It is proposed to take Nos. 13, 14, 15 and 16. It is also proposed that the Dáil shall sit later than 9 p.m. today and business shall be interrupted at 11 p.m. It is further proposed that the proceedings on the Committee and remaining Stages of No. 15 shall commence not later than 12.30 p.m. and shall be brought to a conclusion, if not previously concluded, at 7 p.m. by one question which shall be put from the Chair and which shall, in relation to amendments, include only amendments set down by the Minister for the Environment. It is further proposed that the proceedings on the Committee and remaining Stages of No. 16 shall be brought to a conclusion, if not previously concluded, at 11 p.m. by one question which shall be put from the Chair and which shall, in relation to amendments, include only amendments set down by the Minister for Health and the order shall not resume thereafter. Private Members' Business shall be No. 27.
Order of Business.
Is the proposal for the late sitting today agreed? Agreed. Are the proposals for dealing with No. 15 agreed?
In relation to the item that you have just referred to, I would ask the Government and the Taoiseach in particular, to reconsider the question of concluding all Stages of the Housing Bill at 7 p.m. I do so because a large number of amendments have been put down — approximately 60 at this stage — and indeed the Minister may wish to add additional ones but that is not clear at this stage. I do not want to be argumentative about this but we do have the time. Only four and a half hours have been allocated for this matter and I would request that the Government would reconsider it.
In relation to the same matter, because it is proposed to take all Stages before 7 p.m. it makes it very difficult for Members to propose amendments for Report Stage, amendments which may arise as a result of the debate on Committee Stage. I would ask, therefore, that Report Stage be at least deferred to a later time tonight or indeed tomorrow.
Although I understand the Order of Business was probably agreed between the Whips, at that time we would have expected a smaller number of amendments. It is not unreasonable that there would be a reconsideration of this matter, particularly with regard to the deferment of Report Stage. It is common, as we all know, for Ministers to afford some consideration to be given to amendments between Committee Stage and Report Stage. When over 60 amendments are to be taken in four hours, and also Report Stage, it makes the position on what is a very important Bill a little farcical. I support the general thrust of my colleagues' request.
These arrangements have been agreed between the Whips. It would become impossible to carry on business if arrangements made by the Whips are going to be challenged by individual Members in this way. The arrangements were regarded as satisfactory by the Whips and I do not propose to change them.
A Cheann Comhairle——
Sorry, Deputy, I cannot allow a debate on this matter now. I am putting the question——
Can I just ask——
I had presumed that these matters had been decided by the Whips.
With due respect to the Taoiseach, the Labour Party Whip did not agree to this arrangement. If the conservative parties in this House want to guillotine and steamroll through legislation that is for them to decide.
The Labour Party Whip was not there.
That is not true.
With all due respect to the Taoiseach, we did not agree to this. Only four and a half hours have been allocated to this Bill.
Order, Deputy Quinn——
I request the Taoiseach to reconsider the time for Report Stage.
——we may not debate the matter now. I must, therefore, put the question formally.
On a point of order, I would ask the Taoiseach if he would consider deferring Report Stage for a few hours to enable consideration of any matters that might arise on Committee Stage. It is a reasonable request and I would ask——
It is not in order. The Deputy has already expressed that point of view.
I thought the Deputy might suggest that we adjourn to see the match.
I second that. I would gladly propose it if the Taoiseach would second it. We could agree on that now.
Is the proposal for dealing with No. 16 agreed? Agreed.
Would the Taoiseach make time available this week so that the Government could discuss the situation that has arisen in the price negotiations in the Agriculture Council of Ministers of the European Communities in relation to the green £ and if we might use that opportunity to discuss the problem that appears to have emerged in relation to the application of the increase in structural funds for this country? These two issues are of very central importance to agriculture and the whole process of development here. It would be useful if before the end of this week the House could give the Government the benefit of its advice since the Government appear to have let these two issues slip through their fingers.
