Enda Kenny
Ceist:1 Deputy Enda Kenny asked the Taoiseach the projected cost in 2008 of the communications unit in his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3541/08]
Ceisteanna — Questions.
Departmental Expenditure.
Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin
Ceist:2 Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Taoiseach the work of the communications unit in his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4977/08]
Eamon Gilmore
Ceist:3 Deputy Eamon Gilmore asked the Taoiseach the costs incurred by the communications unit in his Department since its establishment; the projected cost during 2008; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6169/08]
Enda Kenny
Ceist:4 Deputy Enda Kenny asked the Taoiseach the cost of the communications unit in his Department during February 2008; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10012/08]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 1 to 4, inclusive, together.
The total projected cost of the communications unit for 2008 is €344,873 with €135,512 being a direct cost to my Department and €41,872 on average being borne by the five other Departments which have staff seconded to the unit. The cost of the unit in my Department during February was €27,326, with €10,737 being a direct cost to my Department and €3,317 on average being borne by the five other Departments which have staff seconded to the unit. The total cost of the unit since its establishment in 1997 is €2,966,285, with €1,163,359 being a direct cost to my Department and €60,585 on average being borne by the five other Departments which over the period have had staff seconded to the unit. The average annual cost of the unit since its inception in 1997 is €269,662. The unit provides a media information service to Ministers and their Departments. It furnishes news updates and transcripts which ensure Departments are kept informed in a fast and efficient manner of any relevant news developments. In this way, Departments are able to provide a better service to the public.
The communications unit works an 18 hour day based on a flexible rota of three working shifts. The unit is staffed by six established civil servants, five of whom are on secondment from other Departments. The work of the unit means that Departments have reduced their use of external companies and ensures that they no longer duplicate work such as transcripts and tapes.
The Taoiseach has repeatedly said that this unit constitutes a significant saving on other Departments. Deputy Kenny tabled a parliamentary question on the spending by other Departments on media monitoring activities. I am sure it will come as a huge surprise to the Taoiseach to discover that those other Departments are spending over €500,000 every year on top of the €344,000 he says his Department is spending. Where are these great economies? If all other Ministers decide they need to replicate these activities and defend them as being important to their work, it seems the Taoiseach's defence of this centralised media monitoring unit is falling asunder. Will the Taoiseach consider reviewing all these activities? If we are to have a consolidated central activity, we should make sure that these other units are closed down. The public might then feel properly served.
Is the work of this unit essentially partisan? It is defending the Government from the complaints of others made against it. If it is to be in the public interest, does the unit look at where the Government is over represented in the media? We recently witnessed an astonishing event where the Chairman of the Joint Committee on Communications, Energy and Natural Resources appeared to be using analysis of media coverage to present a distorted view of what Members of this House and the committee were thinking of RTE coverage. Does the Taoiseach's media monitoring unit provide any information to anyone other than Ministers? Does it provide information to Deputies? Does it line up Fianna Fáil contributors to make certain contributions? Is that within its remit, or does the Taoiseach strictly require that nothing of a partisan nature would be promoted by the unit?
The unit has five staff over an 18 hour roster and it does not have the capacity to provide regional news items or international news, press cuttings or what is on local radio. The unit monitors the national radio stations and national newspapers. That is what is circulated to both Ministers and officials. I assure Deputy Bruton it has no involvement in party activities. It does not monitor in a collective way — it just gives out its daily news bulletins. It is operated within Civil Service procedures and it does not provide access to any outside sources or any political sources of any kind. It has no liaison with party press officers. It strictly uses civil servants for its tasks.
Deputy Bruton has a point when he says the other costs could be eliminated, but we would need a far bigger operation for that. The Department of Finance, the Department of Foreign Affairs and the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment extensively carry out media monitoring on the international press and that could be centralised, but it has traditionally been done in those line Departments. While there could be some duplication between those Departments, I imagine there would not be too much. This unit only deals with the national press.
I do not know whether the Taoiseach has looked at his reply, but the big spenders are not those Departments that survey international activity. The big spenders are the Department of Health and Children — despite similar media monitoring by the HSE — and the Department of Education and Science, which has no requirement to monitor international agencies. Will the Taoiseach undertake a review of this activity? He is trying to present it as if those Departments are monitoring things that are not monitored by his Department. I do not accept that is the case. Is the Taoiseach saying that they do not duplicate in any way the activities of his centralised media monitoring unit?
