It is proposed to take No. 16, Motion re Grand Canal Docks Area, No. 17, Finance Bill, 2000, Financial Resolutions (Nos. 1-7), and No. 41, Social Welfare Bill, 2000, Second Stage (resumed). It is also proposed, notwithstanding anything in Standing Orders, that Nos. 16 and 17 shall be decided without debate and that, in the case of No. 17, all resolutions shall be moved together and decided by one question which shall be put from the Chair. Private Members' business shall be No. 96, motion re White Paper on the Defence Forces.
Order of Business.
Is the proposal for dealing with Nos. 16 and 17 agreed? Agreed.
Will the Taoiseach or the Minister for Finance avail of an opportunity to comment on suggestions that we may face some increases in interest rates because of the fall in the value of the euro in light of the high levels of borrowing many people have undertaken?
That does not arise.
I know, but it is important just the same.
The Minister for Finance is dealing with Committee Stage of the Finance Bill this week, so I am sure someone will raise it with him at that point.
I would be more interested to know if he intends to bring forward amendments to give effect to the request of the Irish League of Credit Unions for changes to the Finance Bill.
That does not arise.
On a sad and tragic note, the House should take note of and express sympathy on the tragic death in a road accident this morning of Mr. Frank Lynch, the President of the Irish League of Credit Unions.
I am sure everyone in the House joins with that.
I join with that.
Will the Taoiseach clarify if the agreement between the Chief of Staff and the Minister for Defence has been incorporated into the White Paper, if not, why not and what does the Taoiseach intend to do about it?
That will be the subject of debate this evening in Private Members' time.
I am not sure that aspect of it will.
The Deputy cannot pre-empt the debate.
Is the Taoiseach aware the National Minimum Wage Bill is to be introduced on Second Stage tomorrow and will finish on Thursday and that, notwithstanding that, it is proposed that it will go to Committee Stage on Friday morning? It is unacceptable that there is not an interregnum on important legislation such as this, between the end of Second Stage and the commencement of Committee Stage. With all due respect to the social partners, the House should not be treated as a rubber stamp. It is unacceptable if we have reached the stage where the social partners propose and this House disposes. It does not permit the Opposition an opportunity to scrutinise the legislation.
I will ask the Whips to examine the times but it must be passed by 1 April. There is a break over St. Patrick's Day which is the reason for the tight time. There was also a question of getting the committee to facilitate its passing which it is obviously doing.
It does not have to be passed by 1 April although that is the date the Government fixed.
The Deputy should ask a question appropriate to the Order of Business.
On that legislation, is the Taoiseach aware that the reason it is being expedited through the House is because a major public relations exercise has been arranged for the second half of March?
That does not arise on the Order of Business.
Will the Taoiseach outline whether under the Medical Practitioners (Amendment) Bill or any other health legislation additional resources will be made available? In recent months, the people of north Dublin have buried a number of their young people who died from meningitis.
That is out of order. I call Deputy Quinn.
There is a need for more research to be conducted into this disease. Would the Taoiseach give a commitment to examine this?
Please, Deputy Owen, I have called Deputy Quinn.
I know it is not directly in order—
Deputy Owen will have to find another way of raising the matter.
—but more young people have died from meningitis in north Dublin in the past three months than in the previous year.
Deputy Owen is being disorderly.
Will the Taoiseach take this up with the Minister for Health and Children so that additional funding is made available for research into this appalling disease?
Deputy Owen should resume her seat.
I realise I am out of order but it is the only way I can raise this. Perhaps the Taoiseach will take it on board.
Does the Deputy wish to leave the House?
I do not wish to leave the House.
Then she should resume her seat.
It is a sad day when I cannot raise this.
Deputy Owen knows the procedures of the House.
I was trying to be in order.
There are other ways of raising the matter such as an Adjournment matter or parliamentary questions.
My question relates to promised legislation which, if enacted, might reduce the number of deaths on building sites. The Minister of State at the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment announced a massive campaign earlier this week to reduce the number of fatal and serious accidents on sites. In that campaign, he indicated it was the Government's intention to increase the fines for breaches. This would require legislation. Given that the Labour Party has a Private Members' Bill in this area, No. 94 on the Order Paper, would the Government consider taking that Bill through Second Stage and making the necessary amendments? It provides for increases in fines. To facilitate the work of the House and the overloaded legislative programme, would the Government consider taking an existing Bill through Second Stage at least?
The Minister of State was referring to his involvement in reviewing the Health and Safety Act, 1990 in conjunction with the various agencies to up-date that Act, not just in relation to fines but in relation to other aspects as well. It is his intention to do that as soon as possible.
The campaign gives great stress to—
The Deputy should ask a question.
The Minister promised increases in fines for breaches in relation to procedures on construction sites. That could be done very quickly if the Government is serious about it by taking this legislation—
The Deputy's question is not appropriate to the Order of Business.
I am asking if the Government is serious about dealing with this issue—
Deputy Enda Kenny.
I may be out of order, but as I understand it the Minister of State said he is introducing legislation to review the Act. He would not need to amend the Act to do some of the things suggested by Deputy Quinn, he would need only amend the 1995 regulations. That, as I understand it, is what he is doing. Amendment of the regulations will deal with the fines issue, not the whole subject.
On the review of the legislation to establish the Arts Council, is it proposed to introduce a new Act? Will the Taoiseach put a time scale on the review as announced by him and agreed to by the Minister? In view of the Minister's comments and the fact that the central core of the Broadcasting Bill, 1999 has been removed, is it proposed to introduce a new Bill? When will the Minister bring forward amendments to the current Bill in view of the fact that the committee dealing with this wasted six months taking evidence from organisations involved in this area?
