Will the Taoiseach use whatever influence he might have with the Lord Mayor of Dublin to protect the citizens of this country and city, and the residents, from the most repressive legislation that it is proposed to bring in? It would be worthy of Lenin, Stalin—
Order of Business (Resumed).
We cannot discuss legislation now, Deputy. You must ask a question on the legislation, but no—
The nefarious KGB would happily implement it. Will the Taoiseach persuade the Lord Mayor of Dublin to lift this threat from the liberties of our citizens?
Is there promised legislation in this area? I understand there is no promised legislation.
There is threatened legislation.
(Interruptions.)
Order, please.
There is not any threat from Stalin to the city of Dublin. I am not sure what legislation the Deputy is talking about.
Will the Taoiseach confirm that after a two and a half year wait the Minister for the Environment and Local Government will today publish the Road Traffic Bill? Will he indicate to which House will the Bill be sent first and when it will be debated in this House?
It will come to this House, as far as I know, but it will be published today.
I ask the Taoiseach about the Criminal Justice (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill on a day when we hear the shocking news that yet another young man has died from violence on the streets of Dublin, the third such death in a number of months. Will the Taoiseach consider setting up a task force immediately to address the issues which are leading to this problem?
The heads of the Bill are expected in the summer. The Bill will be drafted following that.
Public order has broken down in the country.
On promised legislation, on a day when we had the revelation that 54 Filipino nurses have been living in accommodation that is fit only for pigs, will the Taoiseach ensure that the nursing Bill is brought swiftly into this House and that it will include the protection of nurses and prevent any further exploitation of these skilled professionals—
Questions about that matter are not relevant to the Order of Business.
—who are coming to this country to help us but who are being exploited in this way by the State?
The heads of the Bill are expected shortly and the Bill will be published in the autumn.
I want to raise the same issue in relation to the work permits legislation. Will the Taoiseach again tell us when that legislation is due and on whose head will be the responsibility for ensuring that people who are pro-actively sought to come here to work are treated properly when they get here? Who is responsible, is it the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment or the Minister for Health and Children? Everybody is passing this issue from one person to another. Also, will the Taoiseach take up the issue of the 54 Filipino nurses living in squalid, inhumane conditions in the city of Dublin and the message that sends to anybody who wants to come to work here?
The work permits legislation is due in the middle of this year.
Not soon enough.
On a related matter, namely, the statement yesterday by an officer of the Department of Social, Community and Family Affairs about the dubious legality of the maintenance payment of £15 currently paid to asylum seekers, will the Taoiseach indicate if there is any intention to introduce legislation to regularise this matter, or what is the current legal position?
Questions on an intention are not in order unless there is promised legislation.
There is no legislation due but the Minister dealt with that matter during the passing of the legislation.
In view of the uncertainty surrounding the rationale behind the Government appeal to the Supreme Court on the Kathryn Sinnott case, will the Taoiseach make Government time available to take the motion in the name of Fine Gael Members on this issue as soon as possible?
It is a Private Members' motion.
The Taoiseach could make Government time available for it.
No.
We should tease out policy issues in the House.
(Dublin West): The right of the people to freedom of assembly and freedom of expression in their capital is not a matter of fun and should not be made a matter of fun in this Dáil by elected representatives.
It is not fun at all.
The Deputy should ask a question.
(Dublin West): It is believed that up to 200,000 immigrant workers may come to this State in the next few years. As we have seen in the case of the accommodation abuse of the Filipino nurses, they are subject to the greed of landlordism which has not abated in a century. I refer to the Immigration and Residence Bill which could include a provision to criminally prosecute those who bring immigrants here and then exploit them.
That is not a matter on the Order of Business. The Deputy can ask a question about when the legislation will be introduced.
(Dublin West): The Immigration and Residence Bill could include protection against exploitation by making it a criminal offence to exploit people.
The Deputy can make his point when the Bill comes before the House.
(Dublin West): If the Housing (Private Rented Sector) Bill was introduced, it would help to control the rampant landlordism which abuses many of our citizens and immigrants. When will those two Bills be introduced in the House so that the shame accruing to this country as a result of the exploitation of those who have come to help our sick can be ended?
