No. 87 also appears in my name and in the names of Deputies Dukes and Olivia Mitchell. Does the Government intend to bring forward promised road traffic legislation in order to give us an opportunity to discuss the ongoing crisis relating to taxis in the Dublin region?
Order of Business (Resumed).
There is a road traffic Bill in preparation which will provide for changes in the legislation to implement aspects of the road traffic and road safety strategy and certain other matters. Work on the Bill is at a preliminary stage in the Department, so it will not appear until next year.
Is it in order for the Tánaiste to give a preview of the provisions in the forthcoming budget, as she did at the weekend?
That matter is not in order.
Is it in order for the Tánaiste to announce details of the forthcoming budget?
That is not an appropriate question on the Order of Business.
(Interruptions.)
A Deputy
It will be a Progressive Democrats budget.
It was nearly an RIP budget.
No. 81 on section (c) of the schedule of legislation under Justice refers to the prisons service Bill. Will the Taoiseach indicate when the Bill is likely to come before the House? When the Bill is introduced, will the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform indicate how he has opened two prisons which have no inmates? How was it possible to open the women's prison, install prisoners for the day and remove them at night because the prison is not complete?
A Deputy
It was done for the cameras.
The general scheme of the Bill is due early next year and the legislation will be introduced later in the year.
(Interruptions.)
When will the prisons that have been opened so ostentatiously by the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform actually be open for business rather than photo opportunities?
That is not appropriate on the Order of Business.
Zero competence.
Ar an National Parks and Historic Properties Bill, nuair atá na páirceanna naisiúnta faoi bhagairt ar nós Glen of the Downs, an féidir leis an Taoiseach deifir a chur ar an mBille sin? Níl uimhir fiú ar an mBille agus tá go leor áiteanna faoi bhagairt.
There are 35 sections in the Bill to afford protection to the national parks and gardens. I do not have a date for it. I have asked for it to be speeded up but it will not be taken in this session.
The Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, having inherited two very good projects in Clover Hill and the women's prison in Mountjoy, is making a complete mess of things.
Something appropriate to the Order of Business, please.
I want to ask the Taoiseach about the national minimum wage Bill, which has been promised for some time. Given that the Government's commitment is to bring in the minimum wage in April 2000, what will be the length of time required to debate this Bill and how will employers be informed of all its mechanisms if it is not produced quickly? The Department is already dealing with copyright legislation which will take up committee time. The national minimum wage Bill must come before the House if there is to be any chance of it being introduced by April 2000.
It is the intention to have the Bill before Christmas.
(Mayo): An innocent man has been lying seriously ill in St. Vincent's Hospital for ten years having been badly beaten for no reason by bouncers outside a night club in Dublin. A second young man sustained serious injuries last week outside another night club. Will the Taoiseach tell us the reason for the delay in bringing forward a Bill to regulate the private security industry? If he cannot bring forward his own legislation, will he consider adopting the Fine Gael legislation which deals with this area where unlicensed thugs are allowed to inflict serious injuries on innocent people?
The general scheme of the Bill will clear this month but the legislation will not be ready until next year.
When will the legislation allowing for the representation of parents on vocational education committees be brought before the Dáil? Are constitutional changes anticipated in view of the fact that the Taoiseach was photographed recently in military uniform?
The vocational education Bill is due in the next session.
We have witnessed the unedifying spectacle in media reports of serious tension between the Arts Council and its executive. The Minister recently announced a radical review of arts legislation. Does that mean there will be a new arts Act? In the revised programme for Government, the islander allowance has been removed from the document. Is it proposed to introduce legislation on that?
That is not appropriate on the Order of Business.
It will come from the Leader's allowance to Inishvickillane.
While the Taoiseach looked well in his camouflage jacket, the Defence Forces do not yet have that material for their uniform. Will they be getting it soon?
The first item does not necessarily mean that there will be legislation.
Does the Government have plans to introduce legislation to deal with the 110 per cent increase in armed robbery in the first six months of this year and the dramatic increase in serious crime?
That is not appropriate to the Order of Business.
Zero competence.
Three armed robberies in one week.
That matter would be appropriate to Question Time.
While there has been a number of serious raids recently, the figure is 20 per cent of that of a few years ago.
Sheer complacency.
(Dublin West): Most of the recent raids on banks which I have heard of have been carried out by politicians in pinstripe suits having their debts written off. Events in recent weeks are a source of scandal and anger to people. Will legislation be introduced to outlaw politicians being beholden to the banks by having largescale debts written off? Does this not show a political system in hock to the big financial institutions?
That matter is more appropriate to a parliamentary question.
The public offices commission Bill is being drafted. I would remind the Deputy that there is also legislation about removing election posters.
(Interruptions).
When will a Bill to ensure the registration of sex offenders be introduced? This was promised two years ago.
It will be introduced in this session.
I ask the Leas-Cheann Comhairle to allow me to ask the whole question before he shoots it down. I draw the Taoiseach's attention to the fact there are now 29 Private Members' Bills on the Order Paper, 16 of which happen to be from the Labour Party and many from Fine Gael and others. In view of the tardiness of the Government in advancing its own legislation, an example being the Private Members' Bill referred to by Deputy Jim Higgins, which deals with the security industry, will the Whips discuss the possibility, as has been the case in previous administrations, of Second Stage of those Bills being accepted and their being referred to relevant committee? The Government, if it has amendments to make, would be in a position to make them then. We are simply not doing our job as a Legislature at present. With the permission of the Leas-Cheann Comhairle, I ask the Taoiseach to ask the Whips to discuss this matter because we are not doing the job we were primarily elected to do.
The Whips can discuss that.
Is the Taoiseach aware that the British Government has put together a support package for pig farmers in Northern Ireland and that pig farmers in the Border region—
That is not appropriate to the Order of Business.
It is appropriate for those whose constituencies are affected.
Before moving to item 12, while I do not wish to re-open matters that have been raised on the Order of Business, I feel I must place on record that Deputy Quinn's remarks, which reflect on my impartiality, are totally unwarranted and disorderly. I will not allow such charges to be made against me again without taking appropriate action.
With all due respect, I would like to respond. As the Leader of an Opposition party in this House, like any other Deputy, while I am in order, I have the right to complete a question to the Chair before it is ruled on.
The Deputy had completed the question. I am not getting into a discussion on this.
I took exception to a ruling being made before my question was completed. If I caused offence to the Chair, I withdraw my remarks.
I appreciate that.