It is proposed to take No. 12. It is also proposed that the Dáil shall sit later than 5.30 p.m. today and business shall be interrupted at 7 p.m. It is further proposed that under Standing Order 41, statements shall be made now regarding the Taoiseach's meetings with President Bush and Chairman Gorbachev and the debate on No. 12 shall resume not later than 12 noon.
Order of Business.
Is the proposal for today's sitting agreed?
Will the Taoiseach or his Whip explain why we cannot sit later tonight instead of having a Friday sitting which is very inconvenient for many Deputies?
The hours of sitting have been agreed by the Whips. We are sitting a number of extra hours this week so that the House and Deputies may have the fullest possible opportunity to debate the National Development Plan. I do not understand this interjection by Deputy Spring.
Are the proposals for today's sitting agreed? Agreed.
Mr. Dukes rose.
I have another proposal on which I need agreement.
If I may anticipate that proposal about the statements, I want to indicate my extreme dissatisfaction in regard to the way they are being made. Yesterday you asked Deputy Barrett to leave the House because he asked a question in regard to this matter. This was on the basis of the decision taken this morning. I wish to complain about the lack of information from the Government to the House and through the media. This applies to the Minister for Agriculture and Food, the Minister for the Marine and the Minister for Defence although, when they do appear, they make absolute asses of themselves.
(Interruptions.)
The House has made a conscious decision to order this business and it was on the basis of this decision that you asked Deputy Barrett to leave the House yesterday when he was legitimately supporting my request to have questions dealing with this matter taken yesterday.
I do not wish to bring about a rehash of yesterday's business but I must inform the House that the Taoiseach's statement will be made under Standing Order 41 which prescribes that notice be given to me. That notice was given to me yesterday and it was on that basis that the question by Deputy Dukes was ruled out of order as anticipatory of this debate.
As I told you yesterday, Sir, we will debate that issue in another place.
I should like that very much.
I cannot understand what Deputy Dukes is talking about regarding the Government coming before the House and giving it information. I would have thought that we had been very forthcoming with the House on both those issues. First we arranged a three day debate on the national plan so that every Deputy in the House would have the fullest possible opportunity to discuss the provisions of the plan. Secondly, there is no particular obligation on me to make statements about either of these two visits but, in order to be helpful to the House, I decided that I should do so.
Surely Parliament and Deputies are entitled to be told about these important matters?
Please, Deputy Mitchell, let us hear the Taoiseach.
It is outrageous arrogance.
I have no parliamentary obligation——
It is outrageous——
Deputy Mitchell, please.
I find these interjections by Deputy Mitchell unnecessary and offensive.
The Taoiseach is being offensive——
Deputy Gay Mitchell will have to restrain himself.
As I said, there is no particular parliamentary requirement on me to report on these matters but, in order to be as helpful as possible to the House, I have adverted to the normal procedure of statements. I do not understand how that can be reconciled with Deputy Dukes's statement that we are not coming before the House and giving it all possible information on these issues.
Is the proposal that the debate on No. 12 shall resume not later than 12 noon agreed? Agreed.
On the Order of Business and relating directly to what the Taoiseach has just said and the practices followed in relation to questions here, a question was put down for answer yesterday to the Taoiseach about a matter connected with item No. 12——
Please, Deputy Dukes, we will not debate this matter now.
I am making this point because the Taoiseach is claiming some credit for openness in coming before the House. The question to which I referred was transferred to the Minister for Finance and would not normally be answered by him until sometime after this debate had taken place. The Deputy in question, Deputy Shatter, asked for a written answer to the question and that revealed information that was very pertinent——
These are matters which can be adverted to in the debate which is about to take place.
It showed that £50,000 was wasted in the midlands east region.
These are matters which can be adverted to in the debate which is about to take place.
If that question had been answered, we would have had that information from the Taoiseach during the course of his one and a quarter hour contribution yesterday when he did not say one single word about this waste of taxpayers' money in a totally frivolous way.
