It is proposed to take Nos. 1, 3 and 4. It is also proposed, not-withstanding anything in Standing Orders, that: (1) the proceedings on No. 1, if not previously concluded, shall be brought to a conclusion at 1 p.m. and the following arrangements shall apply: (i) the opening speech of a Minister or Minister or State and of the main spokespersons for the Fianna Fáil Party and the Progressive Democrats Party shall not exceed 15 minutes in each case; (ii) the speech of each other Member called upon shall not exceed ten minutes in each case; (iii) Members may share time; and (iv) a Minister or Minister of State shall be called upon to make a speech in reply not later than 12.55 p.m. (2) Private Members' Business shall be No. 12 and the proceedings thereon shall be brought to a conclusion at 8.30 p.m. tonight.
Order of Business.
Are the proceedings for dealing with No. 1 satisfactory? Agreed. Is the proposal for dealing with Private Members' Business satisfactory? Agreed.
Will the Taoiseach agree that the creation of 49,000 net new jobs up to April 1995 underpins the economic policies of recent years and beats all records? The net number of new jobs created between April 1987 and April this year is 140,000——
I expect an endeavour to be made to conform to procedures. The matter referred to by the Deputy is not relevant to the Order of Business.
Perhaps the second part of the question will be relevant. Does the Taoiseach agree that there has been a disturbing trend in the numbers on the live register since April, with a steady decline in employment and a corresponding increase in the number of long-term unemployed? I note that the Minister has a proposal on long-term unemployment which perhaps he will outline to the House.
The Deputy is making a statement on unemployment and that is not in order now. There are many other ways of dealing with that matter.
The Government is aware of none of them.
If the unemployment level is only 190,000 perhaps the Taoiseach will say why we are paying benefits to 300,000 people. Has the commitment in the Programme for Government to extend the remit of the Ombudsman's office been considered by the Government and will legislation be introduced in this area?
The Ombudsman amendment Bill to extend the remit and powers of the Ombudsman is at a very early stage of preparation. I am unable to give the Deputy any indication as to when it will be drafted and ready for publication.
Can I take it that legislation will be introduced? Is there an agreement in principle to extend the remit of the Ombudsman's office?
The Government has made a commitment in that regard but the legislation is at a very early stage of preparation. I do not wish to give the Deputy a date for its introduction because I am not in a position to do so.
On the privilege and compellability Bill, which we were told would be published this week, Fianna Fáil asked that there be a two week gap between publishing and taking the Bill. Is that still the intention and will the Bill be published this week?
This side of the House will obviously endeavour to facilitate the Opposition in studying that legislation and will give whatever time possible to allow for such study to take place. The legislation will be published very soon; I can be no more precise than that.
There is little or no legislation before the House. There is a long list of proposed legislation but if it is not published this week we will have practically no legislation before the House over the next week or so.
A number of items of legislation are approaching publication point and will be available. We are anxious to take the privilege and compellability Bill as soon a possible after it is published but we also understand the concerns of the Opposition in seeking a delay after publication for study of the Bill. I suggest that discussion take place between the Whips on the matter.
Will the Taoiseach tell the House why the Government parties are blocking a committee inquiry into the site in Cork considering it described its handling as questionable?
That is not in order now, Deputy.
It described it as questionable but it is blocking an inquiry into it.
The Chair feels inhibited in dealing with matters appertaining to committees. It is not its function.
As a matter of academic interest, will the Taoiseach indicate if the Government has completed its review on the report of the Law Reform Commission on bail and what legislation it intends to introduce as a result of that review?
The answer to that question is "no". The report was presented only quite recently.
In view of the way in which the committee was forced not to allow an investigation into the Horgan's Quay site yesterday, will the Chair convene a meeting of the Committee on Procedure and Privileges immediately to discuss the allegations made here and outside the House by the Minister?
As the Deputy is well aware the matter of convening meetings of the Committee on Procedure and Privileges may be taken on the initiative of any member of that body and the Chair will duty conform.
I have made requests to the Chair in that regard in the House, and by letter.
I am awaiting developments in a certain area and that meeting will be convened in due course.
Will the Taoiseach confirm that an investigation was carried out into the movements of Messrs. O'Callaghan, O'Leary and Kelly at the time of the derailment of the train last night?
Deputy Burke, that is quite out of order.
In view of the stated commitment to the Taoiseach earlier this year to amend the Debtors (Ireland) Act, will the amendment take account of the fact that former members of the Workers Party, who are now members of Democratic Left will settle their accounts with their former party?
I must dissuade the Deputy from making allegations across the floor of the House concerning persons outside it.
The Deputy should warn us in future when he is trying to tell a joke. He should give us ten minutes notice.
When the long promised Freedom of Information Bill is passed will the Taoiseach see to it that the Department of Finance will give me information on the costings of the White Paper on Education? I am at a loss as to why those costings have been suppressed for so long, given the Taoiseach's reputed interest in taxpayers' money.
Let us have the legislation first and the costings will follow later.
Why will the Taoiseach not give information on that matter?
I will not allow the Order of Business to become a Question Time.
Will the Taoiseach indicate if legislation is being drafted to amalgamate the CIE companies?
Legislation of that type is not promised.
I did not ask if it was promised, I asked if it is being drafted. My understanding is that major structural and organisational changes are taking place in the CIE companies which would seem to indicate a reversal of the policy under the relevant Act.
