It is proposed to taken No. 16.
Order of Business.
It is appropriate that the Minister for Finance is acting Head of Government this morning. Can he tell the House if the Government have any plans or proposals to assist local authorities in dealing with the cost of repairing storm damage caused earlier this week?
That is hardly a matter for the Order of Business.
It is a matter of some urgency because, as you know, local authorities in some parts of the country will have to rebuild sections of roads and piers and to deal with a lot of other damage. It would be appropriate if the House was to be told that the Government are at least considering assisting them.
I suggest that some other ways and means of raising this matter be adopted.
I would like to ask the Minister for Social Welfare to immediately instruct his Department to investigate the dole claim of Mr. Martin Cahill who appears to have considerable independent means and is drawing the dole at nearly £100 a week.
That is a matter for another time also.
I wish to ask the Minister for Finance, in his capacity as acting head of Government, if the Government will consider giving time next week to discuss the activities of orgainsed criminals in Dublin. That matter was shown last night on a television programme and it was quite alarming. The programme showed there is massive surveillance on certain alleged criminals without any results. Will the Minister for Finance seek to make time available in this House next week so that the House will be fully informed of what is happening in the city in this regard?
Perhaps that is a matter the Whips will decide on.
I hope so.
I wish to join with the Leader of the Labour Party and ask that, before we agree to today's business, we consider allocating some time today to deal with this matter. Any responsible person who watched the television programme last night would have serious reservations about the ability of our laws at present——
I am afraid we cannot proceed to debate this matter now.
I thought about this coming in this morning. I do not want to get into an argument with the Ceann Comhairle, but if we are to allow this situation to continue, that we are going to spend the day debating the budget which was introduced two weeks ago while everybody in the country must be concerned about criminals walking our streets and drawing social welfare——
That should be a matter for the Whips to decide.
I am not talking about party politics. I am prepared to co-operate with the Government this evening if necessary to put through any legislation——
There are ample ways and means open to this House to discuss such matters.
This is not a matter——
Deputy, please.
Before the business is agreed I am asking through you, Sir——
The Chair is on his feet.
——if the acting Leader of the Government will consider my request to give time today to discuss this matter so that we can show that this House is relevant.
I have suggested it is a matter that might be discussed between the Whips.
We can all go outside and give interviews but we cannot come in here and talk about the matter. It is a crazy system.
I would like to repeat my request of last week, to raise on the Adjournment the question of child heart operations in Crumlin Hospital, in view especially of the inadequacy of the reply of the Minister to questions on Tuesday.
I will communicate with the Deputy in respect of that matter.
I wish to raise on the Adjournment the social welfare implications of the programme shown last night. I might add, for the benefit of the two larger parties in this House, that if they had implemented some of the changes that have been recommended for a long number of years those problems that were highlighted last night would not exist.
I will communicate with the Deputy.
I wish to raise on the Adjournment the subject matter of Question No. 263 in my name on the Order Paper of 15 December last.
I will communicate with the Deputy.
May I ask the Minister for Finance if we can expect some decision in relation to the establishment of a foreign affairs committee?
The Taoiseach dealt with that matter some time ago.
May I ask the acting head of Government when it is proposed to circulate the Bill amending the Larceny Act?
Such legislation is not promised.
(Limerick East): Will it be part of the Finance Bill?
I would like some information as to when the Second Stage debate on the Worker Participation Bill will take place in this House.
It is just finishing in the Seanad and it is a matter for the Whips as to when it will be taken here.