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Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Wednesday, 29 Jun 2016

Vol. 915 No. 3

Questions on Proposed Legislation

A landlord and tenant (law reform) Bill is expected to deal with the shortage of accommodation and the legal framework governing the landlord-tenant relationship. In that context, I welcome the long-awaited and long-resisted increase in rent allowance. It took three or four years to convince the Government of the importance of such an increase in preventing more people from becoming homeless. Many landlords are still refusing rent allowance applications. This issue needs to be tackled and the landlord and tenant (law reform) Bill will provide an opportunity to do so.

The programme for Government includes a commitment to establish an electoral commission to "examine the voter registration process and in particular the possibility of the PPS system being used to automatically add people to the electoral register once they reach voting age". When will the commission be established?

The programme for Government states that within 100 days the Government will establish a mobile phone and broadband task force involving various Departments to provide immediate solutions to the broadband-phone coverage deficit. Has this task force been established?

The programme for Government also contains a commitment to ask "the Central Bank of Ireland to instigate a review of the continued appropriateness of the savings limit within a year of the formation of the new Partnership Government". This proposal is to deal with the savings limit that applies to the credit union movement. In addition, it commits to asking the credit union advisory committee to conduct a review and report by the end of this year. Has the Government asked the advisory committee to conduct such a review? Is the Minister confident that the report will be produced by the end of 2016, as the Government has committed?

The landlord and tenant (law reform) Bill has been approved and work is continuing on it. Landlords are accepting 1,000 new tenancies each month for people who are on rent supplement. It is illegal to refuse a tenancy on the basis that the prospective tenant is in receipt of rent supplement. If the Deputy has information on particular cases, he should make us aware of them.

It is a widespread practice.

There are-----

That is a smart aleck response.

Let us recognise the facts.

The practice is widespread.

Landlords are accepting rent supplement recipients for 1,000 new tenancies each month.

Leo must have given the Tánaiste that line.

If the Deputy provides details of cases for my Department, we will pursue them.

We are hearing the usual smart aleck response.

We cannot have a debate on the matter.

If Deputy Micheál Martin is aware of someone who is breaking the law, he has a responsibility to pass on the information. I am not being a smart aleck.

The Minister is not in order.

On the second point raised by Deputy Micheál Martin, as he will be aware, a consultative process was carried out on this issue and the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government is considering its outcome.

On the point the Deputy raised about credit unions, this is a priority for the Minister for Finance. I do not know the precise timetable, but I will ask the Minister to revert to the Deputy on the issue.

Tá dhá cheist agam: ceann amháin faoi chlár an Rialtais agus an ceann eile faoi Ibrahim Halawa. I am advised that the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade told the family of Ibrahim Halawa that he was to be sentenced today and that the Government was poised to submit an immediate request thereafter for a presidential decree to be issued to have him released and returned home. Today the trial was postponed again and this young citizen is still being held in horrendous conditions. Will the Government submit the request for a presidential decree to ensure this young man will be returned home?

Tá ceist eile agam on the commitment in the programme for Government to cancer care pathways. The programme commits the Government to ensuring "appropriate care pathways are in place to improve cancer services". I have been contacted, as, I am sure, other Teachta Dalaí have, by numerous citizens suffering from a form of cancer known as sarcoma.

They have informed me that the locum contract of the consultant medical oncologist at St. Vincent's University Hospital will expire at the end of the week. They are concerned that the necessary expertise will be lost. Can the Tánaiste assure them that the expertise in sarcoma care will be retained at St. Vincent's University Hospital?

I wish to express my deep disappointment and concern - the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade has already done so - in respect of the further delay in the Ibrahim Halawa case. I wish to assure the House that our ambassador in Egypt was once again present in the court for the hearing and embassy officials have been present for all hearings in this case. Many members of Government including myself have spoken with the Egyptian Foreign Minister. The Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Deputy Flanagan, and our officials are constantly in touch in advocating on Ibrahim's behalf with the Egyptian authorities. It is very disappointing. I was speaking to the Minister, Deputy Flanagan, yesterday and he had expected that the court case would finally take place today. I will convey the concerns of Deputy Adams to the Minister. He will be outlining further action when he speaks on this issue in the House in the coming days.

There is concern about the particular specialist who has indicated that the contract has ended. The HSE has said that a consultant medical oncologist will be assuming the responsibility for the sarcoma service in St. Vincent's University Hospital and that ongoing care for patients undergoing treatment for sarcoma cancer will not be compromised in any way.

I wish to associate myself and the Labour Party with a vote of sympathy and solidarity for the people of Turkey and Istanbul in particular following the horrific attacks yesterday.

My first question relates to secondary legislation. As the Tánaiste is aware, the previous Administration introduced the Regulation of Lobbying Act. It seems some well-established businesses, including major banks, are confused by the Act. When will the other sections of the Act be brought into place in order that powers will be given to the Standards in Public Office Commission to ensure full compliance with lobbying regulation?

I understand that when speaking on Newstalk "Breakfast" this morning the Minister of State, Deputy McGrath, indicated that members of the Independent Alliance in Cabinet did not like the advice given by the Attorney General in respect of a Private Members' Bill submitted by Deputy Wallace and indicated that they were seeking separate advice. Is that the case? If it is the case, what is the Tánaiste's view of it?

