Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Wednesday, 21 Nov 2001

Vol. 544 No. 4

Ordnance Survey Ireland Bill, 2001 [ Seanad ] : Report and Final Stages.

Mr. McGrath:

It is extremely disappointing that we do not have the chance to discuss the Ordnance Survey Ireland Bill on Report Stage. Having a guillotine on the Bill today is totally inappropriate. There are very serious consequences for the staff of Ordnance Survey Ireland and many of the amendments to be debated here today will reflect the concerns of staff. Because of the guillotine, the Bill will be dealt with in two minutes. It is ludicrous that it should happen in this way.

I wonder if the Minister for Finance is in a position to say he will withdraw Report Stage today and return to it at some other time, perhaps next week or the week after. There is no great rush. There are a few fundamental points about which that staff are concerned – possible relocation from Dublin, possible relocation from offices in the provinces, and the fundamental issue of there being a worker director on a State company.

Acting Chairman:

The order was already agreed in the House this morning. Amendment No. 1 is out of order and we must proceed with amendment No. 2 in the name of Deputies McGrath and Jim Mitchell.

Mr. McGrath:

On that point, the order was agreed reluctantly after a division in the House this morning and we are left in the ludicrous position of having to accept the Bill as it stands, having got commitments on Committee Stage that the Minister would look at amendments tabled by Deputy McDowell and myself. We will not even hear a response to our amendments.

Acting Chairman:

The Deputy knows the House has already decided on the Order of Business.

Mr. McGrath:

The Minister for Finance is a practical man. He looks at matters in an ordinary, straightforward way. Does he not think it is a bit ridiculous to put the legislation through at this stage? Can he withdraw it and agree to come back to us and allocate time next week or whenever is suitable. We will co-operate in whatever way is necessary. From the point of view of the integrity of this Bill and the integrity of the staff employed by OSI, we should really come back to it.

Acting Chairman:

We have one minute to put the question.

Mr. McGrath:

I will defer to my colleague, Deputy Quinn.

Mr. Quinn:

I respect what Deputy McGrath is saying. I would very much like to see this Bill enacted and I support the work the Ordnance Survey has done in recent years. I regret that we cannot accept that Report Stage be put through. We would be derelict in our duty.

Acting Chairman:

We cannot have major statements on this matter. We have to deal with the amendments that are on the paper. It was already discussed this morning. The House has made a decision on the ruling and the Chair must adhere to that. We must discuss the amendment.

Mr. McGrath:

Maybe the Minister has something to say.

Minister for Finance (Mr. McCreevy):

The Deputy used the word "ridiculous" in his contribution and in view of what took place this morning and in the interests of parliamentary democracy I thought that adjective aptly applied.

Mr. Enright:

That was said yesterday and not today.

Acting Chairman:

We have to speak to the amendments.

(Interruptions.)

Acting Chairman:

As it is now 1 o'clock, I have to put the question.

Mr. Flanagan:

The Chair can call amendment No. 2.

Acting Chairman:

I have to put the question. It is 1 o'clock.

Mr. Enright:

It is an important Bill.

Acting Chairman:

I have to put the question in accordance with the order of the Dáil of this day.

Mr. Flanagan:

It is a travesty.

Acting Chairman:

I am required to put the following question in accordance with an order of the Dáil of this day: "That the amendments set down by the Minister for Finance and not dis posed of are hereby made to the Bill, Fourth Stage is hereby completed and the Bill is hereby passed." Is that agreed?

Mr. McCreevy:

Agreed.

Mr. Flanagan:

The Minister cannot agree that Report Stage is completed. One cannot in all honesty say that.

Mr. McGrath:

The record will show commitments were given by the Minister of State on Committee Stage—

Acting Chairman:

Deputy, I am putting the question.

Mr. McGrath:

On a point of order, a Cheann Comhairle, how can you put the question that Report Stage is completed when there has been no Report Stage debate of the Bill in this House?

An Ceann Comhairle:

A decision in that regard was made this morning on the Order of Business.

Mr. McGrath:

Commitments given by the Minister on Committee Stage were not honoured.

Mr. Belton:

That is true.

An Ceann Comhairle:

That is not a point of order.

Question put.

Tá

Ahern, Bertie.Ahern, Dermot.Ahern, Michael.Ahern, Noel.Ardagh, Seán.Aylward, Liam.Blaney, Harry.Brennan, Matt.Brennan, Séamus.Briscoe, Ben.Byrne, Hugh.Callely, Ivor.Carey, Pat.Collins, Michael.Cooper-Flynn, Beverley.Coughlan, Mary.Cowen, Brian.Davern, Noel.Dempsey, Noel.Dennehy, John.Ellis, John.Fleming, Seán.Flood, Chris.Fox, Mildred.Gildea, Thomas.Hanafin, Mary.Harney, Mary.Haughey, Seán.Healy-Rae, Jackie.Keaveney, Cecilia.Kelleher, Billy.Kenneally, Brendan.

Killeen, Tony.Kirk, Séamus.Kitt, Tom.Lenihan, Conor.McCreevy, Charlie.McDaid, James.McGennis, Marian.McGuinness, John J.Martin, Micheál.Moffatt, Thomas.Molloy, Robert.Moloney, John.Moynihan, Donal.Moynihan, Michael.Ó Cuív, Éamon.O'Dea, Willie.O'Donnell, Liz.O'Hanlon, Rory.O'Keeffe, Batt.O'Kennedy, Michael.O'Rourke, Mary.Roche, Dick.Ryan, Eoin.Smith, Brendan.Smith, Michael.Treacy, Noel.Wade, Eddie.Wallace, Dan.Wallace, Mary.Woods, Michael. Wright, G.V.

Níl

Allen, Bernard.Barnes, Monica.Belton, Louis J.Boylan, Andrew.Bradford, Paul.Broughan, Thomas P.Browne, John (Carlow-Kilkenny).Bruton, John.Burke, Ulick.Carey, Donal.Clune, Deirdre.Connaughton, Paul.Coveney, Simon.Crawford, Seymour.Creed, Michael.D'Arcy, Michael.Deasy, Austin.Deenihan, Jimmy.Enright, Thomas.Farrelly, John.Fitzgerald, Frances.Flanagan, Charles.Gilmore, Éamon.Gormley, John.Gregory, Tony.Hayes, Brian.Hayes, Tom.Healy, Seamus.Higgins, Michael.Hogan, Philip.

Howlin, Brendan.Kenny, Enda.McCormack, Pádraic.McDowell, Derek.McGahon, Brendan.McGinley, Dinny.McGrath, Paul.McManus, Liz.Mitchell, Gay.Mitchell, Olivia.Moynihan-Cronin, Breeda.Naughten, Denis.Noonan, Michael.O'Keeffe, Jim.O'Shea, Brian.O'Sullivan, Jan.Owen, Nora.Penrose, William.Perry, John.Quinn, Ruairí.Reynolds, Gerard.Ring, Michael.Sargent, Trevor.Sheehan, Patrick.Shortall, Róisín.Spring, Dick.Stagg, Emmet.Stanton, David.Timmins, Billy.Upton, Mary.Wall, Jack.

Tellers: Tá, Deputies S. Brennan and Briscoe; Níl, Deputies Bradford and Stagg.

Question declared carried.