Does he accept that spending €1 million on media monitoring is grossly excessive? At a time when we cannot fund basic services and where a doctor is dipping into his own pocket to provide €36,000 to employ a nurse, the fact that Departments are spending €1 million on monitoring cuttings and buying in these services, not to mention the cost of staff on top of that, is a totally unacceptable way to devote money. Surely the Taoiseach accepts there is a need to review this and find savings, just like in many other high cost bureaucratic activities that prevent services from getting to the front line in this country.
I certainly do not want to see any duplication, but I asked officials in other Departments late last year to look at where it occurs. They informed me that the Departments were spending money on regional newspapers and information that would not readily be——
How come they all surge in the year of the election?
A number of Departments were contracted over the years to newspaper services and outside media monitoring units. We effectively stopped that in 1997. It was a very large cost. The entire media communications unit was cheaper than the cost at that stage. We could extend the service to include regional newspapers, but this is a small unit of five people covering 18 hours per day five days per week, and they provide a service to several hundred officials across the Departments. We could possibly double the service and cover everything, but it might then have too many people involved. I am not too sure we could do that on a——
We could save a few hundred thousand euro if we did it.
We would not, because what would happen——
The Taoiseach could double it and close down the others, saving around €300,000.
It could not be done with five staff. I could save €500,000 from other Departments, but we would have much more staff in my Department. The five people cannot cover local, national and international media and provide the service to all other agencies. It would not be possible to do that with five people.
Ba mhaith liom cúpla ceist a chur ort faoin aonad cumarsáide. An gcuirfidh an Taoiseach seirbhís aonad cumarsáide a Roinn ar fáil don Oireachtas ar fad? An gcuirfidh sé na tuairiscí laethúla san Leabharlann nó ar fáil ar iarratas ón aonad?
I put these questions to the Taoiseach previously, but he has never given me a satisfactory reply. Given that the communications unit is staffed by established civil servants, does the Taoiseach accept that the news monitoring it provides to his and other Departments should be accessible to the Houses of the Oireachtas? It should at least be placed in the Oireachtas Library so that all Members can access it on an equal basis. Given that this service is paid for by the taxpayer, has the Taoiseach had any change of heart on the repeated requests by Deputies in this House for the media summaries and updates to be put on the internal Oireachtas website? If it is purely and simply a news monitoring service and update, what specific advantage does it bring to the Taoiseach's Department and Cabinet colleagues in their respective offices? What other reason can there be for his continued refusal to extend access to the service to all Members?
I will make two points. Any data or information prepared in Departments, such as reports, is not made available externally. In my period as Taoiseach we have provided large increases in the party leaders' allowances to allow political parties to access these funds. We have also increased funding for the Houses of the Oireachtas Commission. If the commission saw any benefits in the proposal, it should take it up with my Department. Done on a party political basis, it is much better, much more detailed and much more partisan than it is when done by a small group of civil servants.
Go raibh maith agat as an freagra sin. We have no way of knowing what is done better when we have no sight of what the Taoiseach receives from the communications unit, an aonad cumarsáide.
Information has been released hundreds of times following freedom of information requests. It is available.
No, the information released relates to specific roles and responsibilities. With regard to the daily reports and updates of news——
They have been circulated.
They are not provided on an ongoing basis——
That is correct.
——through the internal Oireachtas website, nor are they placed in the Oireachtas Library to afford access to all Deputies and Senators.
Does the Taoiseach not accept that his response to my earlier question in which he indicated that each of the parties could replicate the service through party leaders funding encourages duplication? Did he not also identify a possible means to address this matter through the Houses of the Oireachtas Commission? Would that option not be more appropriate? Perhaps the Ceann Comhairle will note that such a request on behalf of the collective parties and Independents in the House could be presented by the commission to the Taoiseach for further consideration. The Taoiseach will have to agree that his colleagues may very well welcome access to this information when they are next in Opposition, which may not be too far in the future.
I see the merit of the proposal provided the political parties were to agree to allocate part of their political allowances to the Houses of the Oireachtas Commission so that it would provide a bigger, more centralised media monitoring service for everybody. That is a valid suggestion which would merit consideration. However, we are discussing a different issue, namely, the Civil Service system gathering information that is available in that system and under freedom of information legislation, through which it has been accessed time out of number.
