Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 20 Apr 1999

Vol. 503 No. 3

Order of Business.

The Taoiseach

It is proposed to take No. 8, motion re Agreement between Ireland and the Swiss Confederation on Social Security; No. a28 on the Supplementary Order Paper, Statements on the Report of the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform regarding the early release of Mr. Philip Sheedy; No. 1, Local Elections (Disclosure of Donations and Expenditure) Bill, 1999 [Seanad], Second Stage and No. 28, Solicitors (Amendment) Bill, 1998 [Seanad], Second Stage (Resumed).

It is also proposed, notwithstanding anything in Standing Orders, that: (1) No. 8 shall be decided without debate; (2) the following arrangements shall apply in relation to a28 on the Supplementary Order Paper: (i) the statements shall be confined to the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform and the main spokespersons for the Fine Gael Party and the Labour Party shall not exceed 20 minutes in each case and time may be shared with other Members; (ii) following statements, the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform shall take questions for a period not exceeding 30 minutes; and (iii) the proceedings, if not previously concluded, shall be brought to a conclusion after 90 minutes; (3) Private Members' Business shall be No. 49, Radio and Television (Amendment) Bill, 1999, Second Stage, and the proceedings on the Second Stage thereof, if not previously concluded, shall be brought to a conclusion at 8.30 p.m. on Wednesday, 21 April.

An Ceann Comhairle

There are three proposals to be put to the House. Is the proposal for dealing with No. 8 agreed? Agreed. Is the proposal for dealing with a28 agreed?

Mr. J. Bruton

Will it be possible for the Committee on Justice, Equality and Women's Rights to consider this report in more detail than will be possible in the debate today which is taking place within approximately two hours of the report being made available to us? A more in-depth study would be justified. Can the Taoiseach confirm that the committee will be given the powers, if it does not already have them, to consider the matter in more detail, to examine whatever lessons need to be learned and to ask whatever unanswered questions need to be asked?

The Taoiseach

Yes, subject to that debate taking place at the committee. We need to work out the arrangements and matters we are talking about. I have no difficulty with the general principle of looking at it.

Mr. J. Bruton

It is important that the relevant people would be willing to voluntarily co-operate with and give explanations to the committee. If they do not, there may be issues as to how and in what circumstances they might be required to come before the committee. I appreciate the Taoiseach's positive response to my question and I anticipate we will be able to work out something.

Mr. Higgins (Dublin West)

Is the Taoiseach aware that there are more Deputies elected to this House than those comprising the Government, Fine Gael and Labour and that they are being denied a voice in statements on events con cerning the Judiciary? If those Deputies who are being frozen out of having their democratic say exercise their right to call a vote on these matters, it will take up a lot more time than that which should have been given to us to have our say.

An Ceann Comhairle

Is the proposal for dealing with a28 agreed? Agreed. Is the proposal for dealing with No. 49 agreed? Agreed. I remind Members that time is limited as the House has nominated 90 minutes to discuss the report and Private Members' time starts at 7 p.m.

Mr. J. Bruton

Apropos the subject matter of the report which the House will consider, when will the Government bring forward the Courts Bill to give effect to the report of the working group on the appointment and qualifications for appointment of judges to the High Court and the Supreme Court? Have the heads of this Bill been approved and is it being prioritised? When will it be presented to the House?

The Taoiseach

The preparatory work on this Bill is completed. The heads of the Bill have not yet been cleared but they will be circulated to the Departments in early May.

Mr. J. Bruton

Would the Taoiseach not agree that, in light of the experience in recent weeks, it is a matter of priority that this legislation be brought into the House, that it should be prioritised in terms of finalisation of policy and drafting and that the Government should set a specific target for its introduction in the House?

The Taoiseach

We should try to move it ahead as quickly as possible.

Mr. Quinn

In respect of promised legislation, the House was told at the commencement of the last session that a number of Bills would be published before the end of the Easter recess. The following Bills are outstanding and have not been published: the Broadcasting Bill, Údarás na Gaeltachta (Amendment) Bill, the School Attendance and Educational Welfare Bill, the Health (Amendment) Bill, the Illegal Immigrants Bill, the Human Rights Commission Bill and the Irish Nationality and Citizenship (Amendment) Bill. When will those seven items of legislation be published?

