It is proposed to take Nos. 2 and 14. Private Members' Business shall be No. 23.
Order of Business.
May I ask the Taoiseach if, following his meeting with the British Prime Minister tomorrow, he proposes to make a statement in the House on the matters they discuss? Can he confirm the report in one of the papers this morning that he will propose to the Prime Minister tomorrow a new initiative in Northern Ireland? If so, will we have an opportunity to discuss the matter?
The matters referred to by the Deputy are not strictly relevant to the Order of Business.
The statement is relevant.
In view of the fact that today is the anniversary of the election of the inauguration of President Robinson, does the Taoiseach propose to make time available for statements to be made or has he any plans to invite the President to address the joint Houses of the Oireachtas?
Let us have regard to that which is relevant to the Order of Business.
It is relevant. We are concerned with the ordering of time. I am asking the Taoiseach, in view of the historic anniversary of the inauguration of the President——
Please, Deputy. If the Deputy puts down a motion or a question on the matter that would be quite in order.
I thought that in raising it now I was in order.
I want to put two matters to the Taoiseach, the first of which relates to promised legislation. I understand that the new Minister for Labour has indicated that he proposes to introduce a Bill to control strikes in public utilities and that it may be introduced before the Christmas recess. Could the Taoiseach indicate if that is the case?
What Bill?
The Bill to restrict strike action in public utilities. May I ask the Taoiseach if that Bill will be introduced in time to enable adequate debate on that proposal so that we will be faced with——
Is legislation promised in this area?
No, Sir.
Sorry, it is promised.
Yes, it was promised in reply to a parliamentary question in the House.
Was the Taoiseach not consulted again?
Every Chairman in this position accepts his advice from the Government side of the House as to whether legislation is promised.
I will therefore defer this matter until tomorrow morning when I will bring in the reference to show precisely that this legislation is promised.
The Deputy better leave it until Thursday because I will not be here tomorrow morning.
Perhaps in advance the Taoiseach would check with the Minister to see whether or not he will be able to reply to the question. May I ask the Taoiseach also if in the normal way he proposes, following the meeting in Maastricht, to report to the House, and when will he do so?
I have already ruled on that aspect of the matter.
Will there be a debate following that meeting or will it be followed by statements?
I propose to follow the normal practice of reporting to the House after the Maastricht Council.
How soon will that report be made?
In the normal way.
Next week?
Can the Taoiseach tell us when the Housing Bill which has been promised over and over again will be introduced. Will it be in this session?
I am afraid it will not be in this session.
Does the Taoiseach realise that the legislation was promised in this session and that there are tens of thousands of homeless people in this country who are dependent on some of the provisions of this Bill?
The Minister told the House last week that the Bill would be published before Christmas.
This should not lead to argument now. I am calling Deputy Deasy.
May I ask the Taoiseach if a Supplementary Estimate will be provided for the Department of Agriculture and Food to give moneys to Teagasc to keep certain research centres open which are under grave threat of closure?
Is legislation promised in this area?
No.
Kinsealy Research Centre is included in those centres which it is proposed to close.
Deputy Gilmore.
Is the Taoiseach not going to do anything about it?
Deputy Gilmore has been called.
I know all about Kinsealy.
The Taoiseach has no interest in——
Thanks to the activities of the Deputies opposite every single mortal soul in this country knows all about Kinsealy.
They do not know about the research centre in Kinsealy.
Deputy Deasy, I have called another Deputy.
The Taoiseach should look after his good friend, Joe Rea, and give him money.
I am reluctant to interrupt the discussion but may I ask the Taoiseach, since the Minister for the Environment is sitting beside him, if he would indicate when the Housing Bill will be circulated?
A committee will have to be set up first.
We definitely hope to take it next session and to circulate it during the recess.
Repeated assurances have been given by the Taoiseach that the Housing Bill to give legal effect to the provisions of the much lauded social housing package would be circulated this session and we have been informed just now that this would not be the case. Am I in order in asking the Minister for the Environment if there are any proposals to circulate to housing authorities a legal opinion that will enable them to introduce that package?
That is not relevant.
The local authorities have been waiting for it since last March.
A Cheann Comhairle, I do not wish to be disorderly but I wish to draw your attention to the fact that when parliamentary questions were put down in an orderly manner, we were referred to the fact that legislation would be introduced this session. As we have now been informed that that is not the case, are contingency plans being prepared to provide a temporary legal basis for the operation of this scheme?
