It is proposed to take Nos. 7, 13, 1, 14 and 2. It is also proposed, notwithstanding anything in Standing Orders, that No. 7 shall be decided without debate.
Order of Business.
Are the proposals for dealing with item No. 7 satisfactory and agreed? Agreed.
What is the position on the Houses of the Oireachtas privilege and compellability Bill? I note from newspaper reports that there is some difficulty in the Office of the Attorney General about the Attorney General appearing before committees. Will the Taoiseach clarify the matter?
That matter was raised yesterday on the Order of Business.
It was not answered.
It was a specific question.
Deputies might allow me to answer the question.
The Taoiseach has the floor.
As the Tánaiste said yesterday, the Government is considering the Bill. I expect that will conclude reasonably soon. It is major legislation.
Will the Taoiseach comment on reports that the Attorney General will not appear before committees of the House?
Not now, Deputy.
Is the Minister for Enterprise and Employment prepared to answer questions in the House today about the future of the Sunbeam plant in Cork?
The matter was debated last night on the Adjournment.
The Minister was not present to answer key questions. My constituents want to hear the replies. Either the Taoiseach or the Minister should reply.
I have no control over such matters.
Why did the three parties in Government feel it was necessary to replace the entire RTE authority?
This is not Question Time.
(Interruptions.)
When is it intended to publish the wording for the divorce referendum? Is the target date of 30 November still realistic?
This question was raised on many occasions.
We were not given answers.
Repetition is not in order.
We will publish the wording when it is ready. We are working towards the date of 30 November as the Minister for Equality and Law Reform indicated.
Is it still on?
Will the Taoiseach make time available for the Minister for Enterprise and Employment to answer questions on the closure of the Sunbeam plant? The House failed yesterday to be accountable to the workers who lost their jobs. A junior Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry took the debate on the Adjournment last night and neither the Minister, Deputy Bruton, nor the Minister of State, Deputy Rabbitte, were present.
This House gave every opportunity for debate and consideration of that matter.
It is a disgrace. It is contemptious behaviour. Packard did not close down yesterday. The Sunbeam plant did and there is no-one in Government to answer for it.
Will the Taoiseach arrange with the Tánaiste to make a statement to the House about the measures being taken by the Government to protect Irish citizens in Bosnia?
There are other arrangements for raising such matters.
I have been asking for some time when the amendment to the Fisheries Act, 1980 will be introduced. It was promised some weeks ago.
The Government authorised the drafting of the text of the Fisheries (Amendment) Bill on 9 May and we expect the text to be circulated to the Government either this or next month. Thereafter the Bill could be published.
In future I will ask Deputy Deasy to ask questions for me. He gets much better answers.
He knows how to frame a question.
Will the Taoiseach make a statement on unemployment? In the Central Bank report the forecasted figure has been increased by 7,000. Independent stockbrokers say the Government will fail by a substantial margin to achieve its targets this year.
I cannot facilitate the raising of such a matter on the Order of Business and the Deputy knows that.
Will the Minister for Arts, Culture and the Gaeltacht say how many members of the newly appointed RTE authority have any experience or expertise in the field of broadcasting?
This is not Question Time. An essential feature of the deliberations of the House relates to Question Time.
How many of them are from Munster? Is there anyone from Cork?
(Interruptions.)
I am happy to entertain the Deputies who are offering but they must have strict regard to what is appropriate at this time.
The Taoiseach told the House yesterday that the Constitution review group would look at Article 30. Why does he think it is necessary to change Article 30?
That matter does not arise.
Does the Taoiseach agree that it was an error of judgment not to include one person from the province of Munster on the RTE authority?
The Deputy should table a question on the matter.
Their views will not be represented. All the Minister's friends are on it as usual. The rest of us do not count.
(Interruptions.)
That is somewhat stale.
When will legislation be introduced so that the promised £50 million can be given to Irish Steel or has it been decided that this company will go down the same road as Verolme Dockyard, Dunlops, Fords and Sunbeam?
The Deputy should raise that matter at a more appropriate time.
Is this the policy of the Government?
A hands off approach.
Will the Taoiseach outline the reasons members of the Government are applying different standards to various industrial crises? Is he aware of the forecasted increase in unemployment this year and what action does he propose to take to ensure that equality prevails when dealing with industrial crises?
That matter does not arise now.
When will the universities governing bodies Bill see the light of day? This Bill is designed to reorganise the governing bodies of universities and provide more accountability, something about which the Taoiseach knows very little.
Let there be no elaboration now.
It will be introduced later this year.
Will the Government consider making time available for a debate on the Green Paper on European monetary union published by the Commission in Brussels yesterday?
That matter can be discussed by the Whips.