Political parties would do this in a much more detailed and different manner from civil servants who try to assist the system to be able to respond quickly to events of relevance to a Department. This is done by circulating news-sheets to various locations every hour so that people can respond to relevant issues. Providing responses to issues that require answer is a public service. During the course of the day, when everybody is working in their offices, it is in the interests of the public that the system obtains details of issues emerging on national radio and tries to respond to them. This is what one does in a modern democracy where communication is an important feature.
Is cuimhin liom uair cheana nuair a chuir mé ceisteanna ar an Taoiseach faoin ábhar seo. Nuair a mhol mé ag an am go mbfhéidir go raibh spiadóireacht polaitiúil ar siúl, dhiúltaigh sé é sin agus dúirt sé gurbh é an t-aon rud a bhí i gceist ná gearrtháin as nuachtáin agus téipeanna d'agallaimh raidió agus mar sin de. Más fíor sin, ní thuigim cén fáth nach bhfuil sé sásta na gearrtháin agus téipeanna sin a chur ar fáil go ginearálta. An bhfuil an aonad seo ag tabhairt tuairimí ar an nuacht don Rialtas, d'Airí nó do Rannóga Stáit?
On the previous occasion I questioned the Taoiseach on this matter, he forcefully rejected any suggestion that the communications unit is engaged in a type of political intelligence gathering and stated that it assembled newspaper clippings, transcripts of radio interviews and so forth and circulated these to Departments. If that is the case, I do not understand the reason this information cannot be made generally available. I presume it is made available in electronic format in the Civil Service system and could be circulated more widely. Is the collection of material such as newspaper clippings and information on radio and television interviews the extent of the communications unit's work or does it provide opinion or comment to Ministers?
The material is purely a synopsis of the headlines of the day. The unit does not count the number of articles or give any reflections. Its role is straightforward. The Houses of the Oireachtas Commission could take up the matter if it wished. However, the service is already provided to the political system, in large measure through the party leaders funds. Any information gathered in Departments about working issues is not circulated and the information in question falls within this category. There is no other reason for not circulating it. Regular freedom of information requests show that the sheets are no more than a few pages providing a synopsis of the day's events at hourly intervals.
If it is no more than the Taoiseach has described, what is the problem with making it generally available? The Taoiseach indicated the information is proper to the Civil Service system and within Departments. Given that it does not appear to be material to which the 30 year rule would apply, why is it not made generally available? I presume it is circulated to Departments by e-mail or electronically. Why not circulate it generally?
While I do not have a difficulty with the Deputy's suggestion, I believe the Civil Service code states that any data collected or collated by civil servants should be treated in a similar manner.
The information in question is no more than newspaper clippings.
The information, opinions or reflections given by civil servants across a range of issues are not released. That Civil Service protocol is the reason the information would not be circulated. However, it is regularly released under freedom of information legislation. People have stopped submitting FOI requests because they have seen that it amounts to no more than I described. They have put down questions asking for information covering 40 or 50 days and found it is not of any great relevance.
It is helpful for a small number of civil servants to be able to get information across to Departments on the day, particularly if the line Departments are involved daily in responding quickly to issues being raised in the public domain and providing data and information promptly to try to deal with these issues. Yesterday, when a problem arose in the Dublin Port tunnel, people quickly demanded that Departments and agencies explain the position in the media. That puts pressure on Departments and agencies to get answers and give explanations, but this happens almost on an hourly basis. That is all this data is providing.
Programmes for Government.
