The Order of Business is No. 1, Fisheries (Amendment) Bill, 2000 [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil] – Report and Final Stages; No. 2, Youth Work Bill, 2000 – Committee and Remaining Stages.
Order of Business.
I wish to raise two items on the Order of Business. The Leader will be aware that the Committee on Procedure and Privileges in the Lower House and the Government Chief Whip have finalised a major package of Dáil reform which I believe will be published next week. Has the Leader plans to have such a procedure adopted in this House to examine the functioning of the House with a view to reform? I do not want him to say that we have had a review of Standing Orders. That is not what I am talking about; I am talking about a major package of reforms.
Yesterday, the Leader indicated that he would have no difficulty in having a debate on the Eircom debacle. Will he make time available next week for such a debate?
The Order of Business is to my satisfaction. I ask the Leader of the House to ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform to speak to the House regarding the appointment earlier this year by the Courts Service of a barrister to report on in camera cases within the family courts. This appointment was much welcomed by those who feel that we have very little knowledge of what goes on in the family courts. Senator Norris and I have put down motions and we are supported by the Independent Senators on this issue.
There is considerable unease that there is very little information about what happens there. Unfortunately, the Courts Service was apparently told that the in camera rule meant that not even a barrister appointed by it to report anonymously could be present. I ask that the Minister for Jus tice, Equality and Law Reform come to the House to explain what he thinks should be done about the situation because there is much public concern about it.
I ask the Leader of the House to invite the Minister for the Environment and Local Government to the House. The Estimates are being dealt with at present but the rates support grant has not been paid and the local authorities do not know what will be their allocation. There are serious questions in relation to waste management. Clinical and hazardous waste is being dumped in County Wicklow.
The Minister is proposing to allow the erection of mobile phone masts without the need for planning permission. These are all current serious issues within the brief of the Minister.
I also ask the Leader to invite the Minister for the Environment and Local Government to the House to discuss waste management. This morning we hear again about the discovery of another illegal dump in County Wicklow which contains human tissue and medical files. This must be addressed urgently. This debate could be widened to include the disposal of animal waste on farms and the proposed regulations regarding its application on land as well as artificial fertilisers.
That was precisely the point I had intended to raise and I would like to back it up. It is quite extraordinary that there should be this dumping of medical waste. This is the second time this has happened within a matter of six weeks. The first site covered about two acres but this one is ten acres of hospital waste including human tissue, bandages and the personal records of hospital patients.
There is a really serious need for a debate on this issue because it simply cannot be allowed to continue. It is a health hazard as well as an invasion of privacy. People would feel very unhappy with the notion that private documentation about their medical condition is flying around all over the countryside and we need an explanation for this from the responsible authorities.
Will the Leader arrange for an early debate on the situation in Afghanistan because it seems that it is not as newsworthy as it was and the dramatic war pictures are disappearing. We should remember that at the end of the camera we also have a human tragedy and in the vacuum that now exists there is a very grave danger that the normal international rules of war will not apply.
The humanitarian issue could take second place to the question of what regime or administration will be put in place there. While there may be a victory where the war is concerned, at the same time we have to think long term and I would be afraid that in this vacuum many things might happen that we would not agree with. We should have the opportunity in this House to debate that and hopefully make a helpful contribution as well.
Yesterday the Leader informed me that the Government health strategy will be published next Monday. In light of that, will the Leader allocate time next week for a debate and statements to give the response of the Upper House to that health strategy? This will be one of the more important documents that the Government will publish in its entire lifetime and one which will elicit much debate in the coming months.
Will the Leader ask the Government to ensure that the task force report on autism which has been leaked to the newspapers, and is widely reported this morning, be circulated as soon as possible, particularly to Members of the Oireachtas? I understood that it was the Government's intention to publish it after Christmas but clearly this now needs to be brought forward. This is a hugely important issue which appears to have revealed serious neglect of a substantial number of people and their families. It is urgent that it be published at this stage.
Will the Leader inquire of the Government when it is likely that the issue of compensation for those affected by the Government's road plans will be finalised? We have heard many conflicting reports as to the time – that it is two weeks away, it is nearly there, documents are about to be signed and agreement is about to be signed off in the Department of the Environment and Local Government. There are so many people affected that it is urgent that we know where the issue stands and when we can expect to hear details of the compensation package which the Government intends to put forward.
I know we had a debate on this before but it is important that we have another debate on alcohol abuse. Our chief superintendent, speaking to Sligo Corporation, told us that 100% of arrests for public disorder result from alcohol abuse which takes place between 11 p.m. and 4 a.m. At least 50 more people will be killed as a result of alcohol between now and the end of this year.
If any other substance caused such havoc in our society there would be uproar. Why do we have such a lenient approach to the terrible scourge of alcohol? The superintendent also said that the Garda never arrest a sober person or a pioneer. Is that not a significant statement for a superintendent to make? Is it not a clear indication that all of us should think of those statistics and think of what our young people are getting involved in. We need a serious debate so as not to allow more heartbreak into homes before Christmas.
