It is proposed to take No. 1. Private Members' Business shall be No. 19.
Order of Business.
There is nothing to be put to the House.
Are there proposals to introduce legislation on the taxing of unemployment benefit and assistance?
Matters of taxation will be dealt with in the Finance Bill, which will be published in due course. One will then be able to note all the items covered in it.
The Taoiseach will be aware that separate orders relating to unemployment benefit and assistance were part of the Finance Act, 1993. Does the Taoiseach propose to rescind the orders covering taxation of unemployment benefit and assistance which were passed in the House in the past two years?
Matters in order on the Order of Business relate to promised legislation.
This relates to promised legislation.
I am not aware of a promise relating to the matter to which the Deputy has referred, namely, the rescision of regulations which have been made. The Deputy will have ample opportunity to raise questions about the content of the Finance Bill when the Bill is published and subsequently debated.
I purposely framed the question so that it would be in order under promised legislation. I thank the Taoiseach for assuring the House that there is no substance in the reports that there will be any changes in the taxation of unemployment benefit and assistance.
This is the second time today the leader of Fianna Fáil attempted to put words in my mouth. He should not do so. I am more than adequately able to speak for myself——
If the Taoiseach took his foot out of it we might be able to put words in it.
(Interruptions.)
Deputies are laughing at the person who made that statement rather than at what he said.
We are laughing at the Taoiseach.
One often hears about the comedian being the joke.
The Taoiseach is an eternal optimist.
He forgets he is a statesman.
This issue does not come within the category of promised legislation and will be dealt with in the normal course. The Deputy will have ample opportunity to raise queries on the matter, but they are not relevant here.
Since the Taoiseach is not sure whether legislation in that regard will be introduced, I will deal with another issue. Will legislation on sanitary services be introduced in the next few days? Two weeks ago when the Taoiseach was away I was told there would be an announcement in this regard in the next two weeks.
Are we talking about promised legislation?
I am referring to legislation on sanitary services.
That legislation will be available before the summer recess.
We have more to do than unravel Fianna Fáil's old bad legislation.
The Fine Gael farmers were delighted to hear from the Deputy during the week, he should stick to his roaming horses.
As I understand the Taoiseach left an important meeting to come into the House, to facilitate his early return I will not raise anything on the Order of Business.
As a follow-on to Deputy Ahern's question about the Government's plans to delimit the powers of local authorities to disconnect people for non-payment of service charges, has the Government plans to delimit the powers of Telecom Éireann in cutting off services?
That matter is not appropriate at this time.
Following the last football international at Lansdowne Road, the Minister for Justice promised an urgent report on the riot. Must the House await the return of the Minister for Justice or will this report be published this week?
That will have to be dealt with in another way.
It was promised in this House.
It is not in the category of promised legislation and I cannot, therefore, allow it to be debated now.
Would it be in order to pay tribute to the education correspondents of the Irish Independent and The Irish Times for providing us all with more information about education proposals than the Taoiseach or the Minister?
Will the Taoiseach outline the preparations made by his Department for the presidential visit to Argentina and explain why so many members of the Irish community in Argentina, in particular missionaries, were not given a chance to meet the President?
That cannot be dealt with now. The Presidency cannot be made an item of controversy in this House.
On a point of order, how can I question the preparations by the Taoiseach's Department and the Department of Foreign Affairs?
I suggest that the Deputy consult the General Office on that issue.
Is an application for EU grant assistance for a peat fired power station in the midlands progressing to the satisfaction of the Taoiseach?
The Deputy would be in order at Question Time, but this is the Order of Business.
Last week the Taoiseach informed the House that the control of horses Bill was at a very early stage of preparation. What Minister will introduce it in due course? Will he bring the Bill forward as a matter of urgency? The Minister for Social Welfare and Democratic Left Leader has given animal welfare groups throughout the city the impression that the introduction of that Bill is imminent. Perhaps the Taoiseach will clarify the position.
The legislation is being prepared by the Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry and is at an early stage of preparation. I am not in a position to give any information about when precisely it will be introduced. However, I understand it is being actively dealt with and that a meeting of officials is taking place today on the matter.
That is dynamism — a meeting of officials.
Will the Taoiseach clarify the contradiction between the promises in the programme, A Government of Renewal, to improve the skills and capabilities of people and allow progress to better opportunities in the jobs market and the Government's embargo on recruitment to the community employment schemes?
Not at this time, Deputy.
When is it proposed to bring forward the legislation to give effect to the convention on the transfer of political prisoners?
That legislation is at an advanced stage of preparation. It is one of the priority items on the agenda of the Minister for Justice. I would not like to say precisely when it will be introduced but I expect it will be quite soon.
Given the serious pressures being placed on small business exporters, has the Minister any plans to introduce the development fund which was created a number of years ago to alleviate hardship? Many of those firms will go to the wall because of their large export content——
This is not in order.
Arising out of the unfortunate incident reported in the newspapers at the weekend of a young child being kicked by a wandering horse, will the Taoiseach ensure that the control of horses Bill is brought forward urgently before somebody is killed?
I answered that question approximately two minutes ago. That legislation is at an early stage of preparation. It will be dealt with but I am not in a position to give a precise date.