On the first issue, what I said last week was that the Minister told the Arts Council that she is considering making an amendment to the Arts Act. That issue could be best dealt with by way of parliamentary question.
There are no proposals to alter the fundamental principles of the Broadcasting Bill. However, the development of a transaction process that would meet the Government's objectives has proved to be complex and difficult. The Minister is consulting on a way forward following which she may have observations to bring to Government. She will also meet the RTE Authority to discuss those issues, and if necessary will bring forward proposals to Government.
Does the Government plan to introduce legislation which would increase the number of venues at which couples can celebrate a civil marriage given today's media coverage of the huge number of women who will take advantage of the leap year to propose marriage? This is a very serious issue. The facilities available to many couples wishing to have a civil ceremony are very grotty. These people are entitled to proper facilities.
The Deputy should raise the matter by way of parliamentary question, it is not appropriate to the Order of Business.
Will the Taoiseach say if time can be found soon for a discussion on No. 48 on the Order Paper Statements on Iraq, so that we can get an independent assessment of the effect of sanctions on children in Iraq? It is timely for us to do that.
The matter has been on the Order Paper for some time. It is a matter for the Whips if they wish to re-order it. I do not have any objection to it.
The House will be aware that the Government has spent 45% more money on the health service since coming into office. What Members may not be aware of is that waiting list figures that have to be released—
Do you have a question, Deputy?
I have. Given that within three months there has been a 10% increase in the number of people waiting for hospital procedures, and the failure of the Minister for Health and Children and his Department to deal with this—
If Deputy McManus has a question appropriate to the Order of Business, she should ask it.
—will the Taoiseach make a statement to this House on how his Government will deal with the crisis in our hospitals?
Deputy McManus knows she is out of order.
Does the Taoiseach not care about the hospital-—
Deputy McManus, we cannot discuss this matter on the Order of Business. The Deputy knows the Standing Orders.
(Mayo): On promised legislation, the European Convention on Human Rights was drafted in 1950 and Ireland was one of the first countries to sign and ratify it. Yet, 50 years later we remain the only country of the 41 contracting states which has not introduced the necessary legislation to give effect to it in our domestic courts. When will we have the long awaited legislation?
The Minister is looking at ways of incorporating that into legislation. I do not have a date for when that will be done.
Does the Government have any proposals for a substantial debate on the future enlargement of the European Union?
That matter is not appropriate to the Order of Business.
When I try to raise the matter by way of question to the Taoiseach it is either transferred or disallowed. Raising the issue here is the only way I can hope to get an answer.
Deputy Deasy should speak to his Whip.
It is not appropriate for Deputy Deasy to raise such matters on the Order of Business.
(Dublin West): On the amending legislation just promised by the Taoiseach regarding safety on construction sites, there is a suggestion that thousands of casual workers on building sites will not be covered by the safety plan for construction workers launched yesterday. In view of that, when will the amending legislation be brought forward to ensure that building workers in vulnerable positions-—
We cannot discuss what might be in the legislation, but only when it might come before the House.
(Dublin West): I am trying to ensure that workers in vulnerable positions are protected from injury and death.
Is any legislation promised?
The Minister of State has given an undertaking to review the original legislation as part of the campaign to improve the safety of such workers.
(Dublin West): When can we expect such legislation?
It may be possible to do this by way of the 1995 regulations. If that proves possible, the matter will be dealt with very quickly.
Will the Taoiseach give us the revised date for publication of the Local Government Bill since it no longer seems likely it will be published during the month of February?
Before the next local election.
Will it be the next session, after Easter?
When will we have this statute law restatement Bill to allow the Attorney General, who is a legal adviser, not a member of the Government, to publish modernised legislation? That is what the Government hand-out on legis lation states. The Attorney General has never been permitted to publish legislation. He is simply a legal adviser. What is this all about and when will it be introduced?
The heads of that Bill will come before Government in a few weeks time.
What is it all about? The hand-out states that the Attorney General will publish legislation. That is unheard of.
We cannot have a debate on it on the Order of Business.
Why do we need it? What is it all about?
We must move on to deal with the business of the House.
I return to a question that was raised earlier, the statement in today's Irish Times whereby the Minister for Justice—
Deputy Quinn, without interruption, please.
—has indicated that he intends to incorporate in Irish domestic legislation the European Human Rights Convention. There is a Bill before the House setting up the Human Rights Commission as part and parcel of the Good Friday Agreement. On promised legislation, is it the intention of the Government to introduce separate legislation to incorporate the convention into Irish law or is it the intention to amend the legislation as published to provide for its incorporation?
It will be done by way of separate legislation.
When will we see that legislation? Why not avail of—
Please allow the Taoiseach to answer, Deputy.
Deputy Quinn has made his point. This is separate legislation and I do not have a time scale for its introduction.
When is it intended to bring the Valuation Bill before this House?
The middle of this year.
People running B&Bs are concerned about this legislation.
I am sure the Taoiseach is familiar with the statement by the Tánaiste at the weekend on immigrant workers. When will the work permits Bill be published? If the Taoiseach forces Committee Stage of the National Minimum Wage Bill, 2000, to be taken on Friday morning, will he assure the House that it will not be shortened irrespective of the imperative under which we are operating?
The first part of the Deputy's question is in order.
I will consider the second matter the Deputy raised. The Government has authorised the drafting of the heads of the work permits Bill and they have been sent to the parliamentary draftsman. It is expected it will be ready for the autumn session.