I want to say quite clearly and categorically to this House that in my period as Taoiseach on this occasion I have answered considerably more questions than my predecessor in a similar period.
Selectively.
There are two matters I want to raise. I would like to raise on the Adjournment the question of the £2 million paid by Dublin County Council to Grange Developments.
I will communicate with the Deputy in respect of that matter.
I would also like to refer to the fact that yesterday in the course of his contribution the Taoiseach failed to tell the House that the seven sub-regional working groups and advisory groups had not submitted any final reports to the Government prior to the submission of the national plan——
This is a matter which the Deputy can ventilate at some length in the debate which will take place in the House today and tomorrow.
——and to the fact that £300,000 of public moneys has been dealt for a consultancy report on Dublin and that the consultants have not even completed that report.
The Deputy has a vehicle to ventilate his grievance in that regard. I call on Deputy De Rossa.
On a point of order——
Please, Deputy Shatter, let us have no spurious points of order.
On a final point of order, Sir, prior to Easter on a number of occasions, both Deputy Dukes and I asked the Taoiseach about the Dublin consultants' report. On the Order of Business, he indicated that that report would be completed shortly and he clearly indicated or implied that the final Dublin consultants' report would be part and parcel of the national plan.
The debate on the national plan will resume at 12 o'clock, Deputy.
I now want the Taoiseach to explain to the House why the national plan went to Brussels, why the Dublin consultants' report has not yet been completed——
The debate to which the Deputy refers will resume at 12 o'clock.
——and what is the nature of the delay in that regard?
This is not a point of order. It is clearly a point of disorder.
It is an outrageous waste of public moneys.
Deputy Shatter is totally out of order but I cannot permit these ridiculous suggestions to go unanswered. I think Deputy Shatter is apparently suggesting that the Government should not have lodged the National Development Plan in Brussels on time because the consultants' employed, not by the Government but by the local authorities in Dublin, had not submitted their report on time.
The consultants are employed by the Department of the Environment.
Please, Deputy Shatter.
Deputy Shatter in most——
(Interruptions.)
As is usual, Deputy Shatter is endeavouring to attribute to this Government the blame for which he in another capacity is very largely responsible.
On a point of order——
Deputy Shatter, please resume your seat.
The Taoiseach and the Government should explain——
If the Deputy persists in creating disorder of this kind——
(Interruptions.)
Please, Deputy Shatter. If the Deputy persists in creating further disorder, I shall have to ask him to leave the House and he knows that. I call on Deputy De Rossa.
There are two items I want to ask the Taoiseach about. The first relates to the Government's decision to abolish An Fóir Teóranta. The Taoiseach indicated before the Dáil went into recess that we would have a debate on that decision. I ask him to indicate when or how soon that debate will take place. Secondly, I have sought on a number of occasions to have the Committee Stage of the Child Care Bill taken as quickly as possible because of the major importance of that Bill. Can the Taoiseach indicate when we can expect to have it before the House?
On the question in relation to An Fóir Teóranta, the Whips will be discussing that almost immediately with a view to arranging a debate on the matter. I answered the question in relation to the Child Care Bill yesterday. We hope to have it this session.
I seek permission to raise on the Adjournment the question of the inordinate delay in providing the needed facilities at Gairmscoil Colmcille, Indreabhán, Contae na Gaillimhe.
I will communicate with the Deputy.
In relation to promised legislation, can the Taoiseach indicate if it is his intention to introduce the Transport Bill this term?
It is a doubtful proposition at this stage.
(Limerick East): On the Order of Business, can the Taoiseach tell us what steps he is taking to ensure that the House is informed of the outcome of the talks between the Minister for Industry and Commerce and the oil companies today?
That is hardly relevant now. Deputy Howlin.
(Limerick East): It is very relevant. It is probably the most relevant question that has been asked this morning.
