It is proposed to take Nos. 12, 5, 15 and 6. It is also proposed, notwithstanding anything in Standing Orders, that (1) business shall be interrupted at 12 midnight; (2) No. 12 shall be decided without debate; (3) the Second Stage of No. 5 shall be taken today and the proceedings thereon, if not previously concluded, shall be brought to a conclusion at 6.45 p.m.; (4) the proceedings on the Committee and Remaining Stages of No. 15, if not previously concluded, shall be brought to a conclusion at 11 p.m. by one question which shall be put from the Chair and which shall, in relation to amendments, include only those set down or accepted by the Minister for Defence; (5) the Second Stage of No. 6 shall be taken today and the proceedings thereon and on the remaining Stages, if not previously concluded, shall be brought to a conclusion at 12 midnight by one question which shall be put from the Chair and which shall, in relation to amendments, include only those set down or accepted by the Minister for Health; (6) Private Members' Business shall be No. 19 and the proceedings thereon shall be brought to a conclusion at 8.30 p.m.
Order of Business.
Is it agreed that business shall be interrupted at 12 midnight? Agreed. Is it agreed that No. 12 shall be decided without debate? Agreed. Is it agreed that the Second Stage of No. 5 shall be taken today?
I wish to acknowledge the work which has been done by our Whip and the Government Whip to have the Government guillotine which hung over all our legislation lifted. I compliment the Government Whip for his efforts in this regard. I have no objection to the debating arrangements but Fine Gael completely objects to taking this legislation, which provides for a tax write-off for tax cheats, today, tomorrow or any day. It is fundamentally unworkable, unprecedented and unfair.
The question of policy does not arise now. We are about to debate the matter in the House.
I object to taking this legislation because it undermines the integrity of the tax system.
That is quite appropriate.
While this represents an improvement on what was contained in the guillotine motion, the time allocated for the Second Stage of this Bill amounts to approximately five and a half hours. This is not adequate to debate a Bill of this magnitude having regard to the extraordinary principles contained within it and the profound effect it will have on this country in many ways. It is unfortunate that the debate is being guillotined considering that a report in one of the newspapers this morning highlights that the people concerned will, apparently, be beneficiaries under the provisions of the Bill. This is deplorable.
It would be more appropriate if those remarks were made on the measure itself.
The principle of the Bill has been debated for a number of days and there is a measure of agreement.
With some reluctance.
I am amazed at Fine Gael because this formed part of their Programme for Government in 1989. The document is there to prove this. When are we going to get rid of the hypocrisy and start to debate the Bill?
We now have three amnesties.
When will the order be made to refer this Bill to a committee? I understand there is an informal agreement. Will the order be made tomorrow morning? My party has tabled an amendment to the order for Second Stage. We would take up the time of the House if we were to divide on the issue now. A matter of principle arises when people who have broken the law for so many years are being rewarded while tax compliant citizens are being punished. Can the Taoiseach tell us when the order will be made to refer the legislation to a committee?
Tomorrow.
Committee Stage will be taken tomorrow.
The question I asked was: when will the order be made to refer the Bill to Committee?
Tomorrow morning.
If the Labour Party lets it get that far.
Are the proposals for dealing with No. 5 agreed?
Do not try another filibuster.
The Labour Party can decide where it stands so far as taxpayers and the PAYE sector are concerned.
Are the proposals for dealing with——
We know that Deputy Ferris's party stands for the tax cheats.
That is a disgraceful remark.
It stands four-square with the tax cheats, shoulder to shoulder with the tax cheats.
It should stick with industrial policy.
That is the new definition of Labour Party policy.
The House will please come to order. I am asking if the proposals for dealing with No. 5 are satisfactory.
No, Sir. I am challenging a division on the taking of this legislation at all, any day, because it is fundamentally wrong.
The question is: "That the proposals for dealing with No. 5 be agreed to".
Tá
- Ahern, Bertie.
- Ahern, Michael.
- Ahern, Noel.
- Andrews, David.