Enda Kenny
Ceist:5 Deputy Enda Kenny asked the Taoiseach the progress to date in respect of the implementation of those elements of the programme for Government for which his Department is responsible; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3545/08]
Enda Kenny
Ceist:6 Deputy Enda Kenny asked the Taoiseach if he will report on the implementation of An Agreed Programme for Government; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3562/08]
Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin
Ceist:7 Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Taoiseach if he will report on the implementation of the programme for Government; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4978/08]
Eamon Gilmore
Ceist:8 Deputy Eamon Gilmore asked the Taoiseach the progress made to date with regard to the implementation of An Agreed Programme for Government, particularly in regard to those areas for which his Department has direct responsibility; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6170/08]
Enda Kenny
Ceist:9 Deputy Enda Kenny asked the Taoiseach if he will report on the recent work of the Taskforce on Active Citizenship; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7968/08]
Enda Kenny
Ceist:10 Deputy Enda Kenny asked the Taoiseach if he will report on the implementation of the recommendations of the Report of the Taskforce on Active Citizenship; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7969/08]
Richard Bruton
Ceist:11 Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Taoiseach if he will report on the implementation of An Agreed Programme for Government; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10612/08]
Simon Coveney
Ceist:12 Deputy Simon Coveney asked the Taoiseach if he will report on the implementation of An Agreed Programme for Government; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10613/08]
Michael Creed
Ceist:13 Deputy Michael Creed asked the Taoiseach if he will report on the implementation of An Agreed Programme for Government; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10614/08]
Jimmy Deenihan
Ceist:14 Deputy Jimmy Deenihan asked the Taoiseach if he will report on the implementation of An Agreed Programme for Government; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10615/08]
Olwyn Enright
Ceist:15 Deputy Olwyn Enright asked the Taoiseach if he will report on the implementation of An Agreed Programme for Government; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10616/08]
Charles Flanagan
Ceist:16 Deputy Charles Flanagan asked the Taoiseach if he will report on the implementation of An Agreed Programme for Government; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10617/08]
Brian Hayes
Ceist:17 Deputy Brian Hayes asked the Taoiseach if he will report on the implementation of An Agreed Programme for Government; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10618/08]
Phil Hogan
Ceist:18 Deputy Phil Hogan asked the Taoiseach if he will report on the implementation of An Agreed Programme for Government; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10621/08]
Olivia Mitchell
Ceist:19 Deputy Olivia Mitchell asked the Taoiseach if he will report on the implementation of An Agreed Programme for Government; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10624/08]
Denis Naughten
Ceist:20 Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Taoiseach if he will report on the implementation of An Agreed Programme for Government; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10627/08]
Fergus O'Dowd
Ceist:21 Deputy Fergus O’Dowd asked the Taoiseach if he will report on the implementation of An Agreed Programme for Government; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10630/08]
James Reilly
Ceist:22 Deputy James Reilly asked the Taoiseach if he will report on the implementation of An Agreed Programme for Government; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10632/08]
Michael Ring
Ceist:23 Deputy Michael Ring asked the Taoiseach if he will report on the implementation of An Agreed Programme for Government; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10728/08]
Alan Shatter
Ceist:24 Deputy Alan Shatter asked the Taoiseach if he will report on the implementation of An Agreed Programme for Government; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10729/08]
Billy Timmins
Ceist:25 Deputy Billy Timmins asked the Taoiseach if he will report on the implementation of An Agreed Programme for Government; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10730/08]
Leo Varadkar
Ceist:26 Deputy Leo Varadkar asked the Taoiseach if he will report on the implementation of An Agreed Programme for Government; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10731/08]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 5 to 26, inclusive, together.
The programme for Government agreed between Fianna Fáil, the Green Party, the Progressive Democrats and certain Independent Members of Dáil Éireann is a comprehensive blueprint for the country's future. It is fully costed and makes it clear that the budgets over the lifetime of the Government will be kept in broad balance and fully within our commitments under the Stability and Growth Pact.
Since last summer, the Government has wasted no time in commencing our implementation of the wide ranging proposals contained within the agreed programme. Progress on the implementation of the Government programme is continuing and kept constantly under review. Over the duration of this Government, I look forward to the programme being implemented in full. Over the next four years, I believe the Irish people will see incremental and steady changes which will benefit both Irish society and the Irish economy.
It is the responsibility of each individual Minister to ensure that the commitments in the programme that fall within their particular portfolio are fully implemented. In the policy areas which are the responsibility of my Department, I am happy to report that good progress has been made in a number of significant areas. As the House will be aware, the area of active citizenship is a direct responsibility of my Department. It is an area of particular interest to me and one I have pushed in the past number of years. In this regard, an Active Citizenship Office has now been established in my Department, in line with the recommendations of the Taskforce on Active Citizenship.
The office is currently preparing a plan to implement the recommendations, following consultations that are under way with relevant Departments. In addition, the office has received a positive response from a number of organisations in the business sector that are willing to assist in advancing the active citizenship agenda. In particular, the office, which is chaired by Ms Mary Davis, continues to consult with various business interests to encourage greater connectivity to the community through this sector. Building on existing initiatives, there is a significant contribution this sector can make to communities nationwide.