With respect Deputy, the matter would be better dealt with by way of question or motion.
Will the Taoiseach check the position with the Minister and report back to me on it?
Will the Taoiseach advise the House when lottery funds will be distributed to communities? Is it true that in recent weeks some lottery funds were allocated to the Labour Party to help keep it in Government?
Deputy O'Keeffe, please desist.
Dermot Morgan has a rival.
There appears to be a problem regarding the lack of legislation before the House. The Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry informed me that legislation governing the control of horses will compete with other Government business and, accordingly, one cannot be certain when it will be introduced. What business will it compete with given that the Government does not have much legislation prepared for presentation?
The greyhound Bill.
The control of horses Bill designed to control——
Nags.
——horses in urban areas will be introduced early in the New Year. As I explained yesterday in response to questions from Deputy O'Dea, and this is acknowledged on all sides of the House, there is a shortage of available drafting personnel in the Attorney General's Office.
The Taoiseach told us that was all sorted out yesterday.
That did not stop the last Government in its work.
A draftsperson can only work on one Bill at a time. There is a question of prioritisation as to which Bill should be dealt with first. There are problems of the type mentioned by the Deputy which I am sure he appreciates, but we are anxious to bring forward this legislation soon.
On promised legislation, will the Taoiseach indicate when the Bovine Diseases (Amendment) Bill will be introduced as it would give us an opportunity to discuss the veterinary dispute and other issues arising from it?
We expect the Bill will be published before the end of the year.
I appreciate the Government is having difficulty in preparing legislation. It may be that the glue has spread and its members are getting stuck in it.
The Tánaiste should keep his head well below the parapet where it is at the moment. Will the Taoiseach indicate when the employment equality Bill will be published? I presume it will be published during the next few weeks.
This Bill is to streamline legislative provisions relating to discrimination in pay and other practices in employment. We expect the Bill, the text of which is currently with the Attorney General for drafting, will be available before the end of the year.
Under the Fisheries Consolidation Act, 1959 the Minister for the Marine is not empowered to issue licences to the Irish Fish Farming Association. Drafting of the necessary legislative amendments is ongoing. As this matter is somewhat urgent, what is the position regarding that Bill?
I indicated to the House yesterday that I expected that Bill would be ready within two to three weeks. I regret that information was not accurate. I am advised that the Bill will be ready before the end of the year but not within two to three weeks.
Will the Taoiseach indicate if legislation governing the insurance industry will be introduced shortly? The Minister of State at the Department of Enterprise and Employment promised a review of the serious problems posed by the high cost of premiums for public liability, motor insurance and a range of other premiums in that sector. There were indications that legislation would be introduced to deal with the matter. Will the Taoiseach indicate when it will be introduced?
I am not aware of the indications to which the Deputy referred. To my knowledge there is no listed legislation promised in the insurance area, but if the Deputy can furnish me with information as to the nature of the promise he mentioned I will supply him with the information.
I thank the Taoiseach for correcting what he said yesterday about the fisheries amendment Bill. This legislation which has been challenged in the courts and which has created the difficulty regarding the issuance of licences is responsible for the loss of several hundred jobs in the west. It should be given priority as the business people involved have made considerable investments in the project and the longer the matter is delayed the greater will be the number of jobs lost in the economy.
As I said to the Deputy yesterday, at his request I am attaching priority to that legislation. I will endeavour to ensure that it is available before the end of the year. I regret the information I gave yesterday was not accurate but it was the information available to me at the time.
Given the amount of work in preparation by the Government and its commitment to implement fully the Programme for Government, will the Taoiseach indicate if that will include implementation of the paragraph relating to parliamentary committees and the opportunity to investigate matters of unethical behaviour where such allegations are made?
That is paragraph 23.
As I already told the Leader of the Deputy's party. I propose to have before the House very shortly the Privilege and Compellability Bill which will deal with all these matters in terms of the powers of committees.
In view of the commitment the Taoiseach gave to me two weeks ago that the Courts and Court Officers Bill would be published in October, will he be able to honour that commitment or will this be another case of the House being technically misled?
The Deputy is angry this morning.
I answer questions to the best of my knowledge as to when legislation will be available. Any information I give the House is always the best information available to me at the time. As far as this legislation is concerned, my understanding is that it will be available either later this month or, if not, early next month.
Will the Taoiseach ensure there is a provision in the Ethics in Public Office Bill to make absolutely certain that Government Ministers settle their debts?
In an effort to be helpful to the House and to you, a Cheann Comhairle, will the Taoiseach tell us what legislation, if any, the Government intends to publish this week, next week and the week after, because it seems to be a moveable feast? He should be able to tell us that if he is in control of Government.
We do not prepare lists weekly. We endeavour to produce the legislation in a form that represents a just and fair assessment of the balance of rights between the individual and the State with which all legislation is concerned.
Will any legislation be published this week?
I do not believe the production of legislation is like the production of sausages where you have to maintain a constant level of output.
Will any legislation be published next week or the week after?
The important thing is that the legislation is properly drafted. Even if I said in the House that legislation will be produced in October and if it is discovered half way through October that it requires further improvement or redrafting and that it should not, therefore, be available until November, I have absolutely no problem with a delay. The important thing is to get the legislation right.
More sausages are meant to be uniform.
Order please, I am coming now to the Order of Business proper.
Will the Taoiseach bring the Bill before the House because the Minister, Deputy Lowry, will have to attend the committees?