It is proposed to take No. 12, Revised Estimates for Public Services 2006, Votes 1 to 40, back from committee; No. 1, Road Traffic Bill 2006 [Seanad] — Second Stage. It is proposed, notwithstanding anything in Standing Orders, that the Dáil shall sit later than 8.30 p.m. and business shall be interrupted not later than 10 p.m. The Revised Estimates for Public Services 2006 shall be moved together and shall be decided without debate by one question, which shall be put from the Chair and any division demanded thereon shall be taken forthwith. Private Members’ business is No. 54, motion re waste management.
Order of Business.
There are two proposals to be put to the House. Is the proposal for dealing with the late sitting agreed? Agreed. Is the proposal for dealing with No. 12, motion re Revised Estimates for the Public Service 2006 without debate agreed? Agreed.
I call Deputy Kenny on the Order of Business.
Is the Bill that is before the Seanad at present in respect of home defence a Government Bill, or is it a Bill from the Government's junior party?
I have raised the matter of SI 170 of 2000 and SI 171 of 2000 on three previous occasions. They deal with the transfer of property rights and liabilities Order of 2000 for the National Rehabilitation Board. A total of 184 staff were employed there and pension rights were due to them.
That does not arise on the Order of Business.
It arises under the statutory instrument which came from the primary legislation. It took one of these individuals six years to get his rights through the courts.
We cannot discuss what is in the primary legislation.
Perhaps the Taoiseach might be able to send a report to me as to the status of the other 104 claims.
It does not arise on the Order of Business.
When is it expected that the Harris report, which was sent to Galway for translation a number of months ago, is likely to be produced here? I find it absolutely astonishing that the public service, which has served this country so well——
We cannot have a debate on it at this stage.
We can of course.
I will allow the last question. The first question referred to a Bill before the Seanad which is not appropriate to the Order of Business in this House.
I asked the Taoiseach when can we expect to have this report published. It used to be done in-house by the public service but not now. It deals with the competency of spoken Irish in primary schools.
We cannot have a debate on it.
I do not seek a debate on it. I seek a debate on when it will be published.
Subject to correction, my belief is that it is due shortly. I will confirm that for Deputy Kenny. I was told it was almost ready two or three weeks ago. The other Bill is a Private Members' Bill of an individual Senator. It is not a Government Bill.
On that point, does the Taoiseach know whether the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform had anything to do with the paternity of that Bill?
It does not arise on the Order of Business.
Does it not?
No Deputy, indeed not.
It arises in the PDs I hear.
For almost two months I have raised the matter of the Dalton report. Everyone, including the media, has received this report except Members of this House. I keep being told by the Taoiseach and the Tánaiste that it will be out soon. Whatever is going on, two months later one cannot get a look at the report.
Regarding the Dalton report I understand the due process based on the accusations and allegations is almost complete and it should be with the Government next week.
Will the Comhairle (Amendment) Bill 2004 be re-introduced as new legislation? It seems to be stuck. If the name of Comhairle changes and other changes are considered, will a new Bill be introduced? For a Bill which deals with information, it seems to be full of mystery. I wonder whether it should be called the faoi rún Bill rather than the Comhairle (Amendment) Bill. It must come before the House unless a new Bill is planned.
This refers to a disability advocacy Bill which has cleared Cabinet and should be published in approximately a week.
We will rip up the old one.
When is it intended to publish the Deloitte & Touche report available to the Government and the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources for some time but not to anybody else? Since it is likely to have a major impact——
That issue was debated last week.
——on the single electricity Bill that will come before the House——
It is not appropriate to raise reports unless they are promised to the House.
This is promised. The publication of the report was promised so many times that I almost believe it. Perhaps the Taoiseach will give an indication as to when it will be published.
This session.
There is not much time left.
In the matter of secondary legislation, when will the Minister for Education and Science make the necessary ministerial order bringing sections of the legislation on the education of persons with special needs from 2004 into effect? It would require the mandatory introduction of individual educational programmes for children with learning difficulties, including dyslexia. Early intervention is absolutely essential in these cases. Schools do not implement the Act even though it is departmental policy without the order being made by the Minister. We are waiting two years for it.
I will communicate with the Deputy.
Given the ever-spiralling house prices, the increasing interest rates now applying and 44,000 family units on local authority waiting lists, has the Government any proposals to bring forward the housing miscellaneous provisions Bill——
It does not arise. It is a question for the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government.
Does the Government intend to bring forward the housing miscellaneous provisions Bill from its scheduled date?
Regarding publication of the cancer strategy, will the Government indicate its willingness to allow for a proper debate before——
It does not arise on the Order of Business.
It certainly does. Whether the Government will allow——
There are other ways in which the Deputy can raise the matter.
Can we have a debate on the cancer strategy announced last week?
The Deputy can ask a question to the Minister. Unless a debate is promised, every Member on each side of the House would want to ask to have a debate on any issue.
I do not know if it has been promised. I asked the Taoiseach whether it is promised. Surely the Taoiseach can clarify it.
Deputy Timmins has a question on housing legislation.
How will we know whether the Minister for Health and Children promised it if she has not told us?
I suggest the Deputy submits a question to the Minister. There are many other ways the Deputy could raise this issue.
I have been doing so but one waits four months because everything is kicked to the HSE.
On the first part of Deputy Ó Caoláin's request, this Government has presided over an average house price increase of 270% over ten years.
On legislation.
That is the national average. In my county of Wicklow the increase was 310%, which is outrageous.
Hear, hear.
Will the Taoiseach bring forward to this session the housing (miscellaneous provisions) Bill, due to be published in 2007, so people in the House have an opportunity to examine the lack of movement by this Government on the serious house prices faced by many young people who cannot afford to purchase a house, particularly in the greater Dublin area?
Allow the Taoiseach to answer the question.
The heads of the Bill are expected soon. It will provide for a rental accommodation scheme, a revised tenant purchase scheme allowing for the sale of flats and will strengthen local authority powers to deal with anti-social behaviour.
Did the Taoiseach indicate when the housing miscellaneous provisions Bill will be published?
The heads of the Bill are expected soon. It will be some time before it is drafted.
Anyone who expects to buy his or her flat can kiss it goodbye until next year.
Having been in process for at least 25 years, at least it is coming through.
It was never promised.
When do we expect legislation to provide for the sell-off of Aer Lingus? Is additional legislation necessary?
It is already passed.
Will additional legislation be necessary to deal with pensions?
I understand not.
In view of the fact the liaison person appointed by the Government in charge of Irish Vietnamese adoptions was found to be a convicted criminal and payments were made to her in her own name——
It does not arise on the Order of Business. Does the Deputy have another issue appropriate to the Order of Business?
I would have thought it was appropriate. It is an extremely serious issue.
The Deputy knows there are many ways in which he could raise the issue which would be in order.
I am raising the matter of a review of the Adoption Act. This is extremely serious.
Does the Deputy have a question that is in order?
I thought that was in order.
When will the compensation scheme for nurses assaulted at work come onstream? I presume it will be under the Nurses Act.
The adoption Bill is for later this year. I am not aware of a nurses assault Bill.
Legislation on assaults on nurses was promised over the years.
The child care amendment Bill will allow for adoption in certain circumstances. During a recent Order of Business the Tánaiste stated it is likely to be a priority. The Government gave a commitment it will be published before the start of the next session at the end of September. Will the Taoiseach give a further commitment that it will be published before then? When are we likely to have a Second Stage debate? Does the Government have an end post in sight for when this legislation will be processed?
This session. Our definition of "this session" is up to the start of the next session.