It is proposed to take Nos. 1, 13, 8, 2 and 14.
Order of Business.
Has a date been set yet for the next meeting of the Anglo-Irish interGovernmental Council? Will the Taoiseach have come to a conclusion about the 1986 Extradition Act before that meeting?
That does not arise on the Order of Business.
It is a matter of more than passing interest to the House and I believe that it has been customary in the past for the Taoiseach to indicate whether a date has been fixed. I am not asking the Taoiseach what the date is, for obvious reasons. The Taoiseach has been silent on all these issues.
On the Order of Business, I would like the Taoiseach to indicate to the House what the position is in relation to, first, the Homeless Persons Bill. There are few remaining weeks left in this session. Can the homeless people look forward to legislation being brought before the House before we adjourn? My second question is in relation to the Foreign Affairs committee, a question which has moved from consideration to deep consideration and which I suspect might be in fermentation at this stage. Will we have a proposal before the House for a joint committee on Foreign Affairs in this session?
We are still anxious to have the homeless persons legislation this session. With regard to the other matter I suppose one could say at this stage that it is having concentrated consideration.
If it is not being distilled.
Would the Taoiseach be agreeable to allowing time for a debate in this House on the Price Waterhouse report on the Irish tourist industry?
That is a matter that can be arranged other than by raising it now.
I wonder if the Taoiseach would take an opportunity today or early next week to make a statement to the House or to provide an opportunity for the House to debate the issues raised by the Garda Review report on the capacity of the Garda to respond——
Is this something that was promised? I am not aware that it is.
A lot of things have been promised in the last few days in relation to the resources available to the Garda to deal with the situation they have been facing for the last two weeks or more. I am particularly concerned ——
The Deputy will have to find another opportunity of raising that matter. Clearly it does not arise now.
A Cheann Comhairle, I appreciate that I may be stretching it slightly, but could the Taoiseach indicate if he is concerned, as we are, and could he indicate if he will provide an opportunity to the House to disscuss the issues raised?
This is not the appropriate time.
I would ask the Taoiseach, arising from the attempted importation of arms from Libya, if the Government have yet decided to sever our diplomatic relations with that country?
Again, Deputy this is a matter——
I am asking the Taoiseach, with respect, a Cheann Comhairle, not you.
The Chair is the judge of these matters on the Order of Business.
On the Order of Business, through you, I am asking the Taoiseach.
The Deputy may not argue with me on that matter. He has many other ways and means of raising the issue other than in this way and he knows that.
It is about time the question was answered. It is a matter of grave international importance.
Why does the Deputy not put down the question?
I would ask the Minister for the Environment if he has completed his review of local government reorganisation and, consequent on that, if he could indicate to this House when he proposes to bring forward the legislation which would follow from the completion of that review?
Is the legislation promised?
(Limerick East): It is fairly silent this morning around here.
Perhaps I should have asked the Taoiseach. Perhaps I have committed an offence in terms of access. I do not know but my understanding from previous questions about legislation was that there was legislation in progress when this Dáil was dissolved, and in reply to questions in relation to the continuation of that legislation I was informed that a review would take place. Indeed the Minister stated on a number of occasions on the radio that it was hoped to have that review completed by the end of summer. Naturally, since it does involve legislation, I believe my question is in order.
Perhaps we could have the matter clarified.
No legislation has been promised by this Government.
Just to clarify this, do I understand now that it is not this Government's intention to introduce any legislation in relation to local government reform.
We cannot argue the matter out just now.
I just want to clarify it. I did not hear what the Taoiseach said.
I am informing you that no such legislation has been promised by this Government.
In view of the very serious developing problem of money lending in the less well off parts of the city I would be grateful if the Taoiseach would either make time available for a debate on money lending in advance of Christmas or if the Chair could allow this matter to be raised in the Dáil?
I will certainly communicate with the Deputy. I take it he is indicating that he would like to raise it on the Adjournment.
I would ask the Minister for Justice if he has now concluded his investigation and satisfied himself as to whether the arms in the Eksund affair came from Libya?
That is irrelevant at this stage.
I wonder would the Taoiseach consider making a statement to the House on information that a Deputy on his side, Deputy Chris Flood, has made available when he indicated at a meeting of Dublin County Council that ten individuals have been identified to be appointed as commissioners for local authorities for this Government?
That is not in order now.
Due to the anticipated estimates——
The Deputy must desist from continuing along those lines.
I want to know if anybody has been nominated by the Taoiseach, his Minister or his Government.
Deputy Shatter is making a point of raising matters which clearly do not arise on the Order of Business. I call Deputy Gay Mitchell.
I should like to give notice of my wish to raise on the Adjournment the new arrangements which have been made with regard to driving licences of people who suffer from epilepsy and have held driving licences for a considerable number of years, that they are being disqualified from holding such licences.
The Deputy raised that matter with me earlier. I am very conscious of his desire to raise it and I shall communicate with him.
I wish to give notice of my desire to raise on the Adjournment the failure of the Government to appoint a medical director to the prison services.
I shall communicate with the Deputy.
I want to give notice of my wish to raise on the Adjournment the present position in relation to the provision of an agricultural advisory service due to redundancies at AFT and ACOT, specifically in relation to the west of Ireland.
I shall communicate with the Deputy.
I wish to give notice of my desire to raise on the Adjournment the subject matter of the visits, if any, of personnel from the Department of Foreign Affairs to Libya in recent weeks, the reports received therefrom, the question of the importation of arms and the assurances from the Taoiseach——
I shall communicate with the Deputy. He need not elaborate now.
I should like to give notice of my intention to raise on the Adjournment the subject matter of and the answers to Questions Nos. 73, 74, 75 and 77 addressed to the Minister for Finance on Tuesday's Order Paper, together with related Questions Nos. 167 and 168 addressed to the Minister for the Environment and Question No. 187 addressed to the Minister for Health.
I hope that these are all very closely related, Deputy.
They are all related to matters of pay, redundancy and pensions in the public service.
In view of the action of the Minister for the Marine in closing the herring fishing season in the Celtic Sea, resulting in the loss of 200 jobs in my constituency, would he make a statement to the House on the necessity for that order in view of the fact that some of the herrings in the Celtic Sea will now die of old age?
The Deputy has made his point.
I would like to ask the Taoiseach when it is proposed to bring forward the National Parks and Heritage Areas Bill which, as he knows, has very grave implications with regard to the Blasket Islands.
No such legislation has been promised.
Is there any legislation coming at all?
When we promise it, we bring it forward.
I wish to seek you permission to raise on the Adjournment the subject matter of Questions Nos. 13 and 24 on yesterday's Order Paper.
I shall communicate with the Deputy.
Proinsias de Rossa
I wish to raise on the Adjournment the serious attack on a home in Ballymun last night by the Provisionals and the resources available to the Garda in that area to deal with that kind of attack and also to deal with the question of drug pushing in the area.
I shall communicate with the Deputy.