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Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 6 Jul 1982

Vol. 337 No. 5

Order of Business.

It is proposed to take business in the following order: Nos. 3 and 12 (resumed). Private Members' Business from 7 p.m. to 8.30 p.m. will be item No. 32.

(Cavan-Monaghan): On the Order of Business, now that the report of the tribunal on the Stardust tragedy has been received by the Government and published, could the Taoiseach indicate to the House when it is proposed to make time available to discuss it in the House? Secondly, when does the Minister concerned propose to bring before the House comprehensive proposals to implement the recommendations in the Stardust report where that is necessary, and where it is not necessary to bring them before the House, when he proposes to implement the recommendations?

Taking the last part of the question first, I have already initiated an urgent examination of the report, with particular reference to the conclusions and recommendations section of the report. Consultations will obviously be necessary with other Departments, local authorities and staff interests, with regard to the recommendations and conclusions. As a result of that urgent examination I will then be taking the action to which the Deputy refers. I would remind the Deputy that considerable action has been taken in a number of the main areas dealt with in the report, such as staffing, training, building regulations and financial provision. I shall develop further proposals on these matters in the light of the recommendations before us at this stage.

I should also like to put on record my appreciation of the work of the tribunal and of their detailed and highly impressive report. I should like to express my thanks to the tribunal.

(Cavan-Monaghan): Can the Minister tell us when the necessary proposals will be brought before the House? If I might isolate just one matter, could the Minister tell us whether spot checks during use of places that constitute fire hazard are taking place?

This report is so detailed and through that it deserves careful consideration and it will receive that careful consideration from myself and my Department. Therefore it would be wrong of me to give a time scale to the House because of the depth and detail of its recommendations.

As far as spot checks are concerned, I would remind the Deputy that following the tragic incident of February last year I immediately asked all local authorities to carry out the type of spot checks about which the Deputy spoke. The Fire Services Act provisions have since been brought into force on 1 January last. I shall follow up the point made by the Deputy with regard to spot checks.

(Cavan-Monaghan): A Cheann Comhairle——

We could have an infinite number of questions on this and we could not allow that.

(Cavan-Monaghan): I agree with the Minister when he compliments Judge Keane on the report. It is a first class report and the learned judge deserves to be complimented. But will the Minister agree also that not alone does it require careful consideration but requires very urgent consideration?

In response to the Deputy's first question, I have already mentioned that I have initiated an urgent examination of the recommendations and conclusions. I think the Deputy would agree that because of the detail and thoroughness of the report it deserves careful as well as urgent attention.

Deputies cannot ask questions on that aspect of report.

I think the House should be aware that there is no party disagreement in relation to the implementation of the recommendations of this report. Having regard to the constraints of time imposed on the House, might I make the following suggestion to the House for consideration? I understand from the Whips that we are scheduled to take the amending legislation for local government planning. The critical point as far as the public are concerned is the administration of the national draft building regulations. Following consultation with the Whips, might I suggest to the House, on the Order of Business, that the Minister would give a full report in the course of the Second Stage debate on the Bill indicating what is the position in regard to the system of administration of the building regulations? In that way the Opposition spokesperson would be properly briefed on order to respond within the constraints of parliamentary time.

I will be delighted to do that. I might mention one item, of which the Deputy will be aware, that the system intended to be used was self-regulatory, whereas the tribunal have come out with a different recommendation with regard to the fire services. Therefore I shall go into it in detail on the Planning Bill.

Would the Taoiseach consider the possibility of allowing the House to debate the report in perhaps a three or four hour debate? I appreciate that the report is so comprehensive that none of us perhaps is in a position to respond to it as speedily as we might wish. But would the Taoiseach at least leave that option open, because it was the longest running tribunal in Irish legal history and it is important and appropriate that we should respond fully to it?

Yes, it is something that can be returned to at any time.

Yes, I think it would be impossible to debate it now — that it would be a mistake in view of the length and complexity of the report. The debate would be more constructive if the Minister had an opportunity — he will need some time to examine the report and then be ready to come forward with an indication of Government action — to examine it in detail. I would suggest that the Minister would attempt to do that between now and the resumption of the Dáil so that when the Dáil resumes we would have a full debate launched by the Minister, indicating the kind of action he proposes. Therefore the debate instead of looking back in the past, should be looking forward to the future.

The Deputy can take it that in due course the House will have full opportunity to go into all aspects of the report.

This is a separate matter, but perhaps I might ask the Minister for Health when he intends to issue his statement in relation to the O'Brien/Sutton baby battering case as he indicated on a number of occasions that a statement would be issued shortly. Might I ask him does he intend to make a statement in this House and, if so, would he make it before the summer recess?

The report will be ready very shortly — I expect in the course of the next week or certainly ten days.

Can the Minister make a statement to the House?

The Whips can discuss that if so desired.

On the Order of Business, in view of the appalling and unprecedented unemployment figures announced yesterday I should be greatful if the Taoiseach would be willing to indicate whether he would avail of an early opportunity of outlining to this House the Government's proposals to resolve the problem and specifically whether he would be agreeable to allocating Government time at the earliest available opportunity to a constructive debate in this House on this crisis?

The Whips have agreed that there will be an adjournment debate and the Deputy will have plenty of opportunity then to make whatever points he wishes.

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