Consultations are also being held with the wider educational sector with particular regard to raising awareness of the potential for service learning and volunteering. A progress report on the implementation of the task force recommendations is currently being prepared by the office and will be published shortly.
I want to emphasis to the House that as a Government we remain committed to strengthening the fabric of Irish society and to creating an Ireland with vibrant towns and townlands.
I welcome the Taoiseach's reply. What is the cost of the programme for Government which he says has been fully costed? I have not seen that figure published anywhere. The Minister for Finance says it is a matter that will be kept private, if it has been costed at all. I am glad the Taoiseach has indicated that it has been costed.
Against that background, the cost of the Fianna Fáil programme, which was costed, was €7.5 billion. The Minister for Finance has published tax projections for 2010 in his recent budget statement and they indicate that tax revenue will be €6.3 billion short of what was expected at the time the Fianna Fáil programme was published. Is the Taoiseach indicating to the House his belief that this €7.5 billion programme, plus the additional commitments from the Green Party which we have not seen costed, can be delivered even though the tax revenue will be at least €6.3 billion short in 2010 and there is no confidence that will be made up in the following years? The Minister's new economic growth forecast does not suggest it will be made up. Does the Taoiseach still believe this programme can be implemented, as he appears to suggest in his reply?
In light of the Taoiseach's new realism about the state of the economy, reflected in his statement earlier this week, will he accept that those commitments are not possible and that we need a new medium-term strategy to guide both economic and social policy in the coming five years, based on a realistic assessment of the resources that will be available? Is he not participating in an elaborate fooling of the public by continuing to present to the House a programme for Government that is no longer affordable? No Member of this House, either behind the Taoiseach or on these benches, believes it is affordable within the resources. The Taoiseach might clarify his expectations.
When the programme for Government was put together last year, each individual section of it, and particularly those new elements that were outside the national development plan, which was costed at €184 billion, or ongoing programmes such as the commitments we made to overseas development, which were fully costed, the science and technology fund or the research and development fund, which were fully costed, and any of the other ones, were costed at the time by the Department of Finance. I do not have those figures but most of the programme for Government came within the annual Estimates, the three and five year Estimate reviews, the national plan and some of the specific programmes.
On the position raised by Deputy Bruton, if the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance, or any Minister, was here he or she would say that a programme for Government is based on the ability to be able to deliver and implement programmes as resources are available. In good years more can be done but in more difficult years, as we are seeing internationally and today in what is happening in the budgets in Westminster, and what we have seen in Germany last week and in other countries, it is a more challenging period because of what happened last August and the sub-prime difficulties. That is a fact of life. There is a global tightening and that is what I made reference to a number of times recently. That makes it more difficult to deliver within the period because revenues will contract but over a prolonged period up to 2012 we will always have the peaks and valleys in these issues, and that must be accepted as we go on each year. If we had a number of those years it would severely curtail our ability in terms of new initiatives and more progressive projects. I have no difficulty in saying that we will not have the ability to go beyond the departmental Estimates in 2008. They will have to be held tightly. It is our determination not to have any changes in our capital programme. We have gone for a very high capital programme. It is our view that because of the low debt-GDP ratio we have the ability to be able to borrow mainly from our current budget surpluses to implement a capital programme that is needed for the country because of past infrastructural deficits, our rate of development and population growth. We must continue to do that. That removes any flexibilities in terms of having new programmes in other areas.
On the Deputy's question about the ongoing reviews, the Department of Finance, as it does every year, will have its economic and budgetary outlook mid-year and that will reflect the changed circumstances. I am sure when it sees the first quarter figures, as it would normally do, it will give an indication of its thinking on that but those issues are a matter for the Department of Finance.
I do not want to accuse the Taoiseach of misleading the House but if the Department of Finance publishes Estimates that indicate that revenue the Taoiseach expected to rise by €7.5 billion by 2012 will be €6.3 billion off target by 2010, does he accept, as leader of the Government, that those Estimates are accurate? Does he believe that Department of Finance projections should be the basis for Government framing strategies that are affordable and realistic or does he want to continue to fool people into thinking that he will deliver lower pupil-teacher ratios, lower tax on the standard rate and the top rate, lower PRSI, 2,000 extra consultants and 1,000 extra hospital beds when the Minister for Finance comes in here and tells us the money is not available?