The Deputy is making a statement rather than asking a question.
The Immigration and Residence Bill will deal with these matters. It will update the law on immigration, residence and other matters relating to non-nationals. The heads of the Bill are expected in the summer and the Bill is expected in the autumn. The Housing (Private Rented Sector) Bill will give effect to the report of the commission on the private rented sector. The heads of that Bill are expected later in the year.
More people, including a woman who walked out of Mountjoy Prison, have escaped from Garda custody in the past three months than in the whole of last year.
Does the Deputy have a question? He cannot make statements.
When will the Prison Service Bill be published? Are such releases from Garda custody an example of the Government's policy of zero tolerance?
The Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform should be on his feet screaming.
It will be published early next year.
It is not a revolving door any more but an open door.
Women are walking out of prison.
Order, please.
As regards threatened legislation, when is it proposed to take the so-called Waste Management (Amendment) Bill, known today as the local democracy dumping Bill? As regards the Local Government Bill, particularly the issue of the dual mandate, have the protracted negotiations between the Government and certain Independents in the House been concluded and, if so, when will Second Stage of the Local Government Bill be taken in the House?
Such a question is not in order on the Order of Business.
The Waste Management (Amendment) Bill has been published and will be taken in this House shortly.
I am tempted to ask if the local democracy Bill will provide for the abolition of knee capping. As regards a motion in my name before the House which seeks the appointment of a Minister to co-ordinate immigrant affairs and given that 200,000 immigrants are forecast to come here, the recent treatment of Filipino nurses and the death last week of two young Chinese people—
The Deputy should not continue with a long statement. He should ask a question.
—does the Taoiseach agree it is now time to have a debate on that motion because we are sleep walking into a nightmare? We must consider this matter and prepare for it properly. We need a Minister to co-ordinate immigrant affairs. Can we have a debate on that motion?
The Deputy can move his motion in Private Members' time at any time he wishes.
The Government should be concerned about it.
As I already said to the Deputy, a Cabinet sub-committee with senior officials from the relevant groups and agencies meets regularly to discuss this issue and to co-ordinate the effort. It does an excellent job.
How could this happen? The Government must not be doing much about it.
When does the Government intend to introduce the Private Security Services Bill? We waited three years for it to be published. Two more deaths have occurred which are related to nightclub incidents. This Bill should be introduced as a matter of urgency.
The Bill has been published for almost three months. It is matter of scheduling it in the House.
How many more deaths will there be before that happens?
Mr. Higgins (Mayo) : On Friday next the clerical staff of Aer Lingus will go on strike yet again. This means the country will be paralysed as all flights will be grounded and the travelling public will be discommoded. Section G of promised legislation states:
Listed below are Bills which, it is proposed, will be taken at Second Stage in the Dáil during the Spring Session. It is important to note that the list is indicative only and may change due to circumstances.
The Aer Lingus Bill, 2000, is listed for March/April. Is it proposed to proceed with the flotation of a company in which every sector has been on strike over the past six months and which now looks as if it will face further industrial relations chaos when pilots join the clerical staff? What is the position with this Bill? Will anyone try to sort out the chaos in Aer Lingus?
There is no one in the cockpit.
The legislation has already been published. The Deputy knows as well as I do what is behind this and we know how it can be resolved.
Mr. Higgins (Mayo) : How will it be resolved?
On the day of the welcome announcement of the Road Traffic Bill after two and a half years, will the Taoiseach make my day by telling us when the Ombudsman for Children Bill and the Adoption Contact Register Bill will be introduced in the House, both of which have been outstanding for four years?
The Ombudsman for Children Bill is due in the middle of this year.
What about the Adoption Contact Register Bill?
I am looking for your guidance, a Cheann Comhairle. If a Deputy tables specific questions, is he or she entitled to a specific reply? Is the Ceann Comhairle aware that the rules often used in giving a reply—
The Deputy is not in order. That concludes the Order of Business. We must proceed with the business of the day.