I can only entertain matters appertaining to legislation promised.
This matter arises as a result of the failure to deliver on promised legislation.
Arising from the Taoiseach's reply to the question on the research station at Kinsealy, the 63 staff whose jobs are at risk at Kinsealy would like to know the Government's views on the decision to close it.
I thought the Deputy's question was relevant. I now call Deputy Byrne.
Will the Taoiseach give this House an assurance that the proposal submitted by B & I management and workers will be given a full and considered hearing prior to the imminent sale of the company?
Deputies must not be irresponsible.
There is legislation promised. Not even the Taoiseach may sell off State assets without legislation.
Why did the Deputy not ask about the legislation?
I did; I asked whether the management-worker proposal would be accepted?
Legislation is promised about the B & I, but the Deputy's question is not in order as it should be a matter for an ordinary parliamentary question.
Is the Taoiseach aware of the disgracefully inadequate facilities in the Public Gallery as elsewhere in the House for wheelchair visitors?
The Deputy should put down a question on that.
The Taoiseach may care to answer it.
I now call Deputy Howlin.
It would be constructive if the Taoiseach informed the House of the Bills that have fallen off the legislative agenda for the remainder of the session so that we will know what will come before us between now and the Christmas recess.
I want to point out, a Cheann Comhairle, the reason we have had to curtail the legislative programme is because of our unprecedented wish to facilitate the Opposition in having special debates.
It was on account of the Taoiseach's own troubles.
There are 22 very good reasons on the Government side.
As you know, a Cheann Comhairle, we have given great latitude to the Opposition and acceded to their requests for debates of one kind or another. As a result the legislative programme has had to be curtailed.
What a load of bluff.
The Whips hope to have by tomorrow a list of the legislation to be taken before Christmas.
I will call just two more Deputies as this cannot last interminably.
There will be a great deal of disappointment about the proposed Housing Bill because I thought the Minister told the House last week that it would be taken before Christmas. Does the Taoiseach have a date in mind for the adjournment of the Dáil and for its resumption after the Christmas recess?
That should be dealt with in another way.
It is very pertinent to the ordering of business and the work we will do before the Christmas recess.
Is this the reason it is being curtailed?
Will we be resuming early after Christmas.
Does the Taoiseach recall telling me that this legislation would be introduced this session? He told me that very positively last Thursday morning. What has happened in the meantime to change his mind?
A Deputy
Legal problems?
The programme does not permit it to be taken this session because, as I said, of the amount of time we have given to the Opposition to debate matters which they requested.
Why does the Minister not circulate the Bill?
A final question from Deputy Lee.
Will the Taoiseach indicate to the House if it is the Government's intention to introduce a Supplementary Estimate this year for the Department of Health?
The Deputy should put down a question. I wish to move on. How long should the Order of Business last?
As long as necessary.
If Deputy Rabbitte wishes to raise a relevant matter, that is all right.
May I ask the Taoiseach when he proposes to introduce a Bill to deal with the sale of the B & I? I take it that this question is in order?
I do not think it will be taken this session.
Does the Taoiseach know when it will be taken?
At the outset of the Order of Business I asked the Taoiseach if he intends to make a statement after his meeting tomorrow with the British Prime Minister but he did not answer. It would be appropriate that he inform the House of what is going on because of the different relationships between the Taoiseach, the British Prime Minister and the other Heads of State of EC countries, and particularly, as some papers have reported, they will discuss Northern Ireland.
The Chair facilitated the Deputy.
The Chair ruled it out.
The Chair rules out what the Taoiseach wishes to be ruled out.
Deputy Barry, that remark should not have made. This Ceann Comhairle is his own man, he takes no dictation from left, right or centre of this House.
He has selective hearing.
The Ceann Comhairle demonstrated this very clearly last week. Will the Taoiseach confirm that he will not combine his account of the meeting with the British Prime Minister with his report on the Maastricht Summit. If he does so, it will be wrong use of parliamentary time. I ask the Taoiseach to convey if not now, through the Whips, that he will give a separate account of the meetings?
May I intervene to say, — I hope the Chair with permit me — that it has never been the practice to report on meetings of this kind to this House.
This is slightly different.