The Order of Business is No. 1, motion re referral of the fourth protocol to the Treaty of Amsterdam with regard to the extension of the Dublin Convention arrangements to Norway and Iceland to the Joint Committee on Justice, Equality, Defence and Women's Rights, to be taken without debate; and No. 2, Broadcasting Bill, 1999 – Committee Stage, to be taken until 8.30 p.m., and business to conclude by 8.30 p.m.
Order of Business.
I understood that business was to conclude by 8 p.m., although that agreement was not made with me.
The agreement was with Senator Coghlan's leader.
If it can be agreed to conclude by 8 p.m., the Fine Gael Party will have no difficulty with the Order of Business.
What is 30 minutes between friends?
Perhaps the Leader will clarify the arrangement.
They are getting off to a very cantankerous start on that side of the House.
In view of past comments made on both sides, this House would find it totally unacceptable that it is now proposed to house homeless children and children at risk in hotels. These are far from secure facilities for such children. How much longer will we have to hear Mr. Justice Kelly speak out on so many difficult cases? I understood the Minister of State, Deputy Hanafin, had made some decision in this area – certainly there was an announcement about more finance – but nothing has happened for the better and I would like to hear from the Leader on behalf of the Government on the matter.
I would like to note the elevation of my county colleague to a position of prominence on the Fine Gael bench.
Temporary little arrangements.
I am not sure if this reflects what is to come and if the news should be conveyed rapidly to south Kerry that Fine Gael is moving in that direction. I wish him well in the role, which he has not outlined to us.
On the Order of Business, it is important that this House debate what is currently happening in Iraq. The decision taken by two sovereign powers to attack, without provocation, another State is nothing short of outrageous and inhuman. It was irresponsible and delinquent behaviour on an international scale and it is a matter we should discuss. I believe the Minister for Foreign Affairs would welcome the opportunity to have such a debate. I welcome what he said over the weekend on this matter. It was a bit slow coming but his comments were strong and unequivocal. This House has a long history of debating these issues and I would like to hear further views on this matter. I would also like to know what the rest of Europe is doing in this regard. It is a good example of where the Irish can influence other European states in a positive way.
The other issue I want to raise is the one raised by Senator Coghlan. As a teacher, I am aware that for years we have been living with children at risk being pushed from pillar to post without anywhere for them to go. That is unacceptable. I want the Minister of State, Deputy Hanafin, to come into this House and outline to us, not in a confrontational way, the level of need, the number of places currently available and the number that will be made available. These children are the flotsam and jetsam of society. They are being dumped from one place to another. They have been forgotten. They are being kept under cover and I compliment the judge for raising this issue again. Many teachers will welcome the fact that this issue is finally being considered and that somebody might do something about it. I ask the Minister to come into the House and deal with this issue.
I raise again the issues I seem to raise almost every day, namely, motions on the Order Paper referring one item or other to a relevant committee. The motion is laid before the House and it comes back to the House, but we have no debate on it. A large number of these motions relate to asylum seekers and arrangements being made between member states of the European Union and other states, in this case, Iceland and the kingdom of Norway. I ask the Leader to give a commitment that when this motion comes back to the House on 21 February, we will have an opportunity of discussing the decision of the committee.
I express concern about the ballot taken by the secretarial staff in these Houses to embark on industrial action this day next week. Will the Leader find out from the Minister for Finance the reason this matter cannot be expedited and resolved without it resulting in industrial action? It is very much bread and butter trade union politics with the disruption and the extra work caused by the construction which took place and the transfer of offices. This matter should not be the subject of industrial action and these Houses should not be seen to be responsible for an unnecessary phase of industrial action.
Will the Leader of the House provide time to debate the Labour Party document on waste management? This excellent document, which has just been published, is far more valuable than anything that has come from the Minister for the Environment and Local Government. It provides a very different, radical and alternative means of dealing with waste management without damaging the environment. It is based on a national policy and does not require the building of very expensive and dangerous incinerators.
I condemn the bombing of Iraq by Britain and the United States. I welcome the belated and perhaps somewhat watered down remarks of the Minister for Foreign Affairs in which he said he regretted the action was necessary. I do not for a minute believe the action was necessary.
I think the Senator is supporting the call for a debate on the matter.
Yes. I request the Minister to come to the House so we can discuss the matter.
I support Senator O'Toole's comments regarding children at risk and how best we can contain the situation. I know efforts are being made by the Minister of State, Deputy Hanafin, but children are still slipping through the net. As teachers we know there are many young people who cannot be contained in the classroom and we must ask how we can help them. It is a community problem which we must face up to and a debate would be very welcome.
Another issue people are giving a lot of thought to is the age bias which seems to be creeping into all walks of life, particularly in relation to insurance companies. Are insurance companies fulfilling their obligations under equality legislation? This should be discussed by the House. It is broader than the insurance sector and is being discussed at length, including in newspaper articles.