The Taoiseach

The broadcasting Bill will be published in about a fortnight as will the Údarás Bill. In the last session 11 of the 17 Bills were published. There was also additional legislation on Northern Ireland matters. There is a quite a amount of legislation for this session. During the recess a number of Bills were printed. There is no shortage of legislation. The Northern Ireland Bill delayed some of the other Bills but they will all be published in the next number of weeks.

Mr. Quinn

Given that I am quoting documentation and timetables published by the Government, is the Taoiseach satisfied that the resources necessary to produce the legislation, which the Government indicates will be published by a certain date, in terms of time and personnel are available?

An Ceann Comhairle

A question about resources is not appropriate on the Order of Business.

Mr. Hayes

When does the Government intend to introduce legislation to abolish ground rents? The Taoiseach will be aware that—

An Ceann Comhairle

The Deputy cannot proceed with a statement. He must ask a question on legislation.

Mr. Hayes

—the Landlord and Tenant Bill, 1997, was commended to the House by Deputy Woods, now Minister for the Marine and Natural Resources.

Mr. J. Bruton

Another bright idea.

Mr. Hayes

Why has it taken two years for Fianna Fáil to implement its own legislation which was roundly supported in the House in 1997?

Dr. Woods

The Deputy's party did not do it.

The Taoiseach

Most of those pre-1997 issues were resolved in several ground and landlord and tenant Bills. The remaining ground rents Bill has not yet been resolved. The last Attorney General raised constitutional difficulties and the present Attorney General probably agrees with his views.

Mr. Gormley

Given the Taoiseach's shameful U-turn on a referendum on Partnership for Peace, will he make time available for a proper debate on the NATO led Partnership for Peace in this session?

An Ceann Comhairle

That is not appropriate to the Order of Business.

The Taoiseach

What is not appropriate is for a Member to give misleading information. I did not do what the Deputy has said. He should apologise for misleading the House.

Mr. Gormley

The Taoiseach has done a U-turn.

The Taoiseach

The Deputy is misleading the House.

(Interruptions.)

Mr. Higgins (Dublin West)

This is the last time the Order of Business will not be challenged if Deputies outside the blocs do not have their say.

An Ceann Comhairle

The Deputy cannot continue. The Deputy must resume his seat.

Mr. Higgins (Dublin West)

Do statements by the Minister for Public Enterprise amount to legislation being promised for the privatisation of Aer Rianta? Is such legislation being prepared? If so, when will it be brought before the Dáil? Is it the Government's intention to plunder every publicly owned asset for the benefit of private capitalists –

An Ceann Comhairle

The Deputy is not in order. He should resume his seat. The Taoiseach will deal with it if there is promised legislation.

The Taoiseach

No such legislation has been promised. A report has been circulated by Aer Rianta. That is all that has happened to date.

Mr. Currie

When will the legislation necessitated by the continuing inhumanity of the IRA towards the disappeared come before the House? Have discussions taken place with the British Government to ensure that parallel legislation will be introduced in that House?

The Taoiseach

That legislation will come before the House as soon as possible but certainly in this session. The British Government is bringing forward a Bill, if not this week, next week.

Mr. Currie

These people have waited 24 to 27 years for this news. Surely we in this House will be able to expedite this legislation to ensure that,at long last, these people can give a decent burial to their relatives. It is scandalous if we cannot take this legislation at the earliest date.

An Ceann Comhairle

The Deputy has made his point.

Mr. Currie

I had hoped it would be taken this week.

The Taoiseach

It will be taken very shortly. I am glad the Deputy acknowledges that this matter which has been around for 27 years is being dealt with. The Deputy will appreciate that during the past week or two the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform has been involved in other matters. The Bill will be brought forward as soon as possible.

Mr. Currie

That is not good enough.

Ms Shortall

In the past week I have attended three public meetings in my constituency which were concerned with serious public disorder and young offenders. For that reason I wish to ask the Taoiseach about a commitment given by the Tánaiste before the recess that the Government would be producing a new juvenile justice Bill and that it should be ready before the summer. Why is that Bill not in the Taoiseach's programme of legislation?

The Taoiseach

It is largely a new Bill. Hopefully it will be available in this session.

Ms Shortall

Why is it not in the programme?

The Taoiseach

As the Deputy is aware it was before the committee. Hopefully the new Bill will be brought forward as quickly as possible.

Mr. Rabbitte

Do the Taoiseach and the Government plan to take steps to facilitate a resolution of the scaffolders dispute?

An Ceann Comhairle

That is not appropriate to the Order of Business.