I am allowing the query but I am not so sure it refers to the Order of Business.
These negotiations are very ongoing at the moment. The Minister for Agriculture and Food does not expect that there will be anything near conclusion in the agricultural price negotiations this week. The other issue of the structural fund regulations is also very much at the debate and discussion stage. I do not want to rule out any suggestion of a debate on these issues, but I am not sure that this week would be appropriate. However, I will consider the matter.
My information is that, in relation to the structural fund, it is expected a decision should be arrived at by the end of this week and, I gather, by a written decision of procedures in the Council. It would be important that the House would have the opportunity before the end of this week to express the view in support of what the Government should be trying to do.
The Taoiseach has now defined a new kind of negotiation. We are used to negotiations being in course and negotiations being ongoing, but now we have negotiations being very ongoing. I am not sure what that means.
I will allow a query but not a speech.
In relation to the green £, it would be useful if the Government could show they have the unanimous support of this House for the stance they are taking on this matter.
I withdraw the very inelegant phrase "very ongoing".
On 9 March this House agreed a Fine Gael motion calling on the central review committee to deal with the problem arising in vocational, community and comprehensive education. Unfortunately, the terms of that motion have resulted in a situation where the Government talks in the central review committee have broken down with one of the partners. I would like to ask the Minister for Education if, following talks which I understand were held yesterday, there is a mechanism by which the Dáil will be informed about a report which was the result of a Dáil motion——
The Deputy should find another way to raise this matter.
May I ask by way of guidance what mechanism exists if the Dáil agrees a motion, and a report might be expected following that motion, to get that report through the Dáil?
I suggest the Deputy put down an appropriate question.
There are two matters I wish to raise. The first arises from a review the Minister for Labour conducted of three items of legislation, one dealing with equality, one with unfair dismissals and the other with the manner of payment of wages. When might legislation be expected under any of those headings? Secondly, arising from discussions yesterday on the McVeigh case——
Please Deputy. We cannot go back to that matter.
It relates to legislation coming before the House.
That matter was decided yesterday.
What I have to say specifically relates to legislation coming before the House. A suggestion was put that legislation was required to amend the Extradition Act in order that hearings would take place in future other than in the District Court. May I ask the Taoiseach whether any consideration has been given to that in Government and if we can expect legislation?
I am not sure any legislation was promised.
No legislation was promised in regard to the last matter. The legislation mentioned by the Minister for Labour will not be before the Dáil this session, but I will let the Deputy know in due course when we can expect it.
In view of the important information which has come into my possession over the weekend and further information which has been highlighted publicly on the issue of the sale of land by the Southern Health Board——
That does not arise on the Order of Business.
I ask you, Sir, to allow me to raise this matter on the Adjournment.
I will communicate with the Deputy.
On the Order of Business, I note time has been allocated for the discussion of the Estimates of all Government Departments other than the Department of the Gaeltacht. Might I ask the Taoiseach if it is the intention to provide the usual time for discussion of the Estimate for the Department of the Gaeltacht? Would he not agree that, if it is to be simply buried in the debate on the Department of the Taoiseach, this House will not have an opportunity of debating either the Gaeltacht or the Irish language?
The Estimate will be taken with the Estimate for the Department of the Taoiseach. Like any other Estimate, time will be available to Deputies to discuss the Estimate.
May I ask the Taoiseach——
We must not have repetition.
This is not repetition. The amount of time available to Members to debate Estimates is extremely limited. As I know from my limited experience in relation to the debate on the Estimate for the Department of the Taoiseach, there will be a constraint on time. I am specifically asking whether consideration will be given to allow a debate on the Gaeltacht——
The Deputy has already made that point quite eloquently.
What it means is that the combination of the Department of the Taoiseach and the Department of the Gaeltacht has been a disaster for the Gaeltacht and the Irish language, as I predicted.
