It is proposed to take Items Nos. 11 and 12. It is also proposed that Second Stage of Item No. 11 will be brought to a conclusion not later than 5 p.m. today, the speech of any Member shall not exceed 30 minutes and the Minister for Social Welfare shall be called on to conclude not later than 4.30 p.m.
Order of Business.
Is that proposal agreed? Agreed.
About three weeks ago I asked the Minister for Health if he would investigate the imposition of administrative charges by the Southern Health Board on the applications for——
That is a matter which clearly does not arise on the Order of Business.
Can I ask the Minister if he has carried out that investigation?
Deputy Allen, please desist.
I would like to raise on the Adjournment the continuing confusion as to the position of mná tí sna limistéir Ghaeltachta in relation to registration for tariff purposes.
I will communicate with the Deputy.
I wish to raise again with the Taoiseach the possibility of having either statements or a debate in this House in relation to the killing of Palestinians by Israeli security forces. Perhaps the Taoiseach could arrange for such a debate with the Whips?
It is a matter for the Whips.
I understand that today is the day when the Whips normally meet. Will the Taoiseach undertake to ask his Whip to raise the matter?
This is a matter which should not be raised in this fashion.
(Interruptions.)
I would like to raise on the Adjournment the subject matter of Question No. 82 on yesterday's Order Paper.
I will communicate with Deputy Begley.
I would like to raise on the Adjournment the subject matter of Question No. 56 on the Order Paper of Wednesday, 2 March 1986.
I will communicate with the Deputy.
It refers to the national disgrace that we have no full-time bovine——
It is hardly necessary to elaborate now.
I know the Chair does not like repetition so it is with reluctance that I ask if I might raise on the Adjournment the question of the deplorable conditions in Moylough national school.
I will communicate with Deputy Begley.
I seek time on the Adjournment to deal with the problem of St. Brigid's school, Cornelscourt, on behalf of the five Deputies of the area.
I will communicate with the Deputy.
I wish to raise on the Adjournment the question of the nonenforcement of the gaming and lotteries legislation with regard to amusement halls in the city of Dublin in particular.
I will communicate with the Deputy.
Has the Taoiseach set the guidelines for the independent constituency review now that the final census figures are available——
The Deputy should put down a question on that subject.
——especially since——
(Interruptions.)
Please, Deputy Carey.
Arising from the announcement by the Minister for Communications that he expects——
(Interruptions.)
Order.
——a new national commercial TV station to operate by April, may I ask the Taoiseach if it is intended to introduce legislation for this purpose.
There will be no legislation.
Can we take it that it is proposed to grant the licence without any discussion in this House?
No, we would never do that.
May I raise on the Adjournment the delay in disposing of the 11-acre Irish Hospitals Sweepstakes site at Ballsbridge.
I will communicate with the Deputy in respect of that matter.
Can I ask if——
I was going to go on to the business of the Dáil. Deputy Emmet Stagg.
(Interruptions.)
With your permission, Sir, I should like to raise on the Adjournment the suspension of the maintenance grant of £300 for vocational training and preparation courses.
I will communicate with the Deputy.
Can the Taoiseach arrange for the Minister for Justice to confirm or deny press reports that a prisoner in Limerick is being released to view sites in Clare?
The Deputy should deal with that in another way.
Has the Minister for the Environment any plans to advance Committee Stage of the Building Control Bill and is it intended to take it — obviously not in this session — in the next session, before June?
Next session.
May I raise on the Adjournment this evening the decision of the Mid-Western Health Board to downgrade Ennis General Hospital?
I will communicate with Deputy Taylor-Quinn in respect of that matter.
(Limerick East): Is it the intention of the Minister for Finance to inform the House of the variations he intends making on the budget proposals in so far as they relate to the duty on ATM cards as announced in the papers this morning?
That hardly arises now.
(Limerick East): If there is a variation on the budget proposals the House should be informed while the budget debate is going on.
There are no variations.
(Interruptions.)
(Limerick East): I think the suggested variation is quite a good one and should be announced in the House.
This is merely leading to argument.
(Limerick East): On a point of order——
Sorry, Deputy, it is high time to get on to the business of the House.
(Limerick East): On a point of order, there is a statement in this morning's papers on behalf of the Minister for Finance that there will be a variation on the ATM £10 tax. Now the Taoiseach says there is no variation. Could we have clarification on this?
Legislation has been promised in the form of the Finance Bill and I have already given the dates on which the Finance Bill will be published and the timescale in which it is hoped to take it. There is nothing further to be said about the matter at this stage.
In relation to the proposed national commercial television station will the Taoiseach tell us whether it is intended to introduce amending legislation?
The Deputy has already adverted to that matter and this kind of repetition is completely out of order.
There would be no repetition if there was clarity. Legislation has been promised. On a point of order——
While the Chair is on its feet I will entertain no point of order.
I am raising a point of order on the question of——
The Deputy will not intimidate the Chair.
I am making a point of order——
I am on my feet. I will afford the Deputy an opportunity of raising his point of order and we will see then whether it is a spurious point of order.
I want to seek clarification from the Minister as to how promises by Government——
There are various ways and means of raising such matters and the Deputy knows that full well.
On a point of order——
This is not a point of order.
In view of the fact that he has mentioned this matter perhaps Deputy Mitchell would like to get the cable television rectified in Clonmel. That is a sore point.