- Aylward, Liam.
- Bhamjee, Moosajee.
- Bhreathnach, Niamh.
- Browne, John (Wexford).
- Burke, Raphael P.
- Burton, Joan.
- Byrne, Hugh.
- Callely, Ivor.
- Costello, Joe.
- Coughlan, Mary.
- Cowen, Brian.
- Davern, Noel.
- Dempsey, Noel.
- de Valera, Síle.
- Doherty, Seán.
- Ferris, Michael.
- Fitzgerald, Brian.
- Fitzgerald, Liam.
- Foley, Denis.
- Gallagher, Pat the Cope.
- Gallagher, Pat.
- Geoghegan-Quinn, Máire.
- Haughey, Seán.
- Higgins, Michael D.
- Hilliard, Colm M.
- Howlin, Brendan.
- Hughes, Séamus.
- Jacob, Joe.
- Kemmy, Jim.
- Kenny, Seán.
- Killeen, Tony.
- Kirk, Séamus.
- Kitt, Tom.
- Lenihan, Brian.
- McCreevy, Charlie.
- McDaid, James.
- Morley, P. J.
- Nolan, M. J.
- Ó Cuív, Éamon.
- O'Dea, Willie.
- O'Keeffe, Batt.
- O'Keeffe, Ned.
- O'Leary, John.
- O'Rourke, Mary.
- O'Shea, Brian.
- O'Sullivan, Gerry.
- Power, Seán.
- Reynolds, Albert.
- Ryan, Eoin.
- Ryan, John.
- Ryan, Seán.
- Shortfall, Róisín.
- Smith, Michael.
- Stagg, Emmet.
- Taylor, Mervyn.
- Wallace, Dan.
- Wallace, Mary.
- Walsh, Eamon.
- Walsh, Joe.
Níl
- Ahearn, Theresa.
- Bradford, Paul.
- Browne, John (Carlow-Kilkenny).
- Bruton, John.
- Bruton, Richard.
- Clohessy, Peadar.
- Connaughton, Paul.
- Connor, John.
- Cox, Pat.
- Crawford, Seymour.
- Creed, Michael.
- Deenihan, Jimmy.
- De Rossa, Proinsias.
- Doyle, Avril.
- Fitzgerald, Frances.
- Flaherty, Mary.
- Gilmore, Eamon.
- Gregory, Tony.
- Harney, Mary.
- Hogan, Philip.
- Kenny, Enda.
- Keogh, Helen.
- McCormack, Pádraic.
- McGrath, Paul.
- McManus, Liz.
- Noonan, Michael (Limerick East).
- O'Donnell, Liz.
- O'Malley, Desmond J.
- Quill, Máirín.
- Rabbitte, Pat.
- Sheehan, P. J.
- Timmins, Godfrey.
- Yates, Ivan.
May I now ask if the proposals for dealing with No. 15 are satisfactory and agreed? Agreed. Are the proposals for dealing with No. 6 satisfactory? Agreed. Are the proposals for dealing with No. 19, that is Private Members' Business, agreed? Agreed.
In relation to promised legislation, is the Taoiseach's international credibility, upon which Ireland's case for £8 billion rests, not undermined by his failure since 1989 to deliver on repeated promises, most recently after the appalling Provisional IRA bombing in Warrington, to update Ireland's extradition laws to European standards. The Taoiseach and his party——
I would prefer if the Deputy would come to the point in respect of promised legislation without embarking upon a speech and bringing in miscellaneous matters.
As this legislation has been promised for four years, legal difficulties at this stage are no excuse for failure to deliver on international commitments, especially when we are looking for others to deliver on commitments to us.
This matter was raised in this House yesterday morning.
We dealt with this matter yesterday morning and, whether Deputy Bruton likes it or not, the difficulties will be ironed out and the legislation will be as fail-safe as possible when it is introduced.
When will it be introduced?
It was explained fully that it would be in the next session. The Deputy should worry more about his own reputation than mine.
