Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Thursday, 30 May 2013

Vol. 805 No. 3

Order of Business

The Tánaiste

It is proposed to take No. b11, proposed approval by Dáil Éireann of an EU-Israel aviation agreement, back from committee; No. c11, motion re referral to joint committee of proposed approval by Dáil Éireann of the Planning and Development (Amendment) Regulations 2013; and No. 3, Social Welfare and Pensions (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2013 - Order for Second Stage and Second Stage.

It is proposed, notwithstanding anything in Standing Orders, that the Dáil shall sit later than 5.45 p.m.; the sitting shall be suspended at 1.30 p.m. for 30 minutes; in the event that Second Stage of No. 3 does not conclude today, the Dáil shall sit tomorrow at 10.30 a.m. and shall adjourn not later than 2.30 p.m.; and the Dáil, on its rising this week, shall adjourn until 2 p.m. on Tuesday, 11 June 2013; Nos. b11 and c11 shall be decided without debate; Topical Issues shall be taken not later than 5.30 p.m. and shall be followed immediately by Oral Questions; in the event the Dáil sits tomorrow there shall be no Order of Business, within the meaning of Standing Order 26, and accordingly, the business to be transacted shall be No. 3, Social Welfare and Pensions (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2013 - Second Stage (Resumed), and the proceedings thereon shall, if not previously concluded, be brought to a conclusion at 2.30 p.m. on that day and any division demanded tomorrow shall be postponed until immediately after the Order of Business on Tuesday, 11 June 2013.

An Ceann Comhairle

There are four proposals to be put to the House. Is the proposal on the Dáil sitting later than 5.45 p.m. tonight, the suspension of the sitting, the sitting and business of the Dáil tomorrow and the adjournment of the Dáil until 2 p.m. on Tuesday, 11 June 2013 agreed? Agreed.

Is the proposal for dealing with Nos. b11 and c11, motions re proposed approval by Dáil Éireann of an EU-Israel aviation agreement and referral to-----

Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett

Not agreed.

An Ceann Comhairle

Hold on. No. c11 is a motion re referral to joint committee of proposed approval by Dáil Éireann of the Planning and Development (Amendment) Regulations 2013. Are the proposals for dealing with Nos. b11 and c11, without debate, agreed?

Deputies

Not agreed.

An Ceann Comhairle

Deputies might give me a chance to read out the proposals before they start-----

Deputy Arthur Spring

They disagree with everything.

An Ceann Comhairle

They are like dogs in traps. They should wait until the traps open before they try to get out.

Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn

We are hungry.

Deputy Micheál Martin

I have not been that fast out of the traps this morning.

An Ceann Comhairle

I was not referring to the Deputy.

Deputy Micheál Martin

I know. Will the Tánaiste provide time for debate on Nos. b11 and c11? We are not satisfied with the proposal to take them without debate. One relates to an EU-Israel aviation agreement, in which respect significant issues merit debate in plenary session as well as full transparency. The other relates to the referral to joint committee of the Planning and Development (Amendment) Regulations 2013. Some time should be provided for a debate on this matter.

Deputy Mary Lou McDonald

I agree, particularly regarding the EU-Israel aviation agreement. We should not be party to such an agreement, as it rewards Israel despite that country's continual flouting of international law and its ongoing blockade of Gaza. In 2001, the Israelis destroyed Yasser Arafat International Airport in Gaza. Run by the Palestinian Authority, it was opened in 1998, then bombed by the Israeli army. Ironically, it was built with funding from EU member states and others to the tune of $86 million.

In this context, it is extraordinary that the Government would ask the Dáil to approve such an agreement on the nod and without debate. Let me state clearly that I do not believe that the Dáil or the State on behalf of our people should in any circumstance support such an agreement and give a pass to Israel and its brazenly illegal maltreatment of Gaza and Palestinians. To ask us to do so without debate is extraordinary.

Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett

On a point of order-----

An Ceann Comhairle

What is the Deputy's point of order?

Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett

I want to make the point of order that Deputy Catherine Murphy raised yesterday.

An Ceann Comhairle

No, the Deputy will not make a point of order on such a matter. I call the Tánaiste.

Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett

It is not acceptable that-----

An Ceann Comhairle

Switch off his microphone, please.

Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett

-----one third of the Opposition is being denied the right to speak on the Order of Business-----

An Ceann Comhairle

The Deputy knows the Standing Order. Will he resume his seat, please?

Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett

-----and set out its objections to this proposal.

An Ceann Comhairle

The Deputy caused enough disruption yesterday without carrying on again today. I will not put up with it.

Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett

One third of the Opposition is being denied its right to speak.

An Ceann Comhairle

If the Deputy does not behave himself, he will be out that door in a minute. I call the Tánaiste.

Deputy Emmet Stagg

If the Deputy had not rowed with Deputy Joan Collins, he could have-----

Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett

Does it not matter that one third of the Opposition is being denied the right to speak?

Deputy Emmet Stagg

If the Deputy was friendly with Deputy Joan Collins, he would have more people.

An Ceann Comhairle

Deputy Boyd Barrett knows the rules. The fact that he is now a one-person party is not my problem.

Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett

So much for democracy.

The Tánaiste

There are two resolutions, the first of which is on the Planning and Development (Amendment) Regulations 2013, which deals with exemptions for certain works, including the felling of trees and so on, for electric vehicle charge points and for matters relating to septic tanks arising from Environmental Protection Agency, EPA, inspections. This resolution was discussed by the Oireachtas committee.

