It is proposed to take No. 2, Criminal Justice (United Nations Convention Against Torture) Bill, 1998 [Seanad] – Second Stage.
Order of Business.
There are no proposals to put to the House.
Does the Fianna Fáil definition of torture now include having to wear the same shirt more than once?
The Taoiseach is looking very smart.
De Valera's open neck shirt party has come a long way.
What is wrong with Donegal shirts?
I am sure nurses who are paid barely £16,000 per year are highly amused by this humour. Is the Taoiseach or the Minister for Health and Children in a position to inform the concerned public of the contingency arrangements which will be put in place to maintain a skeleton emergency health service, bearing in mind that we are inexorably drifting towards a strike by nurses?
Opposition Deputies asked me to give Government time to debate this matter next week and I have offered that time.
I do not accept the definition of emergency. People who are waiting for elective surgery are likely to die as a result of that surgery not taking place. The distinction being made on both sides between emergency and non-emergency cases is bogus, unfair and an affront to patients.
I respectfully suggest to the Taoiseach—
We cannot have a detailed discussion. The Deputy must be very brief.
I am not seeking a detailed discussion. The House will very rapidly empty, Sir, and will be becalmed for the rest of the day. In view of the unprecedented threatened strike, the fact that thousands of people are booked in for different kinds of operations and that some hospitals have decided to close entirely, does the Taoiseach not think that next week will be too late? In advance of such a debate, which will be welcomed, the general public who will not be party to that debate are entitled, over this weekend, to have some communication from the Minister for Health and Children, wherever he happens to be, as to the arrangements that have been put in place? Negotiations are taking place in secret between the health authorities and the Department of Health and Children and the general public are entitled to—
The Deputy has put his question and we cannot have a detailed discussion.
I ask the Taoiseach for a response.
Senior people on both sides are trying to work out adequate cover. It is well known in the hospitals and the health service generally what they are trying to do. There are difficulties. The Minister for Health and Children gave two lengthy interviews on two stations yesterday and explained the current position to the public.
Why are Irish meat factories allowed to pay artificially low prices for cattle—
The Deputy should submit a parliamentary question on that matter. It is not appropriate to the Order of Business.
I ask a straight question which is very relevant.
It is not relevant to the Order of Business.
There is no answer, of course.
When will the planning Bill, which has been published, be debated in the House? Will the Taoiseach consider taking Part V of that Bill and bringing it before the House as a separate item of legislation to deal with the housing problem, in view of the fact that there are now 50,000 people on local authority waiting lists and the reports that house prices are going—
The Deputy may not make comments on his question.
I understand that discussion of the Bill will commence in the Seanad in the next few weeks, possibly next week.
Will the Taoiseach consider bringing Part V of the Bill before this House as a separate item of legislation so that we can speed up the introduction of measures to deal with the housing crisis?
Part V is an integral part of the Bill and it must stand as one item of legislation.
I hope the Taoiseach is paying attention to the public's serious concerns regarding the pending nurses' strike.
I have allowed this matter to be discussed. If the Deputy has a question on the Order of Business she should put it.
I notice a very large contingent from the Loreto school in Swords in the Public Gallery and they will understand, probably better than the Taoiseach, the risks to people's lives when operations cannot be performed.
In view of the announcement made outside this House by the Minster of State, Deputy Tom Kitt, will the Taoiseach tell us when legislation to increase fines under the health and safety legislation will be introduced to ensure that safety on building sites is improved and fines which are paltry by today's standards are increased?
At the Minister's request, the Health and Safety Authority is looking at appro priate amendments to the legislation and these will be brought forward in due course.
Given what we now know about Charlie Haughey's extravagant shopping sprees in Paris, will the Taoiseach indicate when he will introduce legislation to properly regulate the party leader's allowance or does he think it is appropriate that the money is spent on—
This matter is not promised legislation. I call Deputy Jim Higgins.
It is. A Cheann Comhairle, with respect, on a point of order, the Taoiseach has promised inside and outside the House that he will introduce whatever appropriate measures are necessary to clean up the image of politics. This matter would be precisely suitable for such a measure as no receipts are required.
As no legislation is promised on this matter, I ask the Deputy to resume his seat. I call Deputy Jim Higgins.
On a point of order—
I asked the Deputy to resume his seat and he should do so. I have called Deputy Jim Higgins.
