It is proposed to take item No. 15. It is also proposed that, at the conclusion of business today, the Dáil shall adjourn until 12 noon on Tuesday, 10 December 1991.
Order of Business.
Is the proposal concerning the resumption of our proceedings on Tuesday next satisfactory?
Agreed. The House will have read with alarm the reports of the hearing of the Committee of Public Accounts yesterday. Will the Taoiseach allow an emergency debate on the Committee of Public Accounts hearing yesterday regarding Carysfort, or will he and the former Minister for Education continue to duck and dive the question as to whether they gave a directive in relation to Carysfort?
That matter can be raised in the normal way. It is not in order to pursue it now.
A Cheann Comhairle——
Please, Deputy Mitchell, it must be clear to an experienced Member such as yourself that that matter cannot be discussed today. There are obvious ways and means of raising the matter.
On a point of order, Sir——
There can be no point of order on the matter.
A Cheann Comhairle, may I then seek your advice? The then Minister for Education answered questions in this House on a number of occasions regarding Carysfort. It is clear from the report of the hearing of the Committee of Public Accounts yesterday that this House was misled.
Please, Deputy——
A Cheann Comhairle, if the Deputy is going to make statements here by way of points of order——
Will the Taoiseach answer the question: did he or did he not give a directive?
I gave no directions and the Deputy would be well advised to stop making these false allegations.
Deputies
Hear, hear.
A Cheann Comhairle, I asked a question——
Please, Deputy, that is the end of the matter today. It can be raised again. I must now ask Deputy Mitchell to desist from any further reference to the subject——
A Cheann Comhairle——
Have I that assurance, Deputy?
May I seek your guidance, Sir. The question I asked the Taoiseach is: will he allow an emergency debate next week in view of the hearing of the Committee of Public Accounts yesterday?
This is not Question Time, Deputy Mitchell.
I must press my point in relation to the Order of Business. Will the Taoiseach allow an emergency debate next week in relation to Carysfort in view of the hearing yesterday of the Committee of Public Accounts or will he continue to duck and dive the question?
Deputy Mitchell, you have ignored the fact that I have been on my feet for some time seeking to maintain order.
I am sorry, Sir, I do not wish to fall out with the Chair.
A Cheann Comhairle, I do think that both the Taoiseach and the former Minister for Education have a case to answer and it is important that the Taoiseach would make a comment on it.
A Cheann Comhairle, I object to the Deputy using the Order of Business to make these ridiculous allegations——
A Cheann Comhairle——
The Deputy has said that the former Minister for Education and I have a case to answer. We have no case to answer.
A Cheann Comhairle——
Sorry, Deputy——
I am tired of this carry on in this House, of a whole tissue of false allegations particularly by people over there who should be the last to make allegations about anybody.
Why should we?
A Cheann Comhairle, you did not interrupt the Taoiseach. You have to be fair to this side of the House.
Deputy Mitchell, do not persist.
A Cheann Comhairle——
Deputy Mac Giolla, the Chair ruled on the matter to which the Deputy referred.
A Cheann Comhairle, I am simply making the point to you that the former Minister for Education does appear to have misled this House——
The Deputy will find another time to raise this matter, I am sure. It is not in order now.
I should like to ask the Taoiseach about promised legislation with regard to the Supreme Court judgment yesterday. Will the Taoiseach or the Minister for Justice say when the legislation will be before the House? Can the Minister for Justice confirm that this will affect the interests of spouses who do not now own the family home? Will they be protected?
I presume is this legislation promised?
This legislation has been promised.
The legislation is well advanced and will be taken in the next session.
In regard to that matter can the Taoiseach indicate when the Bill is likely to be published and circulated so that we can ascertain its proposals? Will he say whether the Government have consulted the Attorney General with regard to the constitutional implications and whether the constitutional provisions with regard to property need to be addressed in this context?
That matter has been under examination from all aspects for some time. In fact, as I informed the House on a number of occasions, we were awaiting the Supreme Court decision.
There was no need for the Government to await the Supreme Court decision because it should not have come as a surprise to anybody. May I ask the Taoiseach whether it is intended to allow time in the House next week to discuss the now published, what I understand to be, final report on the Greencore issue, which report the Minister for Industry and Commerce now has. It has been published today in all the papers. Will this House be given time to discuss it and its implications?
The House will be well aware that the Chair has ruled that matters appertaining to Greencore are sub judice.
Sir, the report is published in today's papers and the dogs in the street know what is in the report. Are we in this House not to be allowed to debate its implications? Is there a Government view on what that report contains?
I have called another Deputy.
It is a vitally important issue involving millions of pounds of taxpayers' money.
I refer to the schedule of business to be commenced in the House next week and the Bill to enable the privatisation of the B & I Line. Is the Taoiseach aware that the Whips have been asked to enable this matter to be dealt with hastily and put through all Stages before the Christmas recess? This means that the guillotine will be imposed. I would ask the Taoiseach to review this proposal with the Government Whip in view of the unfortunate experiences in the wake of the last rushed privatisation proposition, namely, Greencore.
The Deputy has made his point and need not elaborate.
The Deputy is under a misapprehension. This is not a question of privatisation. What is in mind is the sale of this shipping company.
We will move on to the business proper.
On the Order of Business——
Deputy McCartan makes a point of rising continually on the Order of Business.
The Taoiseach and I may disagree as to what is proposed in the Bill but I would ask him to look at the way in which it is proposed to schedule the business with regard to that Bill.
The Deputy has already made that point effectively.
It seems to have been lost.
The Chief Whip is endeavouring to secure the co-operation of all sides of the House to get a number of important pieces of legislation dealt with before the Christmas recess. That is normal at this time of year.