I join with my colleagues in calling for a discussion on Iraq. Motion No. 27 in my name and that of Senator Ross on the Order Paper concerns this matter. I recently visited Iraq and have seen the situation there. I cannot fully agree with Senator O'Toole that the attack was entirely unprovoked – I do not think shooting at aircraft is entirely unprovoked. I would welcome an opportunity for the House to discuss the matter. It is time we made clear that we are not officially in favour of a blanket removal of sanctions. We are in favour of the removal of sanctions as they impinge on the civilian population, but how could anybody be in favour of removing military sanctions against a person like Saddam Hussein?
We should have a debate on the housing of problem children precisely because Justice Kelly reproved the Oireachtas for its inaction, for the inadequacies of the Children Act and for the non-implementation of the provisions it contains. Yet again we have been reproved from the Bench. It is very important that we act rapidly. Perhaps the Leader could investigate the possibility of establishing a mechanism whereby the Judiciary, if it feels the Oireachtas is in dereliction of its duty, could tell the Oireachtas to examine certain legislation and do something, rather than having megaphone diplomacy between the Oireachtas and the Judiciary.
I agree with Senator Ormonde's comments regarding the insurance industry. It is time we again examined the matter. Recently I had correspondence from a constituent who alleges he was asked about his HIV status and whether he took a test. I thought those days were over and that the insurance industry was prevented from asking such questions and loading the premium of a person who has taken a HIV test.
I join in the call that the Government takes some substantial steps to ensure children at risk are catered for. This is a time in their lives when they need a steady hand and a stable environment, instead of which they are being sent from one place to another not knowing where they will be going at the end of the day.
This is the second time, as has been said by Senator Norris, we have been taken to task over this issue, and rightly so, particularly at a time when there is so much money. The Department of Finance is bursting at the seams and yet the weakest element in our society is not being catered for. I also call for a debate on the issue.
The local government Bill is of concern. The timescale we have been given seems to be revised weekly. I saw that it was on the Order Paper for the Lower House last week but it is not on it this week. Will the Leader explain why the Government is dithering on this Bill and what it intends to do?
I join Senator Costello in expressing concern that our secretaries have had to threaten industrial action this day next week. We should debate this issue if necessary. It was they who bore the brunt of the move to our various locations. Some had to move several times and I am sure health and safety legislation was breached, particularly in the engineering block. I have the good luck to be based in its basement which seems better than my previous accommodation.
No, it is not.
I think it is and I find it more comfortable. This is a very serious issue because these people have been in contact with the Government Chief Whip and the Department of Finance since before Christmas. I hate to see people, who give such good service and who are so essential to the running of the House, treated like this.
The case for debate has been well made.
I agree with those who call for secure units which are needed for some of our children. While the Government has responsibility to provide such facilities, communities throughout the country where they are provided also have responsibility. The various health boards must communicate and co-operate with the people and communities in their areas. In my county a delay has ensued with a proposed unit because of lack of co-operation. Co-operation and communication would allay people's fears and solve problems.
I also ask that the Minister for Health and Children come to the House to discuss the increasing incidence of diseases such as tuberculosis. A case was diagnosed in a post-delivery mother in one of our large maternity hospitals. We have heard of an increase in many such diseases in western countries and I ask for a debate on the matter.
I want to inquire whether we have a new Tallaght strategy. I think we need one. Today I read, with great dismay, that 70% of admissions to hospital are through casualty wards and that women have been denied gynaecological operations notwithstanding long-standing appointments. Obviously the hospitals cannot cope. I ask that the Minister come in and inform us why this situation exists despite the amount of money available. I support Senator Norris regarding Iraq. The sanctions should not be against the ordinary people although we must have sanctions against bullies.
I ask the Leader to draw the attention of the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform to the figures published during the week regarding under age drinking which imply that Ireland is the worst in Europe in this regard. We may be partially at fault in this House. Senator Ormonde referred to bias on age. There is a possibility that those clubs that have put a ban on people under 21 may find themselves outside the law because we passed legislation that does not allow bias on the basis of age. We may not always recognise the full import of Bills going through the House and we must pay detailed attention in case something like this slips through. I may be wrong, but if a pub, off-licence or club decides to ban a person under the age of 21 years, it would be perhaps a step in the right direction. We would not wish that a step we have taken with a very good objective in mind would be no longer capable of being enforced.
There are 44 weeks to go before the introduction of the euro and I ask the Leader for a debate on that matter as soon as possible. The figures being presented to us suggest that a very large number of traders are not aware of the steps needed to be taken at this stage. While the Euro Changeover Board is doing a very good job, it would be enhanced by a debate in this House to draw attention to this subject.
I wonder how people in the transport business assess their costs because last Friday week it took five hours and 45 minutes to travel 160 miles on one of the country's major roads. The National Roads Authority does not seem to be addressing the problem. Will the relevant Minister explain to the House why 28 miles per hour is the average speed on main roads? This creates serious problems for the transport sector and it must be investigated.