I will have to come back to Deputy Howlin on the implementation of the important lobbying Bill, which the Deputy brought in himself. Some sections have been commenced and there are others yet to be commenced. I will liaise directly with the Deputy on the matter.

It is not accurate to say that members of the Independent Alliance said they were getting separate advice. We had a discussion on the Bill that is being introduced. The Attorney General has advised that it is unconstitutional. I have concerns about any Bill that creates false hope for people and the view that such a Bill would deal with the issue of fatal foetal abnormality. In fact, serious constitutional issues are at stake which the Attorney General has advised on.

Cuirfidh mé an cheist chéanna a chuir mé uair agus uair eile arís. Baineann sé leis an FEMPI legislation. Amárach an lá deireanach chun an tuarascáil faoin FEMPI legislation a chur os comhair an Tí seo. When are we going to see the legislation adhered to? A report is to be brought before the House. The only time we can discuss it is tomorrow, but at the moment it is not on the Order Paper.

The FEMPI legislation, in case people listening in or here in the House do not understand, is the Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Act that was imposed to cut the pay of those in public sector, most of whom earn less than €42,000 a year. The legislation is affecting them very badly. In the autumn, it will be used to penalise teachers in the ASTI which is involved in a dispute over pay.

We cannot get into a debate about the legislation. The Deputy has asked the question.

There is an urgency in not just laying the report before the House to rubberstamp it-----

Can we have an answer from the Tánaiste?

-----but giving us an opportunity to discuss it in a real and meaningful way.

On the same-----

This is the Government's second last opportunity; tomorrow will be the very last opportunity.

If the Deputy takes all of the time, there will be no opportunity to answer.

I raised this issue yesterday and we hope to get an answer to the same question.

The report must be laid before the House by tomorrow and it will be.

Will there be plenty of time for discussion?

Of course, there will be discussion. Deputies discussed the issue this morning at the Business Committee. It is up to the Business Committee to decide when the debate will take place. Deputy Bríd Smith has a representative at the committee. It is a question of agreeing when the debate will take place. The report will be available tomorrow. We will give people time to read and assess it. We will have a debate in the House when the Business Committee decides the debate should take place. There is no problem with doing that whatsoever.

We need to have the debate before the report is signed off on, which means that it has to be done by tomorrow.

The Deputy needs to take to her-----

Does the Government want to shut down the debate tomorrow?

The Deputy needs to have a discussion with her own Whip.

The report has to be laid before the Houses by tomorrow. That is what has to be done by tomorrow and it will be.

Is there any update on the gambling control Bill which seems to have been delayed for a considerable period?

The Minister of State at my Department, Deputy David Stanton, is working on the Bill. He is examining whether some elements of it could be dealt with separately from the overall Bill. He is examining how best to progress the Bill. There are some very important current issues in the country that need to be addressed in the Bill.

It is envisaged that the heads of the health and transport support Bill will be published in July. Is it on schedule? The discontinuation of the transport grant and the mobility scheme has caused great hardship for people with disabilities. Does the Government envisage that the scheme to be put in place will be put in place by the Department of Social Protection? Will it be a new scheme or will there be an extension of the previous scheme?

It is intended that the heads of the Bill will be published, as I said previously, in July.

There is a very firm commitment in the programme for Government to establish a special court to deal with mortgage arrears cases. Many people are anxiously awaiting the establishment of that court. When will it be set up?

Departmental officials and I have had some initial discussions with the Judiciary on how best to meet that obligation in the programme for Government. Therefore, we have started discussions. Obviously, setting up a new court is quite complex. We are examining how best to deliver on the commitment to have a dedicated court dealing with mortgage arrears cases.

As the House will be aware, Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin I met representatives of GSOC some time ago. One of the things that came up was the legislation that imposed time limits for complaints. GSOC has advised us that it may take on investigations with interconnecting issues where it has to open up new lines of inquiry arising from information coming to light owing to statements it may have received or disclosures made to it, but that it is bound by legislation and cannot investigate such matters. Does the Government have proposals to amend legislation to give GSOC the necessary powers in these cases?

The GSOC legislation was reviewed and this House made changes to it last year. There are no plans to change it, but it can, and obviously will be, kept under review. There may be a need to update it and GSOC may approach the Government with changes it would like to see implemented.

It approached us about quite a number of changes when we were reviewing the legislation and we included as many changes as we could at the time. I do not doubt that there will be further discussions about the matter.

There will be a public sector standards Bill before that.

I am sorry, but the time available to us, 15 minutes, has elapsed. I apologise to the seven Deputies who have indicated. If they indicate early tomorrow, we may be able to take them then.

On a point of order, it is clear that having a 15-minute time slot for the Order of Business is not satisfactory for many Deputies.

I know that this is up for review. It is just not a workable operation. I do not know whether it can be reviewed in the short term.

We will be reviewing all of the changes-----

-----at the end of term.

There are issues in this regard.

It is clear that we need a longer time slot.

If Deputy Micheál Martin takes up the matter with his delegates to the Dáil reform committee, it can be dealt with there.

I am afraid I had better do it myself.

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