It is proposed to take Nos. 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 in that order. It is proposed to adjourn for tea from 5.30 p.m. to 6.30 p.m. Item No. 5 will be taken from 6.30 p.m. to 8 p.m. or earlier if the business ordered allows.
Order of Business.
This side of the House is disappointed at the lack of legislation being introduced here. It was suggested at one time that the setting up of joint committees would be useful. It now appears that the reports of the joint committees are being used as substitutes because no legislation is being introduced. I would like to ask the deputy Leader of the House what legislation are we likely to get or are we just to keep on taking reports week in and week out?
I endorse what Senator Lanigan has said. I have been saying the same thing for two years. I am very glad that the Fianna Fáil Party are taking it up. I would like to ask the deputy Leader of the House if it is intended that the amendment to the 1979 Family Planning Act will be introduced in the Seanad or introduced in the Dáil, what the time-table in relation to the 1979 Family Planning Act is for the Government or whether the 1979 Family Planning Act will be amended at all?
I would like to ask the deputy Leader of the House, in the light of the motion put down by the Fine Gael Party on the Youth Policy Report and in the light of one of the recommendations about vagrancy laws, when will item No. 11, which has been on the Order Paper for the last six months, be even initially discussed? Secondly, when does he hope to give time for us, at long last, to finish the Second Stage of the Housing (Homeless Persons) Bill, 1983? Both of these items have been on the Order Paper for so long that at this stage the printers are probably beginning to suffer from some sort of blindness from having to repeat the same print over and over again.
In view of the fact that this is our first sitting in 1985 and that there are local elections pending, in which some of us have a direct interest and all of us have an indirect interest, before the flak of the year starts would it be in order for me to wish you and all the Members of the House a very happy New Year?
Most of the contributors have referred to legislation. I would remind them that for today's Order of Business there are two Bills, the Canals Bill, 1985 and the Age of Majority Bill, 1984. It would be inappropriate, and I am sure the Opposition would not agree to this, to take the Canals Bill without having set a date for taking it. I ordered it for today to get agreement on the date on which we should take it. With regard to the Vagrancy (Repeal) (No. 2) Bill, 1984, mentioned by Senator B. Ryan, I will communicate his views and the views of the House to the relevant Minister to see if it can be brought forward quickly. With regard to Senator Ross, the Taoiseach has announced that it is the Government's intention to bring forward a great deal of legislation in the coming sessions of both Houses of the Oireachtas. I have no control over whether the Bills will be initiated here or in the other House. I know that I am expressing the views of the Leader of the House when I say that as much legislation as possible should be initiated here. There will be legislation on the National Development Corporation on which the Labour Party will have much to say, the Broadcasting Bill, the Family Planning Bill. The Children Bill and the Local Government Reform Bill are two Bills that I understand will be ready possibly by March and be in time for the elections. We will also have legislation in connection with disabled voters and extending the vote to people from the United Kingdom. There is also a commitment from the Government on a Housing (Homeless Persons) Bill. If it does not arrive in time we will proceed in an orderly fashion to discuss Senator B. Ryan's Bill, on which, in fairness, we have done quite a lot in recent months. There is also the question of introducing legislation to implement the taxation of farmers. Those are some of the Bills coming from the Government. There will certainly be no lack of eagerness on our side of the House to bring forward as much legislation as possible in this House as soon as we have it available.
Senator Ferris suggests that we will be loaded with legislation. As regards today's two Bills, I suggest that the Age of Majority Bill is one that is highly important. Regarding the other Bill, most people would accept that there are many more Bills that should be on this Order Paper rather than the transfer of the canals from CIE to the Board of Works.
Could the Leader of the House tell us if it is proposed to bring in the Farmer Taxation Bill before the local elections or after them?
Order of Business agreed to.