Is the Taoiseach aware that what is purported to be part of the accounts for C&D Pet Foods for 1991 is littered on the street outside Setanta building this morning and perhaps he would take steps to have it collected?
Can the Taoiseach indicate whether he proposes to provide for a report back to this House next week from the meeting of EC Foreign Ministers of Friday regarding the structural funding allocation to Ireland? Can he indicate also if the current dispute about Ireland's allocation includes the question of the Cohesion Fund as distinct from the Structural Fund or, does it relate only to Structural funding per se?
These matters are not strictly relevant to the Order of Business. There are many ways of raising these matters.
I think they are very relevant, because the estimates are down to around £6.5 billion as against £8 billion.
Yesterday, it was £5.5 billion.
It is up a billion pounds since yesterday.
(Limerick East): May I ask the Taoiseach if the Government intends publishing——
Deputy Noonan is in possession. Let us hear what he has to say.
(Limerick East): May I ask the Taoiseach if the Government intends publishing Mr. Glackin's report into the sale of the Telecom site in Ballsbridge which, I understand, is now to hand?
I would expect a question to be put down on that matter. We have not got the report yet. I read the reports the same as Deputy Noonan.
I am calling Deputy Máirín Quill, who had been offering earlier.
May I ask the Taoiseach, even at this late stage, if he can say when the Juvenile Justice Bill will be introduced in this House? Would he acknowledge the urgency of this legislation in view of the fact that in my own constituency this very weekend a man who was beaten almost to death by a gang of youths, was left on the side of the street.
Elaboration of this kind is not in order.
The scheme is in course of preparation and we expect to have it later, towards the end of the year.
On that point, is the Taoiseach aware that on 15 June he said he would have the Juvenile Justice Bill "in a few weeks"? Why it is being postponed to the of the year?
This is not Question Time.
On 15 June the Taoiseach said it would be introduced in a few weeks.
Amidst this rush of legislation — although I am delighted to note so much being introduced in the House so quickly — I would be interested to know when the Taoiseach will make available the Bill to afford protection to the occupiers of land? We were told by the relevant Minister that, as soon as the Law Reform Commission had reported, this Bill would be introduced. It is an urgent matter.
That is sufficient, Deputy. Does the Taoiseach wish to respond on the matter?
I will communicate with the Deputy. I want to correct what Deputy Bruton said. As usual he tried to mislead the House in claiming to cite what I said on 16 June. I said "later this year". Would the Deputy please quote accurately.
Sir, I wrote it down at the time and he said "in the next few weeks". I have a contemporaneous note on 16 June to the effect that the Taoiseach said the legislation would be prepared within the next few weeks.
In the early days of this Government we were promised a Bill which, we were told, was the price of Labour in Government. Since I raised the matter yesterday, has the Taoiseach had any success in establishing the whereabouts of the Ethics in Government Bill? Can he tell us where it is, whether it will be taken this session, or whether there is some difficulty about it?
What Bill is the Deputy referring to?
I might remind the Deputy that the term of the Government is four and a half years, not half a year. He should not become impatient. The Bill is in course of preparation and will come through in due course. Deputies opposite are pressing for more legislation, whereas yesterday and the day before their argument was that there was too much legislation being brought before this House. Would Deputy Rabbitte please make up his mind which he wants?
Is Labour pressing it?
It is too little debate about which we are complaining.
Which do they want? The Deputy should not worry about Labour but merely about his own party, Democratic Left.
Our complaint was about the way in which legislation was not being allowed to be debated, not about failure to produce it.
I am now proceeding to item No. 12.
I asked several times since Christmas — and I must repeat the question — what has happened to the Milk (Regulation of Supply) Bill? Can we hear from the Taoiseach what has happened that Bill?
These are regulations, not a Bill, about which the Deputy is talking.
I did not hear the Taoiseach's reply.
Discussions are continuing on a Bill. Regulations are a separate issue. The Deputy knows that.
A Cheann Comhairle, I did not get any answer from the Taoiseach.
I said I would communicate with the Deputy during the week.