It is proposed to take No. 21 — State Property Bill, 1998, Order for Report and Report and Final Stages and No. 22 — Education (No. 2) Bill, 1997, Report Stage (resumed) and Final Stage. Private Members' Business shall be No. 60, motion re. mental handicap (resumed).
Order of Business.
There are no proposals to put to the House.
Has the Government set out in detail the legal problem it is facing in drafting legislation to enhance the powers of the Committee of Public Accounts so that the committee's views on legal issues can be taken into account?
The Government has done that. We have identified areas which are being examined by the Attorney General and the legal representatives of the Committee of Public Accounts. There was a useful and productive meeting yesterday evening between the chairman of the Committee of Public Accounts and the Government Whip. The chairman of the Committee of Public Accounts presented some aspects that the committee wishes to be dealt with by the Government and it is the Government's intention to do that. There will be further detailed meetings tomorrow at which I hope this matter can be resolved between the legal team of the Committee of Public Accounts and the Attorney General.
Has the full extent of the legal difficulties, or only an outline of them, been set out to the committee's representatives?
I did not attend those meetings, but anything that has emerged to date will be given to the legal representatives tomorrow. On yesterday's Order of Business I said there had been a meeting between the legal team of the Committee of Public Accounts and the Attorney General, but I wish to correct that. There have been several meetings between them. They are hopeful that they can conclude those aspects of the difficulties involved tomorrow.
Are there constitutional problems?
A constitutional difficulty may arise because the Comptroller and Auditor General has a specific constitutional role. The Attorney General's concern is that we ensure any legislative amendments we make do not cut across the Comptroller and Auditor General's specified constitutional role.
On a separate matter, will the Taoiseach convey to the three heads of State who will be present at the unique and happy events taking place in Belgium, the support of this House for them and give an assurance that the memory of those European soldiers who died on our behalf more than 80 years ago will not be forgotten as it was in the past?
I will take up the Deputy's suggestion. It is important to acknowledge this initiative which was presented to me by Glen Barr and a former Member of the House, Mr. Paddy Harte, a year ago today. I acknowledge the work of all those who helped in this initiative. It is an important day in historical terms. The King of Belgium, the Queen of England, our President and the Army No. 1 Band will attend this ceremony. A great deal of work was done by FÁS workers and I commend the work done by those in the training authority in Northern Ireland. Church leaders and choirs will be involved as will the media and other members of the public. It will be the start of a commemoration because I hope the location is one which many from this island will visit, both North and South, to remember the 50,000 people from all parts of the island who died in all of the battles of the Great War. The ceremony is a fitting commemoration and the start of a fitting commemoration of all of those who died.
I thank the Taoiseach on behalf of the relatives and families of the people who are being commemorated today. The generosity of the tribute paid by the leader of the Fianna Fáil Party is welcomed by the House.
I join the Taoiseach in congratulating all concerned with the memorial in Belgium. I also praise the role of former Fine Gael Deputy, Paddy Harte, and Glen Barr. The memorial was their initiative. It may be appropriate if we could find time today or tomorrow for brief statements to mark the 80th anniversary of Armistice Day. It was an appalling war in which many thousands of people across the western world lost their lives. In view of the reconciliation taking place on this island and between Britain and Ireland it would be fitting for the House to mark the event in that way.
I join other party leaders in paying tribute to all those involved in bringing about today's joint commemoration at Messines in Belgium to commemorate all those Irish who died in Flanders, Gallipoli and elsewhere during the Great War. These people have not been adequately mourned because other events attracted attention shortly after their deaths. It is only now, 80 years later, that we are coming to terms with the wounds left with so many Irish families by the Great War. It is appropriate that that healing is taking place now when I hope peace is coming at last to Ireland.
This is an important day of commemoration. I congratulate Paddy Harte and all those who worked so hard in the work of reconciliation and commemoration in Belgium. It reminds us not just of all those who died but of those who fought. Many of these died recently and they will tragically never know of the reconciliation that has taken place and the degree of respect in which they are held by people from all traditions. They include my relations as well as relatives of many others in this House. I join with others in asking for this anniversary to be commemorated.
It would appear that the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Deputy Harney, misled the Dáil on 13 June when she answered questions about Fruit of the Loom. Does she intend to clarify the position about what knowledge she had about jobs losses in Fruit of the Loom——
She totally misled the House.
Charges of that kind should not be made on the Order of Business.
Misleading the Dáil is a matter for the Order of Business.
The Deputy should put down a substantive motion. This matter should not be raised on the Order of Business.
Did she or did she not mislead the House?
If the Deputy has a charge to make she should do it by substantive motion. She should resume her seat.
At long last Deputy Harney has been shown for what she is.
(Interruptions.)
She lectured us ad nauseam about honesty and integrity when we were in Government.
The Deputy should not make charges across the floor of the House.
She lectured us day after day.
If the Fine Gael Whip will not withdraw what he said I will ask his leader to do so. I will not have anybody question what I said in this House.
Are we not entitled to ask questions?
Of course the Deputy is entitled to ask a question.
Did the Minister not mislead the House?
I object to that. Did the Deputy not hear the chief executive of IDA Ireland this morning?
The Minister misled the Dáil.
I did not mislead the Dáil.
(Interruptions.)
Making charges across the floor of the House is disorderly.
The Deputy should withdraw them.
I was lectured every morning by the Minister for two and a half years.
The Deputy is out of order in accusing a member of the Government of deliberately misleading the Dáil. That charge should be withdrawn and a substantive motion should be put down.
As Deputy Barrett does not have the good grace to withdraw his remarks I assure the House that it was not misled. The chief executive of IDA Ireland made the facts clear this morning. They were put before this House.
