It is proposed to take Nos. 7, 9, 14 and 2. It is also proposed, notwithstanding anything in Standing Orders that (1) business shall be interrupted not later than 4.45 p.m.; (2) Nos. 7 and 9 shall be decided without debate and if a division is demanded on No. 7 it will be taken forthwith; (3) the proceedings on Second Stage of No. 14 if not previously concluded shall be brought to a conclusion at 4.45 p.m. today.
Order of Business.
Is the proposal that business be interrupted at 4.45 p.m. today satisfactory and agreed? Agreed.
Are the proposals for dealing with Nos. 7 and 9 satisfactory? Agreed.
In relation to item No. 7, having been rather critical last night of the Minister for Finance, today I pay him a compliment on how assiduous he has been in the Estimates in presenting, but not for debate, an Estimate for £10 of excess expenditure in the State Laboratory. The Minister's thoroughness is very commendable.
Thank you.
As this is the last opportunity in the House before the Taoiseach undertakes the start of the process tomorrow, I wish him well. Last night on television the Taoiseach said that the declaration he was looking for was self-determination, but with consent both North and South. He then went on to say — and this concerns the legislative intentions of the Government — that the issue of amending our Constitution was entirely separate. I cannot quite understand that because consent on the part of the North requires a change in our Constitution to underpin it. Why, therefore, is the Taoiseach saying that constitutional change is entirely separate from the peace process as it is totally linked with the self-determination concept he is putting forward?
Matters appertaining to Northern Ireland have been debated extensively in this House in a variety of ways and it is not appropriate to raise them on the Order of Business. I cannot and will not permit a rehash of all those proceedings on the Order of Business. It is simply not appropriate.
I probably phrased my question inappropriately. What are the Government's legislative intentions in relation to an amendment to the Constitution?
That is a distinct and important matter and must be dealt with in the appropriate way.
It is an item of promised legislation. It is one of the six principles.
I am sorry, I cannot facilitate the Deputy now. Deputy Mary Harney was offering.
As we hope to be united on the matter I will not pursue it, but I put down the marker that this question is of concern. What is the timing now for the Ethics Bill? Is it full steam ahead?
Yes. Legislation has been promised in this regard. We expect to have it published before the end of this session and it will be full steam ahead.
(Interruptions.)
I know that most of the objections come from over there. That is where the broadsides will come from.
(Interruptions.)
Let us hear Deputy Mary Harney.
I too wish the Taoiseach and the Tánaiste well tomorrow in these important talks. People on all sides of the House and throughout the country want the talks to succeed.
Without striking a sour note, I wish to indicate that I was disappointed that the Taoiseach refused to answer a specific question of mine yesterday and then went on to answer it to a journalist on RTE television. That is insulting to this House and it is not good enough.
On another note, it is important to recognise the right of the majority in Northern Ireland to self-determination too.
I have ruled on the matter.
I have to intervene here. It is the Chair who decides what is or is not in order in this House, not I.
That applies to all sides of the House.
Deputy Harney should remember that when she tries to point a finger at me. I do not have the option to become disorderly along with other Members of the House. The Chair made the decision that it was disorderly.
(Interruptions.)
Let there be no arguments. The Chair is always in the difficulty——
(Interruptions.)
It was the Taoiseach's failure——
It is the Chair who decides in relation to these matters.
It is the Taoiseach's failure to answer questions yesterday that is the problem.
The Chair is in the usual difficulty that he does not know what a Member will say until the Member has said it.
The Taoiseach did not answer the question in the House yesterday.
It was not in order yesterday.
It was in order and the Taoiseach did not answer it, but he did so on television. I accept we are living in the age of television but this House matters also.
It is a notable fact that we get more information from the Taoiseach by reading the daily newspapers than by questioning him in the House. More information is divulged by unnamed spokespersons to newspapers than the Taoiseach divulges here.
Or leaked to the newspapers.
Deputy Dukes has still one more place to go.
Deputy De Rossa should ask something that is relevant to the Order of Business.
Will the Taoiseach undertake to brief the House next week on the discussions he will have tomorrow with the British Prime Minister and how he sees the process evolving next week?
That question has been asked on numerous occasions in the past few days.
Can I get an answer?
When will the Book of Estimates be published? The Taoiseach promised it would be published early in December. Reports in today's newspapers state that there will be another of those long interminable Cabinet meetings on the difficult process of compiling the Book of Estimates. When will it be published?
Deputy Yates might like to know that since I became Taoiseach Cabinet meetings do not last much more than two hours.
(Interruptions.)
They do not last all day and all night without reaching a decision, as was the case when the Deputy's party was in Government.
When will the Book of Estimates be published?
I stated it will be published in early December. It will be published then and the Deputy will have an opportunity to debate the Estimates in this House.
I hope Deputy Yates calls a Front Bench meeting for the next motion.
(Interruptions.)