On a point of information, that Act was reviewed in 1995 and new legislation was passed in 1996—
I know that.
—and the rules that applied in the period under examination by the tribunal is not the legislation that is applicable today.
I know that, but it is still the case that no receipts are required. I have checked that.
That is correct.
(Mayo): Three years ago the people of this country voted overwhelmingly to strengthen our bail laws and restrict the availability of bail. The excuse given in the meantime for non-implementation of this legislation was an insufficient—
As many Deputies are offering, I ask Deputies to put their questions to the Taoiseach.
(Mayo): My question is in relation to legislation. Now that the waxed floors have been replaced at Cloverhill and we have 400 additional prison spaces, when will the bail legislation come into effect?
Is the Deputy asking me about the prison services Bill?
(Mayo): No, the bail Bill.
The Minister has answered that question in the House a number of times. With the enormous improvements in the capital programme, which the Minister has enunciated, he will be able to get around to that fairly soon, but that is a matter for him. The prison services Bill will be ready early next year.
(Mayo): We had a referendum on bail and the people voted overwhelmingly in favour of it; we had bail legislation to give effect to it, but it has not been implemented – it has not been brought into effect. When will it be brought into effect? When will the Minister sign the necessary order?
He is a very slow mover.
As soon as possible.
What action is the Tánaiste taking to reverse the decision by Sealand and their parent company to pull out of Cork airport business park?
It would be more appropriate if the Deputy tabled a parliamentary question on that matter; it is not appropriate to the Order of Business.
This is a very important matter. It involves 160 relatively new jobs and people left employment to take up these jobs.
It is an important matter and the Deputy should proceed by way of tabling a parliamentary question on the matter, but it is not appropriate to the Order of Business.
Where is Ivor? He met them three weeks ago.
Does the Government intend to introduce legislation to regularise the tax position of members of the Irish League of Credit Unions? Can he tell us why the Irish League of Credit Unions finds it impossible to get an appointment to meet either the Minister for Finance, the Taoiseach or the Tánaiste?
Is there promised legislation on this matter?
There is no promised legislation on this matter, but I will convey the Deputy's plea on behalf of the credit unions to the Ministers.
The Taoiseach should meet them.
I do regularly.
(Dublin West): Rents for houses and flats continue to accelerate at an outrageous rate—
The Deputy cannot make a statement as it is not fair to other Deputies.
(Dublin West): I am not making a statement. It was just a preamble to the question.
Preambles are not in order on the Order of Business.
(Dublin West): The question could have been well finished with by now – I could have asked it and the Taoiseach might have responded by now. In view of the fact that landlords are rack-renting at a rate that might shock even Michael Davitt of the Land League, I ask the Taoiseach not to hide behind the commission, to which he has referred in his answers to me on this matter on several previous occasions, but to tell me when legislation to control profiteering by landlords will come before the Dáil in order to ease the suffering of tens of thousands of low paid workers who are in despair at the rate of private rented accommodation.
As the Deputy knows, the commission is working to come up with recommendations on this matter and when it has completed its work the Minister will examine its recommendations.
The Deputy should table a parliamentary question on this matter. I call Deputy McGrath.
(Dublin West): When will the commission report? The Taoiseach gave me the same answer six months ago, but in the meantime rents have gone up by 25 per cent.
Deputy Higgins, please resume your seat.
Will the Taoiseach convey to the Tánaiste, Deputy Harney, the fact that 125 workers—
The Deputy should pursue that matter in another way. It is open to the Deputy to pursue the matter in another way today.
(Interruptions).
It is not in order on the Order of Business, but if the Deputy wishes to pursue it in an orderly way he may do so later today.
Those workers should not have been informed in that way.
If the Deputy persists, it may not be possible for him to do that. It is not in order on the Order of Business. I call Deputy Sargent.
Cathain a bheidh an Human Rights' Commission Bill atá foilsithe cheana féin os comhair na Dála. Ceist eile, Seachtain na nAinmhithe atá ann faoi láthair ach is é an Protection of Animals Act 1911 atá fós i bhfeidhm. Cathain a bheidh Bille ann chun feabhas a chur ar an scéal sin. Caogadh pingin a ghearrtar ar dhuine a mharaíonn madra os comhair beirt pháiste, cuir i gcás.
The human rights legislation is ordered for Second Stage and the animal rights legislation will be ready as soon as possible.
That concludes the Order of Business.