Will the Taoiseach issue an instruction to his colleagues to publish the costings of the programme for Government in their sphere of activity to allow us have a realistic debate in this House on what the Taoiseach says programmes will cost and the resources the Minister for Finance says will be available? I will not sit here allowing the Government to fool the people about what is and is not affordable. We need a proper strategy to guide us in a difficult economic time. We cannot go on with a cock-and-bull document that is no longer realistic.
I will explain it to Deputy Bruton but he understands it very well. This year——
The Taoiseach should answer the question.
I will answer the question. The Deputy wants me to tell him what we will have achieved by June 2012.
No, I want the Taoiseach to publish the costs of what the Government has proposed.
I will tell the Deputy that in the summer of 2012.
What will it cost?
For the Deputy to ask me now to tell him what exactly we will do——
That is not what I asked. The Ceann Comhairle knows that I did not ask that.
The Deputy did ask that.
In some sense the Ceann Comhairle is a referee here.
The Deputy asked if important matters of advances in education and health, which he claims are cock-and-bull, will not be implemented. It is the Government's wish over the period, within the resources we have, to implement these programmes. We have set our budgets for this year. Tax revenue is down and I gave the figures on this last week based on the two-monthly tax take projection. This morning I gave our view on the national development plan. We will continue to implement this year's policies and frameworks as outlined in the budget.
I have made it clear additional resources will not be available this year for Departments to go outside their Estimates. It will be a year of ensuring line Departments stay within the Estimates. The Minister for Finance said he may need tighter control on the Estimates during the year.
What are the costings?
Next year could be different. If economic circumstances improve, we will be more able to increase expenditure in some areas. If not, we will not have that ability. That is the answer to the question.
That is not the answer to the question. I asked the Taoiseach if he would issue an instruction to Departments to publish the costings of the programme for Government. The Taoiseach has not answered with "yes" or "no". This is not acceptable. We are seeking information and honest answers. If the Taoiseach goes on these Wanderly Wagon wish-lists and talks about lovely motherhood and apple pie without answering questions, we are wasting our time in here.
As Deputy Bruton well knows, it is not the responsibility of the Chair. It is a matter for the Taoiseach——
I know that and I am not blaming the Ceann Comhairle. I am drawing it to the Ceann Comhairle's attention that this should be a "yes" or "no" answer. The Taoiseach, like he would not articulate confidence in the HSE yesterday, will not answer this question.
——to reply in the manner in which he wishes to reply.
It is a simple "yes" or "no" answer.
I call on Deputy Ó Caoláin.
Tá sé geallta ag an Rialtas sa clár Rialtais roinnt nithe a dhéanamh maidir le cur chun cinn na Gaeilge. Cén dul chun cinn atá déanta ar chuid de na rudaí seo, mar shampla, tacú le hAcht teangacha a thabhairt isteach i dTuaisceart na hÉireann — rud a leagadh síos i gComhaontas Naomh Aindriú — agus comhaontas uile-pháirtí a lorg i dtaobh athbhunadh an Chomhchoiste Oireachtais ar an Ghaeilge?
This being Seachtain na Gaeilge, on the commitment in the programme for Government on the Irish language for which the Taoiseach has direct responsibility, what progress has been made on the commitment to introduce a language Act in the Six Counties, as set out in the St. Andrews Agreement? There has been some opposition from predictable quarters in this matter. Does the Taoiseach agree the Irish language belongs to all sections of the people, irrespective of their political dispositions or tradition, as they see it? Will he agree this is a basic right for all?
What progress has been made in seeking all-party agreement on the re-establishment of an Oireachtas committee on the Irish language, another commitment in the programme for Government?
A Cheann Comhairle, we will have to stop the bilingual asking of questions. Some of them take long enough in one language. To ask them in two languages is stretching it a bit.
I am not the Editor of Debates, as the Deputy is well aware.
The programme for Government contains a commitment to reduce the top rate of income tax by 1% and the lower rate by 2%. In addition, employee PRSI contributions are proposed to be reduced by 2%. Does the Government still intend to do that?
