It is proposed to take No. 13. It is also proposed, subject to the agreement of the House, that business shall be interrupted at 10 p.m. tonight, that the proceedings on all amendments put down to Parts I to IV, inclusive, of No. 13 shall, if not previously concluded, be brought to a conclusion at 10 p.m. by one question which shall be put from the Chair and which shall include only amendments put down by the Minister for Industry and Commerce. Private Members' Business shall be No. 26.
Order of Business.
Is the proposal that the Business of the House shall be interrupted at 10 p.m. tonight agreed? Agreed. With respect to Item No. 13, are the proposals for dealing with Item No. 13 agreed? Agreed.
I want to ask the Minister about two items of promised legislation and if he agrees that reports today suggest that these items are now of heightened urgency. The first relates to legislation promised to provide a statutory basis for the activities of the Department of Education, which a judge of the High Court yesterday said was very necessary, when he stated that large numbers of regulations were being made without statutory authority by the Minister, which is highly unsatisfactory in a country which is supposed to be governed by laws. Second, when will the Minister for Finance bring forward legislation to update the powers of the Comptroller and Auditor General, which currently date from 1866, in view of the fact that, for example, in his work so far, with his limited powers, he has discovered that the Garda radio link will cost literally ten times the estimated amount? Would the Minister not agree that it is now a matter of urgency to have proper legislation which will prevent this type of scandalous overrun?
I am not so sure that the matters referred to by the Deputy are legislation proposed in the House.
They are.
I do not think they are, but I will communicate with the Deputy on the first question raised. On the second——
The Minister for Education is nodding yes.
It is not on the list for this session anyway.
I am not nodding anything.
(Interruptions.)
She is much more forthright than that.
We have one nodder, and we all know who that is.
The lady does not nod as easily as that.
(Interruptions.)
The mask slipped that time.
In answer to the second question raised by the Deputy, these matters are under consideration.
(Interruptions.)
Let us hear the Minister.
Would the Minister agree that in view of reports today both these items of legislation are of greater urgency than they were? Will he ask his colleagues to expedite legislation in one case and will he expedite legislation in the other?
The Deputy has already made that point.
I will be glad to oblige.
We have to stick with parliamentary language on this occasion. I would ask the Minister for Finance or the Minister for Agriculture and Food if, on the basis of the internal report available to the Minister for Agriculture and Food on the collapse of Ballybay Meats, the Government are now considering a full public sworn inquiry on the loss of millions of pounds of taxpayers' money?
That matter is not relevant to the Order of Business. The Deputy will have to raise it in another way.
If neither the Minister for Finance nor the Minister for Agriculture and Food will comment, I will raise it in another way.
Has the attention of the Minister for Finance been drawn to the report of the Comptroller and Auditor General with regard to the BES scheme and is it his intention to scrap this scheme in the coming budget and Finance Bill?
This is a matter outside the Order of Business.
It is a matter of grave concern to taxpayers.
It is, and there are many ways of raising the matter in this House. It is not in order now.
(Interruptions.)
In relation to promised legislation, could I ask the Taoiseach elect if, in view of the continuation of price fixing in the drinks trade, he could arrange that the competition Bill which was promised over 12 months ago will be brought forward as a matter of urgency this session, so that we can outlaw price fixing and cartels and comply with Article 85 of the Treaty of Rome?
I assure the Deputy that such legislation covering Articles 85 and 86 of the Treaty of Rome will be brought forward at the earliest possible opportunity.
Will the Minister for Finance say if a date has now been set for the publication and circulation of the Estimates?
The Book of Estimates will be available for discussion in the House before the Christmas recess.
Can I take it——
Deputy Foxe is offering.
Deputy Barrett is misinformed when he talks about price fixing in the drinks trade.
(Interruptions.)
Deputy Quinn is offering again, I take it.
May I take it from the Minister for Finance's reply that no date has yet been fixed because the Estimates have not been agreed? Is that correct?
I can only repeat what I said; the Estimates will be available in good time for a discussion in the House before the Christmas recess.
So they are not ready?
May I ask the acting Taoiseach if he will outline the Government's plans in relation to a juvenile justice Bill and if he will indicate what the Government intend to do about the scandal of the lack of care facilities for juvenile offenders?
The first matter is relevant but the second is not.
The second is related.
I understand this legislation has not been promised.
It should be.
Deputy McCartan.
May I ask the Minister if he accepts that this legislation should be promised——
This should not lead to debate or argument now. I called Deputy McCartan.
——and if they do not deal with it the Government would be ignoring their major social responsibilities?
It will receive urgent consideration from the Government.
May I ask the Minister for Finance, the Minister for Justice or whoever has responsibility for Report Stage of the Child Care Bill if it will be taken this session, as we were advised it would, and whether it will deal with the very sad and serious situation where we still lock up in this State 15 year old children on the basis that they are depraved——
Deputy McCartan may not elaborate now. He should put his question, please.
It is No. 14 on the list and it will be taken into session.
Would the Minister clarify the position in relation to the talks on Northern Ireland, as there have been some contradictory reports in the newspapers as to what exactly was said last April by the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland and the Minister for Foreign Affairs? It has also been reported that the Taoiseach is to meet the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland within the next week. Would the Minister confirm this and whether the Minister for Foreign Affairs will subsequent to that meeting come into the House to outline precisely the position and the Government's attitude to those talks, which everybody in this House, indeed everybody in the country, wishes to see go ahead as soon as possible?
That might be raised at a more appropriate time.
I do not think there is a more appropriate place or time than now in this House.
May I ask the person who might be responsible for Gaeltacht and Irish language affairs what the present position is in relation to the proposals for the establishment of Teilifís Gaeltachta?
Is legislation proposed in this area?
Yes, it has been proposed by Aire na Gaeltachta.
It is still under consideration.
I understand legislation or regulations have been promised to make the use of rear seat belts in passenger vehicles compulsory. Would the Minister for the Environment tell the House when that legislation will be introduced and from what date it will be applied?
It has not been promised.
An Ceann Comhairle, I understand——
If the Minister says no legislation has been promised, the Chair has to accept that.
I understand that the Minister has promised to introduce regulations or legislation to make the use of rear seat belts in passenger vehicles compulsory.
I asked the question if it is true.
I repeat that no such legislation has been promised in this House.
There can be no confusion about the next piece of promised legislation and that is the Ministerial Pensions Bill which has been promised and promised. Can I be assured today that it will be taken very shortly?
It is with the draftsman at the moment.
May I now call on Deputy Deenihan who requests leave to introduce a Bill.