There were disturbing reports in the newspapers today about the effects of global warming and how immediate the problem is. Once again the poorest countries in the world will suffer from this problem. Europe and America will not suffer as much because they have the resources to deal with a number of the aspects which cause global warming and with its effects. Floods and other natural disasters will occur more frequently in the deprived areas of the Third World. I ask for a debate in the House so that we can examine how Ireland might address the problem and provide solutions to the poorest countries in the world.
I presume mention has been made of the bombing of Iraq.
A debate has been sought on that matter.
I too ask for a debate on that subject. This is not the bombing of Saddam Hussein but the bombing of the people of Iraq. The no-fly zone in the north of Iraq has created fiefdoms for every gangster and warlord in the area—
We cannot have the debate now, Senator Lanigan.
It is important that the debate takes place. The Americans and British say that these measures are to protect their war planes which are overflying Baghdad, but they should not be there in the first place. No plane has been shot down and no American or British pilot has been hit.
I ask the Leader of the House for an urgent debate on recycling and waste management, particularly because there is a proposal to site an incinerator beside the town of Drogheda, to which the people of Drogheda and east Meath are very much opposed. The Minister for the Environment and Local Government, Deputy Dempsey, should intervene and insist that there will be no incineration in the country and that proper waste management, recycling and composting will be put in place. This debate should discuss the reality that people do not want super dumps and they are not necessary if a proper waste management structure exists.
Senator Coghlan, as acting leader of the main Opposition party, has agreed to the proposal that the House sit until 8.30 p.m. tonight.
Senators Coghlan, Coogan, Leonard, O'Toole, Ormonde, Norris, Ridge and Lanigan called for a debate on the bombing of Iraq. I will allow time for that and will consult with the leaders.
Senators expressed strong views on homeless children and children at risk. Everyone agrees that it is not the way to show example at a time when there is a lot of money available. Senator Leonard, who has experience in the medical field, called for various supports for high risk units. I will convey these views to the Minister after the Order of Business.
Senator Costello and Senator O'Dowd called for a debate on waste management, and Senator Costello did so in relation to the Labour Party waste management document. The Labour Party has Private Members' time next week and if the Senator wishes to have an extra hour then, I will agree to this and we can discuss it and maybe have three hours—
Well done.
—to discuss the merit behind it. Waste management is the greatest single challenge to local government. I know that the Minister for the Environment and Local Government, Deputy Dempsey, came up the ranks from local government, was secretary of the Local Authority Members Association, and is a very powerful man with the correct attitude and an understanding of the problem. I will offer extra time to the Labour Party with the agreement of the House.
Senator Ormonde called for a debate on insurance companies fulfilling their obligations and I have no difficulty in allowing time for this.
I want to reassure Senator Coogan that it is the Government's intention that the local government Bill will have safe passage through the Seanad before Easter—
Which Easter?
—and he can tell his local authority colleagues that.
Senator Leonard called on the Minister for Health and Children, Deputy Martin, to come to the House for a debate on the rise in tuberculosis and I can leave time for this. I will pass on Senator Ridge's views to the Minister.
Senator Quinn called for a debate on under age drinking and it will take place on March 6. The debate was to be on Tuesday of next week but legislation takes precedence over debates and statements. Hopefully the Minister will be present and we can have an all-day debate on this very damning report. Not alone is drink freely available under licence in pubs, clubs and off-licences but there are other outlets where young people can get drink. It is appalling and I am totally opposed to it. I have spoken on the matter since becoming a Member of this House and it is about time action was taken.
I commend the Minister for Health and Children for his very strong views and statement on this matter. I also commend the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, Deputy O'Donoghue, for bringing in severe penalties for those selling drink or associated with selling drink to young people. It is outrageous and is affecting our future as well as giving the wrong image abroad. It should discontinue straight away.
We have agreement among all parties, Fianna Fáil, Progressive Democrats, Fine Gael, Labour and Independents, that those selling drink to under age people should lose their licences forthwith. I look forward to the contributions from Senators who have expressed opinions in the House, and also to me privately, about their abhorrence of the shameful abuse that under age drinking represents.
Senator Quinn also called for a debate on the euro. This is a worthwhile suggestion and I will allow time for Senators to debate it.
Senator Dino Cregan has a major problem with the National Roads Authority, as do many other local authority members. The NRA is doing magnificent work. In the long term it will build roads from Cork to Dublin, Limerick to Dublin, Galway to Dublin, and these will be dual carriageway roads.
Mr. Ryan
What is the long term?
They will have to bypass Kildare to do it.
Could we have no more interruptions, please?
There was never so much money spent by any local authority or by the NRA than currently. The greatest allocation in the six-year national development plan is for roads. There will be a dual carriageway from Dublin to Cork, Limerick and Galway by 2006 and work is to commence by May 2002.
It will take ten years to bypass Kildare.
When did this debate on the roads begin? It was not on the Order of Business.
Senator Lanigan called for a debate on global warming. I can leave time for this also.
The Leader has not addressed the problem our secretaries are having.
I intend to raise this at the Committee on Procedure and Privileges meeting tomorrow under the chairmanship of the Cathaoirleach and come back to the House on Thursday morning, if that is agreed by the House.
Order of Business agreed to.