The aviation agreement was laid before the Dáil by way of a motion on 28 May and was discussed by the Select Sub-Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport on 29 May. As such, it has been discussed by a Dáil committee. It has come back for approval by the Dáil. If we want to treat the committees of the House and the work they do with respect, they should be enabled to discuss-----

Deputy Mary Lou McDonald

No, it should be debated in the Chamber.

Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett

It is giving Israel associate membership of the EU despite flouting human rights.

(Interruptions).

The Tánaiste

-----these issues. The agreement has been discussed by the Oireachtas committee and now is the time to have it approved by the Dáil.

Deputy Mary Lou McDonald

It should be discussed in the Chamber.

Deputy Micheál Martin

On a point of order, the committee concerned-----

An Ceann Comhairle

There is no point of order.

Deputy Micheál Martin

The Tánaiste might listen to me and respond in so far as-----

An Ceann Comhairle

This is a straightforward technical issue.

Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett

It is not a technical issue.

Deputy Micheál Martin

It is a political one. The transport committee considered it from the transport perspective-----

An Ceann Comhairle

Excuse me. If the Deputies would not mind resuming their seats, I will explain to them-----

Deputy Micheál Martin

-----and would not have dealt with the political foreign affairs dimension to the issue, namely, the blockade of Gaza and so on.

The Tánaiste

It does not deal with the problem of Gaza.

Deputy Micheál Martin

Those issues would not have been raised by the transport committee. That is my point.

An Ceann Comhairle

I ask Deputy Martin to co-operate with the Chair. He is here long enough to know the rules of the House.

Deputy Micheál Martin

I am, but it is reasonable to put to the Tánaiste the suggestion that the committee would have taken a one-dimensional approach to the issue.

An Ceann Comhairle

Is the proposal for dealing with Nos. b11 and c11, without debate, agreed?

Deputies

No.

Question put: "That the proposal for dealing with Nos. b11 and c11 be agreed to."

The Dáil divided: Tá, 65; Níl, 38.

Tá

• Barry, Tom.
• Bruton, Richard.
• Burton, Joan.
• Butler, Ray.
• Buttimer, Jerry.
• Byrne, Eric.
• Carey, Joe.
• Coffey, Paudie.
• Connaughton, Paul J.
• Conway, Ciara.
• Coonan, Noel.
• Creed, Michael.
• Daly, Jim.
• Doherty, Regina.
• Donohoe, Paschal.
• Dowds, Robert.
• Durkan, Bernard J.
• Farrell, Alan.
• Feighan, Frank.
• Ferris, Anne.
• Fitzgerald, Frances.
• Fitzpatrick, Peter.
• Flanagan, Charles.
• Gilmore, Eamon.
• Griffin, Brendan.
• Hannigan, Dominic.
• Harris, Simon.
• Hayes, Brian.
• Hayes, Tom.
• Humphreys, Kevin.
• Keating, Derek.
• Kehoe, Paul.
• Kelly, Alan.
• Kenny, Seán.
• Kyne, Seán.
• Lawlor, Anthony.
• Lyons, John.
• McCarthy, Michael.
• McGinley, Dinny.
• McLoughlin, Tony.
• McNamara, Michael.
• Maloney, Eamonn.
• Mathews, Peter.
• Mitchell O'Connor, Mary.
• Murphy, Dara.
• Murphy, Eoghan.
• Nash, Gerald.
• Neville, Dan.
• Nolan, Derek.
• Ó Ríordáin, Aodhán.
• O'Donnell, Kieran.
• O'Donovan, Patrick.
• O'Mahony, John.
• O'Sullivan, Jan.
• Phelan, Ann.
• Phelan, John Paul.
• Ryan, Brendan.
• Spring, Arthur.
• Stagg, Emmet.
• Stanton, David.
• Timmins, Billy.
• Tuffy, Joanna.
• Twomey, Liam.
• Walsh, Brian.
• White, Alex.

Níl

• Adams, Gerry.
• Boyd Barrett, Richard.
• Broughan, Thomas P.
• Browne, John.
• Calleary, Dara.
• Colreavy, Michael.
• Cowen, Barry.
• Doherty, Pearse.
• Ellis, Dessie.
• Ferris, Martin.
• Fleming, Tom.
• Grealish, Noel.
• Halligan, John.
• Healy, Seamus.
• Healy-Rae, Michael.
• Higgins, Joe.
• Keaveney, Colm.
• Kelleher, Billy.
• Kitt, Michael P.
• Mac Lochlainn, Pádraig.
• McDonald, Mary Lou.
• McGrath, Finian.
• McGrath, Michael.
• McLellan, Sandra.
• Martin, Micheál.
• Moynihan, Michael.
• Ó Cuív, Éamon.
• Ó Fearghaíl, Seán.
• Ó Snodaigh, Aengus.
• O'Brien, Jonathan.
• O'Dea, Willie.
• O'Sullivan, Maureen.
• Pringle, Thomas.
• Shortall, Róisín.
• Smith, Brendan.
• Stanley, Brian.
• Tóibín, Peadar.
• Troy, Robert.

Tellers: Tá, Deputies Emmet Stagg and Paul Kehoe; Níl, Deputies Aengus Ó Snodaigh and Seán Ó Fearghaíl.

Question declared carried.

An Ceann Comhairle

Is the proposal for dealing with Topical Issues and Oral Questions today agreed to? Agreed. Is the proposal for dealing with the sitting and business of the Dáil tomorrow agreed to? Agreed.

I am afraid the time for the Order of Business has expired.

Deputy Billy Kelleher

That is a disgraceful Standing Order.

Deputy Micheál Martin

That Standing Order must be changed.