Deputy Howlin has been called.
I seek permission to raise on the Adjournment the delay in making repayments under the drug refund scheme——
(Interruptions.)
I am sorry, but I did not hear Deputy Howlin due to the interruptions.
I seek permission to raise on the Adjournment this evening the delays in making repayments under the health board drug refund scheme and the consequent hardship that has been imposed on families.
I will communicate with the Deputy.
I would like to raise on the Adjournment the planned closure of Cloonamahon Centre for the mentally handicapped and the consequent hardship which will be imposed on the patients.
I will be in touch with the Deputy in relation to that matter.
In view of the international alarm over the use of certain growth regulating sprays on potatoes and apples and the considerable scientific evidence indicating carcinogenic properties, can the Taoiseach tell us what the present advice of the Government is and, more specifically, what is the advice——
The Deputy ought to put down a question on that matter.
——of the Minister for Agriculture and Food to farmers in relation to the continued use of these substances?
It is not in order to raise that matter now.
It is an urgent matter, a Cheann Comhairle, and I ask you to bear with me.
The Chair will facilitate the Deputy in that regard but it is not in order now.
I will put down a Private Notice Question in this regard.
On the Order of business, in view of the fact that Ireland will have the Presidency of the Community from 1 January next year, can the Taoiseach tell us if the Government propose to have a debate on the various European reports published since they took up office and if he proposes in this session to have a debate on the forthcoming Presidency?
That matter will be discussed today by the Whips. We hope to have some discussion on it next week and in that regard, to do a lot better than our predecessors.
Arising out of the Taoiseach's hopeful reply, can he tell us if he is in charge of ordering the priorities for the Presidency or is it the Department of Finance?
Ordering——
Can the Taoiseach tell us if it is the Department of the Taoiseach who are in charge of ordering the priorities or is it the Department of Finance?
To what Presidency is the Deputy referring?
The forthcoming Irish Presidency of the EC for which the Taoiseach will have responsibility.
The Deputy may take it that I will discharge that responsibility very comprehensively and with my usual elan.
We can be sure of it.
I am not at all satisfied that the matter is relevant now, Deputy Quinn. The Deputy had better find another way of raising this matter.
In thanking the Taoiseach for his reply, may I remind him that a question I put to his Department on that very point was transferred to the Department of Finance for reply. Whatever about his optimism for the future his officials do not share it.
This cannot develop into a debate.
In relation to promised legislation, can the Taoiseach tell us when it is intended to introduce legislation on the Trustee Savings Banks?
I will have to communicate with the Deputy as to what stage has been reached but I do not think it will be this session.
Can the Taoiseach tell us what progress, if any, has been made in getting a temporary service provided on the Cork-Swansea ferry route, as promised to me prior to the Easter break?
Deputy Sheehan will doubtless pursue this matter in another way.
The Taoiseach promised he would have some information for me. May be he will have something——
The Deputy had better look a little nearer home on that issue.
The Taoiseach will recall he said he would do his best to restore this. It is only half a million.
In response to the Taoiseach's answer to the question on the Child Care Bill, he said he hoped it would be taken this session. I regard that as unsatisfactory. It is serious legislation urgently required. Will he instruct his Whips to have this matter raised at an early date in this session? If it is not taken this session we are effectively talking about it not being taken until next year.
At the moment, probably because of the advent of the European elections, we have a very querulous Opposition. Therefore, I want to give no hostages to fortune in these matters, but I think I can assure the Deputy it will be taken in this session. When I used the word "hope" I was being perhaps a bit cautious.
On that matter, would the Taoiseach give some consideration, given the importance of this Child Care Bill, to allowing it to be referred to a Select Committee of the House for Committee Stage?
These are matters which might be dealt with by the Whips.
I will consider that.
A Cheann Comhairle——
Please, Deputy Sheehan, we are proceeding now to deal with a statement from the Taoiseach.