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Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Thursday, 3 Jul 2014

Vol. 846 No. 3

Order of Business

It is proposed to take No. 10, motion re proposed approval by Dáil Éireann for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on the establishment of 'Eurodac' (recast) and for the effective application of the Dublin Regulation, back from committee; No. 22, Radiological Protection (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2014 - Fifth Stage (resumed); No. 9b, Employment Permits (Amendment) Bill 2014 – motion to instruct the committee; No. 27, Employment Permits (Amendment) Bill 2014 - Order for Report, Report and Final Stages; No. 1, Public Health (Standardised Packaging of Tobacco) Bill 2014 [Seanad] - Second Stage (resumed); and No. 23, Merchant Shipping (Registration of Ships) Bill 2013 [Seanad] - Second Stage (resumed). It is proposed, notwithstanding anything in Standing Orders, that No. 10 shall be decided without debate.

Tomorrow's fortnightly Friday Business shall be: No. 51, Valuation Bill 2014; and No. 52, Electoral (Amendment) (Hours of Polling) Bill 2013.

There is one proposal to put to the House. Is the proposal for dealing with No. 10, without debate, agreed to?

It is not agreed.

There should be further debate on this motion in the House, so we oppose this.

If the Deputy had attended the committee, he could have debated it.

I am not a member of the committee.

This matter was debated exhaustively at committee yesterday.

Question, "That the proposal for dealing with No. 10, without debate, be agreed to", put and declared carried.

This is the last Order of Business prior to the approaching regime change in the Labour Party and I wish the Minister, Deputy Rabbitte, well, although judging from the bite in his responses this morning, he is doing a Luis Suárez on it. I do not know if the Minister for Social Protection, Deputy Burton, has given him a 30 match ban but we wish him well.

The Minister might update us on the progress of the climate action and low-carbon development Bill given that the sponsoring Minister is planning to jump in a lifeboat destined for Brussels.

The Minister, Deputy Rabbitte, is in wind-down mode.

I would not like to see him winding up.

Sorry, we are still in session.

I am a Liverpool supporter and I apologise if I bit anyone this morning. The climate action and low-carbon development Bill is at an advanced stage of preparation. Only recently, that advanced stage was discussed by my Department and the Department of the Minister, Deputy Hogan, because of the obvious synergies.

There are a number of reports outstanding from the Constitutional Convention. It was the desire of Government to try to discuss some of them in the Chamber before the summer recess. We are running out of time, so what is the current position in regard to those reports being discussed?

Ministers are contending for space in the House to debate legislation but it is a matter for the Whips.

I would like to ask about two Bills. I thank the Government for addressing the discretionary medical card issue but now it is attacking the over 70s. Perhaps this could be addressed under the health information Bill. With the news from Dublin City Council of the cancellation of two Garth Brooks concerts, which is a huge loss to Dublin of approximately €10 million, there are a lot of disappointed fans.

We do not deal with concerts on the Order of business.

Will the Government intervene to try to get the two concerts back?

Not on the Order of Business.

Perhaps it could be addressed under the noise nuisance Bill.

(Interruptions).

There is no date for the health information Bill. On the Garth Brooks concerts, the Minister of State, Deputy Jan O'Sullivan, tells me relocation to Thomond Park would be welcome.

Is there a noise nuisance Bill?

In regard to the Deputy's question on the over 70s, I refuse to answer any question based on age.

I wish to return to the climate change Bill. The Minister said it is at an advanced stage. We were promised it would come to the House before the summer. Is that out of the question now? Is there any prospect of the Bill being produced before the summer recess, and if not, could the Minister give a target month for when we will see it because there has been much delay with the legislation?

The second question relates to secondary legislation. It is in respect of the widespread availability of benzodiazepines, which are being traded on the streets and is a huge contributory factor to much substance abuse. It is two years since draft regulations were drawn up in the Department of Health and for some inexplicable reason they have not been signed. Could the Minister establish the reason for same and when we will get the long-promised legislation?

On the second matter, I will seek to establish the position from the Minister for Health and I will write to the Deputy. On the question of the climate change Bill, there is some hope it will be published before the House rises, but personally I do not think that is the case because I have had a peripheral involvement and there are some big issues. I expect the Bill will be published at the beginning of the next session.