I support Senator Manning's call for a debate on the Eircom debacle. Will the Leader indicate on the Order of Business when he will allocate time for this next week?
I also support the calls for the Minister for the Environment and Local Government to come into the House. There are currently five or six areas in relation to the environment that urgently need to be debated. These include matters such as the housing strategies being adopted by local authorities, the issue of waste management to which several speakers have referred, the rate support grant which is not indicated by the Minister to the local authorities at the moment when they are in the middle of finalising their estimates, in addition to the shortage of local authority housing. The entire housing area is in crisis and needs urgent debate.
I believe we have sunk so low we have allowed such disrespect for the law. I am incensed over what has happened with illegal waste disposal in County Wicklow. It is not the first time it has happened and it is over a wide area. It must have been evident to the public that this was taking place.
I gather this has only arisen since the privatisation of waste disposal. If so, did we allow it to take place at a time when we had not put laws into operation that would prevent such abuses? What really aggravates me is that I gather the penalties imposed by the courts have been puny. Is that our fault as legislators or is it the fault of the courts?
We need the Minister to tell us what is happening and what he intends to do about it. I really do not want another debate, I want action. It is time there was some action in this area.
I congratulate the Minister for Education and Science on the setting up of the task force to investigate the needs of people with disability, particularly those with autism. Will the Leader invite the Minister to the House now that their findings have been produced to allow us to discuss them? I believe there are some 150 recommendations in all. This House has a major contribution to make in that regard.
A few weeks ago some of my colleagues asked for a further debate on the banking system and I ask the Leader today if that would be possible. I was shocked when I recently went into my local bank to get a replacement for my deposit book and this was refused. Since then I have had calls from at least four elderly constituents who are in a similar position. This is the only record small depositors have of where they stand on a daily basis. I believe they may be issued with a bank statement every six months and that is tot ally unacceptable. The next step will be to tell them they are not wanted in the bank. We have had many changes in the banking system and it appears that the bigger their profits get the less well they treat their customers.
Senator Manning referred to the Dáil reform that will be announced next week. It is my intention to set up a sub-committee in the coming weeks to advance our position in regard to Seanad reform.
Senators Manning and Burke called again for an urgent debate on Eircom and as I said yesterday I am endeavouring to have this debate. I have no difficulty whatsoever in allocating time for this as soon as it is convenient for the Minister. It is of the utmost importance that the Minister should be present to put the facts on the record of the House.
Senator Henry referred to appointment by the Courts Service of a barrister to review in camera proceedings in the family courts and I will pass on her views to the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform. Senators Costello, Norris, Burke and Quinn called on the Minister for the Environment and Local Government to come to the House to debate various local authority matters, especially the scandalous dumping of medical waste over the past number of months. It is shocking and horrifying and should not be allowed to continue. I will endeavour to have that issue debated in the House next week.
Senator Ó Murchú called on the Minister for Foreign Affairs to update the House on the Afghan conflict. All of us concur that normal international wartime standards should be adhered to and I will seek such a debate.
Senator O'Meara raised a number of issues, including the Minister for Health and Children's health strategy which is due to be published next week. I intend to schedule an all day debate on the strategy after Christmas. As I outlined on the Order of Business yesterday, quite a number of Bills are due before the House on which we want to make progress. However, I will schedule an all day debate during the first week after the Christmas recess. This will give Members plenty of time to read the strategy which will transform our health service.
Senator O'Meara also called for the report of the task force on autism to be published and I will pass on her views to the Minister for Education and Science. I will also pass on her views to the Minister for the Environment and Local Government regarding the compensation package for landowners affected the Government's road building plans.
Senator Farrell called for a further debate on alcohol abuse. This is timely and I thank Members who contributed to the Private Members' debate last night, although I regret that it was not televised. The Minister of State at the Department of Environment and Local Government launched a national anti-drink driving campaign yesterday while Senator Quinn's motion on road safety was debated last night, yet neither received any television coverage.
The European Communities and Swiss Confederation Bill, 2001, was initiated in the House yesterday by the Minister for Foreign Affairs and that also was not covered by "Oireachtas Report". I understood that 25% of the programme would be devoted to the Seanad and I will make the strongest possible written submission later to the Director General of RTÉ in regard to the broadcasting of the work of the House in future. The Minister for Foreign Affairs spent three hours here yesterday and the Bill should at least have been referred to during "Oireachtas Report". It is of the utmost importance that all Bills initiated in the House are covered and the public, to whom RTÉ has a responsibility as the national broadcaster, should be informed that progress is being made in various areas.
I will pass on Senator Kett's congratulations to the Minister for Education and Science. It is also appropriate that we should review the report of the task force. Senator Bonner called for a debate on banking, which is timely in the context of the upcoming budget. I agree with the sentiments he expressed and with the view of the public in general that the banks are holding their fire until the general election has been held before closing many rural branches. Various other requests have been made in regard to banking over the past number of weeks and these can be addressed in the debate.
Order of Business agreed to.
Sitting suspended at 10.55 a.m. and resumed at 11.15 a.m.