seem to wait till the elderly are ready to die before they carry out repairs.
I also want to raise an issue in relation to the National Roads Authority. I was disgusted to read in the newspaper yesterday the corporate manager's solution to the problem when asked about the tragedy on Slane bridge. His solution was to divert the traffic on to the N1 at Ardee. That is no solution considering the funds available. That traffic would increase traffic levels on the N1 and we already have problems between Swords and the airport.
Mr. Ryan
Will the Leader clarify the time limits for the Broadcasting Bill to avoid problems arising with the Order of Business? I do not think we should make too much of a connection between deregulation and teenage drinking. Enforcement is a problem. I could tell the House what night club in Cork is avoided by 17 year olds because it is full of junior certificate students. I could give the Garda that information but they already know because they have teenagers of their own. I know the names of the pubs in Cork where under-age drinkers will be served. The law enforcement agencies are the only people who do not seem to know. Lack of enforcement has a lot to do with the problem.
Another concern is the service that cable monopolies pretend to provide. When debating that issue we should discuss the abysmal failure of the Director of Telecommunications Regulation to look after consumer interests. She seems to be lost in a world of high technology. The fact that these companies provide an abysmal service to consumers does not appear to be on her agenda.
I join my colleagues in the call for a debate on under-age drinking. It came to my notice recently that a certain drinks company has appointed a full-time development officer in a third level institution. That gives some idea of the extent of the problem. A sports stadium in Dublin has more advertisements for drink around the perimeter of the pitch than there are in an average pub. It is out of hand. There are difficulties in relation to enforcement and I look forward to a full debate.
Just as there are responsibilities on us as legislators to debate the matter there is also, as Senator Farrell mentioned, a serious responsibility in the community at large to deal with it. We could consider the licensing process, on an annual basis, for all vendors of alcohol. A public information campaign in relation to the licensing process would be of benefit and I look forward to the Minister coming to the House for this debate.
I also support Senator Manning in his call for a debate on under-age drinking. Will the Leader also arrange for a debate in relation to the BMW region and its funding? We should have a progress report on the matter. There is little point in debating it if its term and funding have ended. Will the Leader arrange for the Minister to come to the House to give us an up-to-date progress report?
I support Senator Bonner in regard to the Comptroller and Auditor General's report. It is time this scheme was taken from health boards and put back in the control of local authorities as county councils and corporations have responsibility for housing. The report was quite damning, saying that many thousands of pounds remain unspent annually for various reasons. This scheme should be run in conjunction with the essential repairs grant and disabled person's grant in our county councils. I look forward to a full debate on this in the House.
Before the Leader replies, I point out that the time limits agreed last week for the Broadcasting Bill were 30 minutes for spokespersons and 20 minutes for other speakers. There are still two spokespersons to contribute. Will the Leader clarify that they will have 30 minutes? If the House agrees, the limits for other speakers can be 10 minutes as suggested.
I am in full agreement. I propose 30 minutes for spokespersons and 10 minutes for all others as there are a lot of Senators offering to speak on the Bill. Senators Manning, Costello, Jackman, Coghlan, Farrell, Coogan, Ryan and Glennon all called for a debate on under-age drinking and alcohol abuse, on the whole issue of licensing and for the banning of advertising. I compliment the Minister for Justice on bringing in strict and stringent regulations and penalties on anyone found serving drink to under-age drinkers. It is up to law enforcers to enforce regulations that have been passed by both Houses. I compliment all sporting organisations on what they have done for our youth, the youngest population in Europe. We must continue to support the sporting organisations and as legislators do everything we can to eliminate the scourge of under-age drinking. This was not a problem when we were young as we did not have the money. Today money is available and the temptation is there. As Leader of the House, I will afford the Seanad any opportunity to debate this very serious issue. I will allow as much time as possible and I propose to have an all-day debate on this subject on Tuesday, 27 February 2001, with the permission of the House.
This side of the House fully supports Senator O'Toole's proposal to invite EU Commissioner Solbes to come to the House. With your permission, Chathaoirligh, I request that the Committee on Practice and Procedure convene to discuss this proposal.
Senators Costello and Coghlan inquired about the Electoral (Amendment) Bill, 2000. Second Stage will be initiated on Wednesday, 21 February 2001. Senators Quill and Jackman called for funding to be put in place for the employment of litter wardens by the local authorities. I will inform the Minister of their views. Senator David Norris called for a debate on Northern Ireland. I agreed yesterday to allow time for this debate.
Senators Glynn, Jackman and Brendan Ryan expressed dismay at the increase in the number of cable TV companies, especially in the midlands. I will ask the Minister for a reply. I note Senator Ryan's remark about the Competition Authority. It is a very worthwhile suggestion and I will pass his views on to the Minister.
Senator Kett called for mandatory sentencing for unprovoked attacks which are taking place in major cities and towns. I agree with his views and I will pass them on to the Minister for Justice and Law Reform. I will pass on the views of Senator Coghlan regarding the single regulatory authority.
I wish to inform Senator Coogan that the local government Bill will pass all Stages by Easter and that is still the Government's intention. Senators Bonner and John Cregan inquired about the report on housing aid for the elderly and they ask that this become the responsibility of the local authorities. I will pass those views to the Minister and also Senator Bonner's views on the National Roads Authority and the tragic road accident at Slane, County Meath.
Senator Burke called for a debate on the BMW regional fund. Each local authority must have its plans in place for the enormous funds available. For the six years from 2000 to 2006, £6 million per day is being spent in the BMW region. This region consists of 13 counties and it is up to every local authority and county development board to have its plans in place. I fully agree with Senator Burke that we should review the fund annually.
The following is a list of 18 Bills expected to be published during this session: the Agricultural Appeals Office Bill, the Heritage Fund Bill, the Licensing of Indoor Events Bill, the Road Traffic Bill, the ACC Bank Bill, the Audit of Allowances of Parliamentary Party Leaders Bill, the Dormant Accounts Bill, the Euro Changeover Amounts Bill, the Finance Bill, the Ordnance Survey Bill, the Criminal Justice (Temporary Release of Prisoners) Bill, the Courts and Courts' Officers Bill, the Human Rights ( Incorporation of European Convention) Bill, the Irish Energy (Central) Bill, the Postal (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill, the Transport (Rail Infrastructure) Bill, the Pensions Bill and the Social Welfare Bill. The Government will publish all these Bills in the present session.
Order of Business agreed to.
Sitting suspended at 11.05 a.m. and resumed at 11.15 a.m.