It is proposed to take No. 7. Private Members' Business, No. 16, will be taken between 7 p.m. and 8.30 p.m.
Order of Business.
Yesterday I endeavoured to raise the outcome of the recent Agricultural Council meeting of the European Communities when a regime of prices, arrangements for a milk super-levy and many other matters of far-reaching importance to Irish farmers were decided. Can the Tánaiste indicate if the Minister for Agriculture will make a statement to the House on the outcome of that Council meeting?
I have allowed the question and I will allow the answer to it, but I will not allow it to develop.
As they say on some historic occasions, I have in my possession a document issued by the Department of Agriculture on 31 March 1984 setting out the arrangements arrived at on milk, beef, sheep——
We will not go into that. The Tánaiste is about to answer.
I want to ask about the status of this document: is it confined to Fine Gael and Labour Deputies only or will the rest of us be circulated with it in some way?
In reply to the Deputy's first question, the Government are most anxious that the Dáil would have a discussion on the outcome of the negotiations. That will be arranged between the Whips. We can arrange to have any document circulated to all Deputies.
Is the Tánaiste in a position to say whether the Government, through the Minister for Foreign Affairs, will be making a statement on the situation that has developed following a special court case in Northern Ireland in recent times when sworn testimony——
I cannot allow that. It is totally different from the question asked by Deputy Haughey.
It is a separate matter.
I want to be reasonable. The Deputy is now asking if the Minister for Foreign Affairs or some other Minister will make a statement on something that happened in Northern Ireland. That is quite different from Deputy Haughey's request. Deputy Haughey asked for a statement on negotiations in Brussels. If I were to allow Deputy Collins to put his question and if I allowed it to be answered I would have the House engaged in a mini-debate on some very controversial things in Northern Ireland.
I will not refer to anything that happened in Northern Ireland, but a situation has now been revealed in which Northern Ireland security forces have been operating in the Republic and I am requesting a statement from the Government.
I must rule that this does not arise on the Order of Business. The Deputy may have a very valid desire to get information but he will have to go about it in some other manner.
I will submit a Private Notice Question.
Yesterday I asked the Tánaiste if he had information about when the Funds of Suitors Bill will be introduced.
I have checked the matter. The Bill has been cleared by the Cabinet, it will be circulated in a matter of weeks and it will be before the Dáil in the next session.
In view of the urgency of the matter would it not be possible to have it this session? Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann are dependent on a promise of money to relieve their present financial position.
It is a question of time. It does not look possible at the moment to have it before the Dáil before this session ends. I will check on it and come back to the Deputy.
When is it likely that the Government will publish the White Paper on Housing which the Tánaiste announced as Minister for the Environment?
I am not clear about a date having been set for publication of such a document, but I will communicate with the Deputy.
Can we take it that the Government intend to publish such a White Paper?
I am not clear at the moment but I will get in touch with the Deputy.
I ask for permission to raise on the Adjournment the need for a Government examination of the operations of the Cork Gas Company because of their inability to provide a full service to domestic consumers in the city and the company's unilateral decision to give 63 redundancy notices to their employees.
I wish to raise the recent virtual cancelling by the Minister for Education of a new community school at Knocklyon to which there had been commitment for six years——
This does not arise on the Order of Business.
I am seeking to raise it on the Adjournment.
I will communicate with the Deputies.
Can the Tánaiste tell us when will the Green Paper on the Disabled be published?
I cannot give any date for publication but I will communicate with the Deputy.
Will there be one?
We were promised legislation by the Minister for Industry, Trade, Commerce and Tourism, Deputy Cluskey, to deal with the question of limited liability.
There was a question about this last week.
That was another question about company law. This is a different matter. It was regarded by Deputy Cluskey as a matter of considerable urgency.
It still is.
I expect the Deputy to support me in this matter. Do I take it that because of the lack of activity by the Government in this matter they have abandoned the wish of Deputy Cluskey to introduce this legislation, and can we expect it this session?
I can assure Deputy Flynn that the Government have not abandoned this matter about which he is so concerned. I would remind him that we have put 53 Bills through the Dáil in a very short time and this matter will be brought forward as a matter of urgency.
(Interruptions.)
When do the Government intend to bring in a Bill to train the young people of Ireland for unemployment?
I support Deputy Brennan in raising the matter of cancellation of the school at Knocklyon.
This is an innovation.
(Interruptions.)
On a point of order, did the Tánaiste indicate this Bill would be coming before the House this session?
No.
Would the Tánaiste give an indication when it might be introduced?
As soon as possible.
It seems they got rid of Deputy Cluskey and they are taking their own line in his absence.
(Interruptions.)
I know why Deputy Cluskey left the Front Bench, but we will see how he gets on in June.
Order, please.
While Deputy Andrews and I would make strange bedfellows——
A Deputy
Not a pretty sight.
You can say that again. I, too, would like to raise on the Adjournment the present position of the Knocklyon school.
(Interruptions.)
I will communicate with Deputy Shatter.