Skip to main content
Normal View

Seanad Éireann debate -
Thursday, 29 Jan 2004

Vol. 175 No. 5

Business of Seanad.

I wish to inform the House that the Taoiseach will be delayed for approximately four minutes. The Polish Prime Minister arrived 20 minutes late and is just departing now. The Taoiseach must bid him farewell. He regrets the delay, as we all do, but we will still have one hour for the statements.

May we use the time to hear how the Leader got on with the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform this morning?

I was just coming to that. The Senator thinks like me. I did not get on very well, I have to say. I spent 45 minutes of the past hour in communication with the Minister's private secretary and, finally, with the Minister himself again. All Stages of the Immigration Bill are scheduled to be taken here tomorrow. I have informed the Cathaoirleach and he is not happy about it. I am distinctly unhappy about it too because the Bill will not be taken in the Dáil until next Wednesday and, therefore, I cannot understand why we should be pushed around, which is what is happening. I agreed in the end but I have dictated a strong letter to the Minister about this. I do not blame the Minister personally but I genuinely think he is being pushed around by people in his Department. I am being frank about it because I know from the conversation I have had that that is what is happening. Following comments made recently in a judge's report about officials in that particular Department, we are all aware of the situation, which does not seem to have altered.

In any case, the House will take all Stages of the Immigration Bill tomorrow. It has nothing to do with the Taoiseach, in case Senators thought it had. It concerns a particular Department. I said earlier that I would come back to report to the House on the matter, although I do not like having to bring this news.

We could deal with the Bill on Tuesday and at least have the weekend to cogitate on it, with no loss of time whatever to the Government. I do not believe that the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform is being pushed around by a couple of officials. If that were the case we would need to have a root and branch examination of how that Department works - not that it would surprise me that they would try.

We cannot have that discussion at this time.

We will return to it after the Taoiseach's visit.

The point is an important one because it looks as if it is not even political direction from the Government. If what the Leader is saying is correct, and I have every reason to believe her, then it means that civil servants are directing Parliament, which is simply unacceptable.

That is my summation.

I do not think we can go down that road at this time.

As parliamentarians, all of us have a right to refuse.

In the meantime, there may be discussions outside the Chamber.

We can meet in the ante-room.

If the Immigration Bill is not being taken in the Dáil until Wednesday, it is an excellent suggestion for this House to take it on Tuesday.

That is the suggestion I made.

We cannot discuss the matter now. It is for the Order of Business tomorrow. In the meantime, the leaders can negotiate.

Top
Share