The Order of Business shall be No. 4, the Gas (Amendment) Bill, 2000 – Order for Second Stage and Second Stage; No. 5, the Proceeds of Crime (Amendment) Bill, 1999 – Order for Second Stage and Second Stage and No. 16, motion re Report of the Joint Committee on European Affairs on European Aspects of the Drugs Issue, to be taken not later than immediately following the announcement of Matters on the Adjournment under Standing Order 21 and the Order shall not resume thereafter. It is proposed, notwithstanding anything in Standing Orders that the following arrangements shall apply in relation to No. 16: the opening speech of the chairperson of the Joint Committee on European Affairs and the speeches of the spokespersons for the Government and the Labour Party, who shall be called upon in that order, and of each other Member called upon, shall not exceed ten minutes in each case, Members may share time, and the chairperson of the Joint Committee on European Affairs shall be called upon to make a speech in reply which shall not exceed ten minutes.
Order of Business.
There is one proposal to be put to the House. Is the proposal for dealing with No. 16 agreed to? Agreed.
In the context of promised legislation concerning the registration of medical practitioners and the nursing and health professions, which is on the Government's list, will the Minister ensure provisions are made to deal with the scandalous circumstances where people from Longford and Westmeath are unable to obtain cataract operations on the health service without the intervention of the Lions Club which, independently from the health service, is providing them with transport to Dublin on a charitable basis? Does the Minister agree that those in Longford and Westmeath who are blind because of cataracts should not have to rely on a voluntary organisation? The public health service should treat their cataract problems without outside intervention. Perhaps the idea of a public health service does not apply.
Deputy Bruton asked about legislation – work is in progress on the Medical Practitioners (Amendment) Bill, to update and amend certain provisions of the 1978 Act. The heads are expected in September 2000 and publication later this year.
Is the Minister aware there are 4,300 people awaiting cataract operations and they may not be as fortunate as the people living in Longford and Westmeath who have had the benefit of the assistance of the Lions Club in getting their cataract operations done and arranging transport to and accommodation in Dublin?
The details and contents of the Bill—
Will the Minister, who is a compassionate person and would congratulate the Lions Club for what it has done, ensure the Minister for Health and Children fulfils his responsibility regarding the rest of the country so the Lions Club is not asked to intervene in Cork, Meath, Limerick and elsewhere, as they have so commendably done in Longford and Westmeath?
We cannot have a debate on the issue.
Sir, will you clarify a point of order in relation to last night's proceedings? Am I correct in understanding that the Labour Party Private Members' Bill was not, in effect, postponed last night, that a vote was taken on Second Stage, the Bill passed Second Stage but it will not be eligible to go into Committee until 1 December and, therefore, there will not be another vote on Second Stage?
The next question to be put will be on the motion to refer the matter to an appropriate committee but that cannot be done until after 1 December.
Is the Government prepared to reconsider its national waste strategy in light of the reports from the EPA in the United States?
The Deputy must proceed. I have ruled on that matter. It cannot be raised on the Order of Business.
I wish to ask about specific legislation.
On specific legislation.
In light of the environmental problems we are facing, including incineration, when will the EPA (Amendment) Bill be introduced? The Government is dragging its feet.
The heads of the Environmental Protection Agency (Amendment) Bill are expected this month or next month and the Bill is expected to be published later this year.
Is it intended to have a debate on the White Paper on Defence? I am not sure if the Lions Club organise birthday parties, but I am sure the House would like to join with me in wishing the former Taoiseach and Leader of the Opposition, Deputy John Bruton, a very happy birthday.
I thank the Deputy, he is very good.
I join Deputy Power in wishing Deputy John Bruton a happy birthday. I am sure the Whips could arrange a debate on the White Paper.
What is the Government position on legislation to reform the Ethics in Public Office Act, 1995?
That matter was dealt with in our amendment to the Bill before the House last night. The legislation which will be considered by the all-party committee—
There is not an all-party committee.
—was laid out and I understand the Taoiseach will write to the party leaders later this morning.
On the same matter, the Minister for Finance described the Bill, which is now almost complete—
It is not appropriate to refer to the contents of a Bill.
I am not referring to the contents of the Bill, I am merely referring to its timetable. No. 8 on the list is close to publication. Will it be published independently of any action taken by any all-party committee or multi-party committee that might be established?
It will be published before the summer recess.
Either there will be an all-party committee or there will not be any committee.
Will the Minister take an interest in the tortuous progress of the Education Welfare Bill? Figures published yesterday showed that absenteeism in Irish schools is double the European average. We are still prevaricating about introducing a decent Bill to deal with this. It is taking a very long time and the Minister could use her influence to put the skids under the Bill.
The Bill is ordered for Report Stage.
An féidir liom ceist a chur faoi reachtaíocht atá geallta i leith cúrsaí tithíochta sna Gaeltachta? Tá reachtaíocht i leith deontais tithíochta sna Gaeltachta geallta le seal fada agus anois tá sé ar an chéad liosta reachtaíochta atá geallta roimh an samhradh. Cathain a foilseofar an Bille?
That Bill will be taken during this session.
The House is aware that the Bill to establish a single regulator for the financial services industry is being delayed. Will the Minister try to knock some sense into the Tánaiste on this matter?
There would be no better woman to do it.
We could sell tickets for that. We could put it on pay per view.
I will stand up for the Tánaiste and ask the Minister to knock some sense into the Minister for Finance.
The Chair would like to knock something into the Deputy.
The Statute of Limitations (Amendment) Bill, in my name, was supposed to come back to the House this week with the Seanad amendments bit it was taken off the list. When will this Bill be completed so those who were abused as children will have the opportunity to take civil action?
It will be done as soon as possible. The relevant Department was not ready to proceed with it this week but it will be proceeded with as quickly as possible.
It will only take half an hour. I am very concerned about the delay, these people have been waiting for a long time for justice. It is unacceptable that it was on the list, then removed. There was other legislation from the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform on the list which was dealt with. Why was the Bill removed from the list?
I am told the Department was not ready to deal with it. I agree that it is important legislation and I hope it can be proceeded with as quickly as possible.
The Department proposed the amendments to the Bill. How can it not be ready?
What has happened to the promised posting of workers directive Bill? Also, yesterday the Minister for Defence indicated that he intended to allow members of the reserve to serve overseas within the next 12 months. Will legislation be needed to put this into effect and when will we see such legislation?
There is no need for legislation to allow for members of the reserve to serve overseas. I will inform the Deputy of the answer to his first question.
Questions on the need for legislation are not appropriate to the Order of Business.
(Dublin West): Since the newly revealed facts about the damaging effects of incineration make it clear that the environmental protection (amendment) Bill will be totally inadequate to deal with—
The inadequacy of a Bill is not appropriate to the Order of Business.
(Dublin West): We are talking about fumes which are even more noxious than those coming out of the Flood tribunal at present.
The Deputy may raise that issue in other ways.
(Dublin West): There is a real danger to people's health. What legislation will now be introduced to deal with the health dangers of incineration and dioxins, proven beyond doubt in the United States, and to account for the fact that our environmental legislation is wholly predicated on incineration?