The Minister should watch "Prime Time" tonight.
Unlike Deputy Barrett, I do not believe everything I hear or read in the media.
The Minister should remember weasel words.
That was one of Deputy Lowry's expressions.
Many things have been written.
The Minister lectured us about honesty and integrity every day for the two and a half years we were in Government.
Deputy Barrett should not interrupt in that manner. It is disorderly.
I assure the House it was not misled and I ask Deputies to accept that.
It is a long standing rule of the House that if a Member disclaims something it is accepted.
Will the Taoiseach respond to my suggestion that time be set aside today or tomorrow to take brief statements to mark the 80th anniversary of Armistice Day?
I will ask the Chief Whip to look at the matter.
When I asked yesterday about the Vocational Education Bill the Taoiseach said amending legislation was not needed before the local elections. Is he aware that none of the Dublin county councils will be able to appoint vocational education committees after next year's local elections unless amending legislation is introduced beforehand? Will he bring forward the date of publication of the Vocational Education Bill, which is now set for 1999?
I replied to this yesterday. I will try to expedite the legislation or I will ask the Minister to do so. If the Deputy wishes to pursue any other matters of detail he should put down questions to the Minister.
Is the Taoiseach satisfied with the composition of the task force announced by the Minister for Agriculture and Food in so far as it——
That matter is not appropriate for the Order of Business.
What are consumers to do?
The Deputy should pursue the matter in another way. It is not appropriate to the Order of Business.
It is appropriate. It will be raised in the House again.
It is not appropriate to the Order of Business.
What is the position of the Cabinet today on the farming crisis?
That is not appropriate to the Order of Business. There are other ways in which the Deputy can raise that. There are questions to the Minister for Agriculture and Food on tomorrow's Order Paper.
There are 10,000 farmers who have not received their cheques through the post. Even the Minister for Agriculture and Food cannot cover his head on this one.
The Deputy cannot pursue the matter in that manner.
Will any new legislative proposals be deflected into this Dáil as a result of the agreement the Taoiseach has reached with Deputy Tom Gildea?
(Interruptions.)
That matter is not appropriate to the Order of Business. It does not relate to promised legislation.
An agreement has been reached between the Taoiseach, the Government and an Independent Deputy in this House, who is no longer Independent. I am entitled to know if it involves any legislative proposals and, if so, will the cost of this be included in the Book of Estimates to be published today.
Private agreements are not matters for the Order of Business.
(Interruptions.)
How much will it cost? Where have all the standards gone?
One would need a route map to find the place.
There is no particular legislation.
Did the Taoiseach invite Deputy Gildea to the House? He has only been here twice.
If I am trying to seek the support of one new Member, Deputy Quinn seems to be trying far harder to get more.
(Interruptions.)
The Book of Estimates is to be published today. Could the Taoiseach make arrangements to have a copy of it provided to the main Opposition spokespersons in advance of the press conference of the Minister for Finance at 4 p.m.?
I will remind the Minister for Finance to follow the long-standing arrangements regarding that.
Those arrangements fell down last year.
The time is up, but I will hear a brief contribution from Deputy Rabbitte.
On promised legislation, does the Taoiseach intend to make any response to the campaign by the Dublin Council of Trade Unions to have the national minimum wage legislation implemented from April?
Legislation is being prepared on the national minimum wage.
Standing here beside Deputy Currie, I am conscious that the civil rights movement in Northern Ireland started over the allocation of a house. I am very concerned about the increasing bypassing of public representatives and the way the democratic process——
That is not in order on the Order of Business. The Deputy should put down a question.
I want to ask the Taoiseach a question on promised legislation.
If the Deputy has a question, he should ask it.
To restore to democratically elected people the right to run this democracy, when is it intended to bring forward the promised legislation on local elections to give power to the people to have directly elected chairpersons and mayors on local county councils? There is growing concern about the way local authority complexes are being taken over by unelected people, particularly in this capital. It is a very serious matter, and it is something about which there is growing concern.
Legislation is due at the beginning of 1999 to modernise local Government legislation and implement a range of reforms which will cover some of the aspects causing annoyance to Deputy Mitchell.
Yesterday we received a report on rail safety. It is a watershed report which demonstrates that the Minister is prepared to grasp this nettle and put it up to her Cabinet colleagues to get the money that is required. Would the Government be prepared to make time available for a debate on this issue?
It is not in order to ask for a debate.
It has been arranged.
(Mayo): I welcome the decision of the Government to proceed with the sensible plans inherited from the former Minister for Justice, Deputy Owen, to proceed with courthouse facilities at Castlerea and Cloverhill prisons as a way of saving the taxpayers the cost of Garda overtime. On a related matter, what is the situation on the attachment of earnings Bill whereby locking up 2,000 people for the non-payment of fines could be eliminated, bringing about a considerable saving to the taxpayer in the cost of prison officer and Garda overtime?
The attachment of earnings legislation to end imprisonment, where practicable, for civil debt and inability to pay fines is at an early stage of preparation. I do not have a definite date.
On a point of order, is there a new Standing Order which sets a time limit on the Order of Business?
There is not. It is the Chair's decision.
I am glad to hear that.
We are now over the average time for the Order of Business.
Will the Wildlife (Amendment) Bill, which I have raised a number of times, and publication of which has been promised in this session, be published in this session, because there is an extensive petition signed by people who are concerned about the years of delay in bringing in this Bill?
The Department is attempting to have this Bill completed by Christmas but it is more likely that it will be early in 1999.
As we are now way outside the long established average time of 20 minutes for the Order of Business——
That is a good thing.
——we will proceed to the next item.