As a result of a directive given to the health boards, will the Minister for Health order the health boards to refund fees paid by the members of the public——
Please desist Deputy. That clearly is not in order now.
May I have an answer?
It is not in order.
Would the Taoiseach tell us if any new legislation to deal with water pollution might be expected arising from the speech by the Minister for the Environment, who indicated that such legislation might be forthcoming, particularly in view of the destruction of yet another river over the last day or two?
I am not sure if legislation has been promised in this area.
I wonder if I might have an answer to my question? In his Estimate speech last Friday week, the Minister for the Environment promised a number of Bills, one of which would have dealt with that issue. Another river has been destroyed and the summer is hardly underway. I want to know if anybody will do something about it.
There is further environmental legislation coming but it will not be this session. We hope it will be next session.
I wish to raise on the Adjournment the extraordinary and serious situation that has arisen over the non-availability of grants for pollution control despite the announcement by two senior Ministers that grants were available.
I will communicate with the Deputy.
I wish to raise on the Adjournment the situation in which at least three of my constituents find themselves. Despite the submission of supportive medical evidence that they are due for admission to hospital for surgery of a serious nature, their disability benefits have been discontinued.
I will communicate with the Deputy.
I wish to raise on the Adjournment the placing of a contract for a new community school in Ballinrobe, County Mayo.
I wish to raise on the Adjournment the damage and vandalism which has been done to local authority houses in Limerick.
I will communicate with Deputy Kemmy in respect of that matter.
I wish to raise on the Adjournment the serious difficulties affecting Gael Scoil Míde, which due to a lack of proper accommodation must teach at four different locations in the Baldoyle area. If you grant me the time, Sir, I am prepared to share with Deputy McCartan.
I will communicate with the Deputy.
I wish to raise on the Adjournment the problems arising from the construction of the western parkway in my constituency and in particular the problems with the electricity lines.
I will communicate with the Deputy.
I wish to ask the Taoiseach which one of his Ministers has responsibility for FÁS and if he will make sufficient——
The Deputy should put down a question.
I put down a question to the Minister for Labour and it was returned by you. Will the Taoiseach explain to the House which of his Ministers is responsible for FÁS?
The question must not have been in order. The Deputy will have to raise it in some other way.
Like Topsy, it just grows and grows.
I wish to raise on the Adjournment the administration of the aliens section of the Department of Justice, the extraordinary delays that applicants are experiencing and the absence of any clear guidelines in respect of applications for residence permits.
I will communicate with the Deputy.
With regard to the Status of Children Act which came into force yesterday, will the Taoiseach indicate when the statutory rules and regulations which should have been published yesterday will be published so that appropriate court proceedings can be brought to enable paternity actions and to enable children who are entitled to equality to assert their rights in our courts? The Act expressedly provides for the Minister for Justice to circulate rules and regulations made under it, but no such rules and regulations have yet been published.
Would it not be more appropriate to put down a question on the matter?
It is an Act passed by this Parliament extending equality to all children. This Government have not published the necessary rules and regulations to enable that Act to come fully into force. I am asking when they propose to do so. This a a part of promised legislation. It arises directly from the passage through the Oireachtas of the Status of Children Act, 1987.
On a point of order, I would ask you to reconsider the position with regard to the question raised by Deputy Shatter. He has asked if the Government intend to bring forward rules and regulations, that is, subsidiary legislation, following an Act passed by this House. I submit it is not appropriate to suggest to Deputy Shatter that he should put down a question on the matter because the normal response to a question is that the Government do not disclose their legislative intentions in response to questions. I submit it is perfectly reasonable for Deputy Shatter to ask the Government what their intentions are.
If the indications are as outlined by the Deputy, the Taoiseach or the appropriate Minister is entitled to make a comment thereon.
My understanding is that we have an obligation to reply to questions in regard to legislation which is promised, but this is the first time I have been asked to deal with a question on regulations. I will communicate with the Deputy.