On Deputy Ó Caoláin's question, the overall strategy on the Irish language is set out in the programme for Government. A 20-year strategic plan will be developed with support for the introduction of a language Act in Northern Ireland, as provided for in the St. Andrews Agreement. I was involved in those discussions and, as the Deputy stated, we have hit obstacles. It was part of the agreement and we continue to pursue it faithfully.
The Deputy's assessment is correct that it is a matter that should be agreed in the structures. We had an opportunity to talk to the Northern Ireland Minister directly involved. The Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, Deputy Ó Cuív has also pursued this directly. There is a negative view taken by some on it but we will continue to pursue what was agreed.
I do not have up-to-date information on achieving an all-party consensus on re-instituting the joint Oireachtas committee on the Irish language. It is a commitment, however, we intend to pursue.
Will the Taoiseach come back to me on that?
I will raise it with the Minister, Deputy Ó Cuív, and ask him to come back to the Deputy.
The economic and tax targets, as I said earlier, are commitments in the programme for Government but are based on the proviso that resources permit and we stay within the parameters established in the Stability and Growth Pact. The Government intends to stick to those fiscal targets. If resources are available, then we can do it; if not, we cannot do it.
What are the costs of the commitments to the Independent Members who support the Government? The documents drawn up with those Members were signed by the Taoiseach as president of the Fianna Fáil Party and, therefore, cannot be released under a freedom of information request. When the Taoiseach speaks of delivery, is it delivery to the Independents for their support? If the tax take improves, will that mean the delivery to the Independents will improve?
In south Kerry, we are reminded every week by Deputy Healy-Rae that he has an eight page document signed by the Taoiseach for delivery there. Would the Taoiseach concur with the recent description to me by a senior Minister of this eight-page document as being well-padded?
There is text on the back and front of each of those eight pages.
The programme for Government contains a commitment for the Government to campaign for a complete ban on cluster munitions. An international conference on cluster munitions will take place in Ireland in May. Will the Taoiseach agree that if the Government brought forward legislation to ban the use of them or investment in any company that might use them, it would put us in a stronger position in leading the campaign? Is legislation planned for the prohibition of the use of cluster munitions?
The international diplomatic conference on cluster munitions will take place in Croke Park from 19 May. We were in a similar position on the Ottawa Convention on the banning of landmines. Ireland and Norway saved a strong text for that convention by publishing legislation prior to the conference. Separate legislation has been produced by Belgium and Austria on the banning of cluster munitions.
The programme for Government contains a clear commitment to ban outright all forms of cluster munitions. The Minister for Foreign Affairs recently stated he proposes to establish a committee on humanitarian law which would respond to whatever convention emerges in May. The lesson is that it would be hugely important if, as part of the core group that chairs the conference, we follow the example we had in 1996-97. The Ottawa Convention banning landmines was concluded in 1997. We published our legislation in 1996 and it was the defining text because it was strong. If we choose instead to implement the commitment in the programme for Government by establishing a committee that will respond to a convention, we should be careful. Countries such as the United Kingdom, Germany and France are in favour of a weak text. We can influence this.
As we send troops abroad, for example, on peacekeeping and peace-building missions, it is important that our convention is sufficiently strong to prevent Irish troops from participating with armies and forces that do not have a complete ban on cluster weapons, given the incredible and multi-generational damage to civilians that results from their use.
I remind Deputies that the Taoiseach cannot be expected to reply for line Ministers.
Will we have framework legislation in time to influence the international convention in May?
In reply to Deputy Sheahan, any provisions for the Independents, as I have said a number of times, are based on what is in the Estimates or in the national development plan. It is a matter of additional expenditure for items that are already covered in the budgetary process.
So they are getting what they were getting anyway.
It may be quicker to pursue it this way.
So it is true that the document is heavily padded.
The Minister for Foreign Affairs, Deputy Dermot Ahern, has, to his credit, been to the fore in pursuing the issue of cluster weapons in Europe and internationally. In reply to Deputy Higgins's question, the Minister has stated clearly that the current ethical guidelines for the protocol on cluster weapons should go further. He has also stated that based on what happens at the Croke Park conference, which he has worked to organise and bring to this country, we should consider bringing in legislation similar to that introduced in Norway. However, we should allow the debate to continue and listen to the views of those at the conference. We support that position.