The committee will send the group's documents directly to the Minister.
On 10 December last, the committee considered a letter from the ASTI concerning the recommendations of the Commission on Public Service Pensions. It agreed to seek a briefing from the Department of Finance on the implementation of the commission's report. A briefing note and a copy of the report of the working group on the implementation of the recommendations have been received and circulated to all members. This issue is listed in our draft work programme. I propose that we decide how we intend to proceed on this issue in the context of the work programme. There will be legislation as a result of the budget announcement of changes in public service pension arrangements. Such a Bill will be discussed on Committee Stage by the select committee in March. Members will have an opportunity to speak on the matter on Second Stage in the Dáil and on Committee Stage. We can decide if we wish to discuss it further, as part of our work programme, at that stage. Is it agreed to consider the matter as part of our work programme? Agreed.
We will return to the presentation of the Combat Poverty Agency when we have completed our internal discussions. The second draft of the 2004 work programme has been circulated. It includes issues that were suggested by members of the committee at the meeting of 21 January last. The clerk to the committee has sought from the Departments of the Taoiseach and Finance a comprehensive list of the bodies in the committee's remit. I understand the Departments are compiling the list at present. We can select and prioritise bodies for examination when the list has been received.
I propose that we review the list of issues for examination under the work programme. We can make any deletions or additions that the committee deems appropriate. If we are to make progress on the work programme, we need to be conscious of the volume of work of the select committee. I say this to keep members of the joint committee informed. We have to consider the adverse effect of the select committee's business on our work programme. For the information of members, I wish to state that I have tentatively agreed the following arrangements for the forthcoming Bills:
Central Bank and Financial Services Authority of Ireland Bill 2003 — Committee Stage
Wednesday, 18 February 2004; 2 p.m.-8.30 p.m.
Thursday, 19 February 2004; 12 noon-4 p.m.
Finance Bill 2004 — Committee Stage
Tuesday, 24 February 2004.
Wednesday, 25 February 2004.
Thursday, 26 February 2004.
Public Service Management (Recruitment and Appointments) Bill 2003 — Committee Stage
Wednesday, 3 March 2004; all day.
Public Service (Pensions) Bill 2004 — Committee Stage.
Tuesday, 9 March 2004.
We might finish the Central Bank and Financial Services Authority of Ireland Bill, which has been referred to the select committee, in three or four hours on Wednesday, 18 February, but we will book the committee room until 8.30 p.m. and, if needs be, for Thursday, 19 February. I hope it will be possible to complete Committee Stage in one sitting, but it depends on the number of amendments. We will allow extra time on 19 February, if necessary. It was not a particularly contentious Bill on Second Stage. It may not take all day to deal with the Public Service Management (Recruitment and Appointments) Bill 2003, which is expected to be referred to the select committee shortly. We will start our consideration of Committee Stage of the Bill at 10.30 a.m. or 11 a.m. on Wednesday, 3 March.
The Public Service (Pensions) Bill has not yet been published, but it needs to be passed, enacted and enforced by 1 April next. I understand that it is intended to publish the Bill on 19 February. It will be discussed on Second Stage in the House. The Minister has asked that it be considered on Committee Stage in the week beginning 8 March 2004.
It is likely that the Dáil will order the select committee to consider the Finance Bill between 24 and 26 February. It normally takes the committee three full days to deal with the Finance Bill. It is expected that Estimates will be referred to the select committee later this month or early next month. We have an extensive range of work at select committee level. We have not yet decided on provisional dates for the Committee Stage debates on the National Economic and Social Development Office Bill 2002, which has already been referred to the select committee, and the International Development Association (Amendment) Bill 2003, which will be referred to this committee when Second Stage has been concluded. It often happens that the committee has a very busy schedule at this time of the year, until the beginning of April. We usually have many Bills to deal with.
The draft work programme has been presented to members. Would anyone like to make a further comment? I stress that we are awaiting a comprehensive list from the Departments of the Taoiseach and Finance in respect of the bodies under their remit which come under our jurisdiction. We will include the bodies in our work programme after the list has been received and we will prioritise them at that stage. I do not intend to start to set priorities until the full list has been received from the Departments.
A number of bodies that will be on the list have never been called before this Dáil or a previous Dáil. It is important that we speak to them. Perhaps we will speak about the work programme again when we have received further information. Is that agreed? Agreed. Most aspects of the work programme will be dealt with after the end of March. We may meet before then, but there will not be too many joint committee meetings in the immediate future.
The next item on the agenda is a statutory instrument.