Report Stage of the Legal Services Regulation Bill is due. Is there a possibility the Bill will be taken before the session ends? The previous Minister, Deputy Shatter, is not around to guide it. What is the latest position on the Bill?

The intention is to take Report Stage.

Could I ask the Minister when publication is expected on the trust Bill to reform and consolidate the law relating to trustees so as to deal better with and protect trust assets?

It is an important matter but there is no date yet for publication of the Bill.

The national paediatric hospital development board Bill is promised legislation. Given the recent announcement on the imminent development of the project, with which I totally agree and on which I congratulate the Minister and the Government, is it intended to bring the Bill before the House for early discussion in order to facilitate the rapid ongoing development of the project?

I do not know whether it is in the public domain but an up-to-date report was received on progress on the major project itself only this week. There is not a date yet for the legislation.

I thank the Minister.

I too wish the Minister well in whatever role he will have next week, and thank him for his co-operation. Could he expedite the progress of the EirGrid Bill and give some idea to people about the route of Grid 25?

Given the Minister's comments on radio recently, could he examine ageism in RTE, especially given that Gay Byrne is being brought back every second week to do interviews with people such as the Taoiseach?

Did Deputy McGrath not suggest Gay Byrne should run for the Presidency?

We do not deal with individuals in the House.

The Bill is expected next year.

When does the Minister expect the juries Bill, to give effect to the Law Reform Commission's recommendation on updating jury selection, to be available in draft format? When will the bail Bill, which Deputy Durkan consistently asks about, be ready for pre-legislative scrutiny?

There is a huge legislative schedule in the Department of Justice and Equality. Draft heads are available on the bail Bill but no date is available yet for publication. Neither is a date available yet for publication of the juries Bill.

The Minister has suggested the Whips might examine the outstanding reports following the Constitutional Convention. The Government Whip has been considering the matter and has raised it in response to requests from all parties that we would do something about the outstanding reports. The Constitutional Convention was a great success. I am sure there was considerable expense in organising it and there was great pride on the part of the 100 people that participated and had the opportunity to take part in the set of recommendations that came forward. However, we have met none of the deadlines that were set by the Government in respect of the convention. As we approach the end of session we are looking now at a situation in which if we are to deal with the outstanding reports at all they will be tagged on at the end of a Dáil session. I put it to the Minister that the serious deliberation the people gave to the various issues put before them by the Government deserves more in this House than some sort of cursory consideration.

I agree entirely with Deputy Ó Fearghaíl. That is precisely the reason for the delay, namely, the individual Departments are required to do detailed work before the reports can come to the House for debate. The Taoiseach has required the Departments to speed up the work in so far as that is possible and as soon as that happens, if the Whips can agree a time, the Government is agreeable to that.

Could I ask the Minister about the climate change legislation as well? I wish to refer to the deadline for the Bill-----

We have dealt with the matter.

We were promised the Bill before Christmas, again before Easter and before the summer recess.

That is fine but the question has been answered.

Here we are-----

No, we are not having a debate on the matter.

The Dáil is getting ready to rise again and-----

The Minister has given an answer.

My question is whether the Government has a clear understanding of the urgency of the issue.

No, we are not having a debate on the issue.

Will we see the Bill in September?

Will the Deputy please resume his seat? We have dealt with the issue.

We have not seen the Bill. There is no legislation.

The Minister is aware the State Airports (Shannon Group) Bill 2014 [Seanad] will reach Committee Stage in this House. The Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Deputy Varadkar, has tabled a number of amendments, which if as I expect are passed, will require the Bill to go back to the Seanad. Is there any indication whether it is intended that the Bill will be passed into law by the Seanad before the summer recess? If that is to happen I am sure the Minister, Deputy Rabbitte, will be able to avail of a nice flight from Shannon Airport to take him on his holidays to prepare his memoirs.

I do not know whether we can deal with Seanad business in the Dáil Chamber. We might get ourselves into trouble if we start interfering with Seanad business.

What I seek to establish is the intention of the Government.

We saved Shannon for Deputy Dooley.

I assure Deputy Dooley that it is indeed the intention.

I received information that a second worker was run over by a car as it was leaving the Greyhound recycling site in Crag Avenue last night in a hit and run incident.

This is the Order of Business. I thank Deputy Collins for the information.

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