It is proposed to take No. 7, motion re Agreement on Medical Treatment for Temporary Visitors between Ireland and Australia; No. 21, Local Government Bill, 1998 — Second Stage (resumed) and No. 22, Statements on the Report from the Joint Committee on European Affairs on the Amsterdam Treaty. It is also proposed, notwithstanding anything in Standing Orders, that the Dáil shall sit later than 8.30 p.m. and business shall be interrupted not later than 10.30 p.m; No. 7 shall be decided without debate; the proceedings on the resumed Second Stage of No. 21, if not previously concluded, shall be brought to a conclusion at 9.30 p.m. tonight and any division demanded thereon shall be postponed until after the conclusion of Private Members' Business on Wednesday, 13 May 1998; and No. 22, if not previously concluded, shall be brought to a conclusion at 10.30 p.m. tonight and the following arrangements shall apply: the opening speech of the Vice-Chairman of the Joint Committee on European Affairs shall not exceed ten minutes; the speech of each other Member called upon shall not exceed five minutes in each case; Members may share time; and a Minister or Minister of State shall be called upon not later than 10.20 p.m. tonight to make a speech in reply which shall not exceed ten minutes. Private Members' Business shall be No. 50 — motion re Luas.
Order of Business.
There are four proposals to be put to the House. Is the proposal for dealing with the late sitting agreed? Agreed. Is the proposal for dealing with No 7 agreed? Agreed. Is the proposal for dealing with No. 21 agreed? Agreed. Is the proposal for dealing with No. 22 agreed? Agreed.
The Taoiseach indicated last October that the School Attendance Bill would be introduced early in 1998. As it is now 12 May, will the Taoiseach indicate if this Bill is ready?
I said it would be ready in the autumn. The Bill updates the law on compulsory school attendance. It has 30 heads and is being prepared. It will be introduced in the autumn.
The Taoiseach said it would be ready early in 1998. Perhaps he changed his mind.
The Deputy is correct. In the first instance it was to be introduced earlier. However, the Minister then indicated —
He relegated his priority.
—— he would undertake an overall assessment to include the reports on disadvantaged schools. That is why the Bill was put back.
The Taoiseach said twice that it would be introduced early in the year.
Yes, but I agreed to a more in-depth and comprehensive assessment of why young people are leaving school early. We then changed the introduction of the Bill to the autumn.
Will the Taoiseach indicate the legislation proposed to be taken between now and the end of the session, which I presume will be the end of June or the first week in July? Will committees sit through July and September and, if necessary, will there be a plenary session of the Dáil to complete legislation at the end of July, as has been done previously?
We are endeavouring to get the chairpersons and clerks of the committees to move forward the huge amount of legislation before them. It is intended to end the session at the beginning of July. However, based on the legislation which has already built up, committees will meet for all of July and September. I will ask the Government Whip to give the Deputy the list of legislation to be taken between now and the end of the session.
In view of the fact that there is a mounting backlog of legislation which needs to be enacted at all Stages, does the Taoiseach agree it may be necessary and desirable to have a plenary session of the Dáil sometime before the end of July, to clear legislation which has gone through committees but which cannot advance to Report Stage? We will be waiting until October to clear legislation and a backlog is starting because of the slowness in processing it.
I will look at that. The problem is with committees. I have raised it with chairpersons of committees and the Government Whip has instructed the clerks to fix dates for the consideration of legislation. It would make sense to meet so we do not stop the consideration of Bills on Report Stage. There are nine Bills on Committee Stage at the moment and the House has been meeting late on Tuesday and Wednesday nights for weeks.
In view of the fact that the Government last week rejected a Fine Gael Private Members' Bill on a statutory sports council, when will it publish its Bill? I extend the congratulations of the House to Brian Kerr and the Irish under-16 team on being the first Irish team ever to win an international soccer championship.
I join Deputy Allen in congratulating Brian Kerr and the under-16 panel. The Bill will be brought forward next month.
Is any legislation proposed following yesterday's High Court decision that builders are able to circumvent the normal provisions?
That matter is on the Adjournment and I would prefer its discussion to be left until then, in deference to you, Deputy, who tabled the matter.
My question relates to legislation.
Deputy Rabbitte is always in order.
Is any legislation contemplated to avoid the situation where builders are circumventing the provisions of normal contract law?
No legislation has been promised and the Deputy's question is not appropriate to the Order of Business.
The Taoiseach is offering.
There is no legislation proposed at this stage. Until the judgment has been examined in detail, I am reluctant to make any categorical pronouncement. The implications of the judgment are being examined. It appears from newspapers reports that the fact that there was no signed contract was central to the judgment.
That is the point.
We cannot have a debate on this matter, in fairness to the Deputy who has tabled it. There will be opportunities to raise the matter of housing on the Local Government Bill and the Finance Bill.
(Dublin West): Will the Taoiseach agree in principle to bring forward amending legislation to root out the rampant profiteering by house builders?
The Deputy is out of order. No legislation is promised. The Deputy will have an opportunity to raise the matter on the Local Government Bill and the Finance Bill.
(Dublin West): It is an important issue.
All matters raised in the House are important. However, this matter is not in order.
The legislation should be amended.
The Taoiseach said the Copyright Bill would be ready this summer. When will the full Bill be published?
The long Bill, containing 500 sections, will be published in the summer, probably July.