It is intended today to take the Second Stage of the Jurisdiction of Courts and Enforcement of Judgments (European Communities) (No. 2) Bill, 1987 until 5.30 p.m. and from 6.30 p.m. to 8 o'clock we will resume the debate on the motion put down by Senators Ross and Murphy.
Order of Business.
Could the Leader of the House give us an assurance that Item No. 19 — the Item raised by Senator Fennell — will be taken as a matter of urgency, within a week if at all possible? Secondly, would it be possible to have time put aside, either today or tomorrow — probably tomorrow — for a debate on the closure of the Hyster plant because I believe it raises questions of enormous public importance and involves the manner in which multi-national companies operate in this country with the involvement of a large sum of public money.
I am not sure if that is in order but I will allow the Leader of the House to answer.
Could I have the guidance and assistance of the Cathaoirleach? I have a motion on the Order Paper, Item No. 22. Without making a speech and without trying to get in on the Order of Business I want to ask about the content——
The Senator can speak on the Order of Business.
Are the Cathaoirleach and the House aware of a situation which is prevailing at the moment in which somebody from outside this State can come in with a heavy goods vehicle, drive it through a built up area with a 30 mile per hour speed limit, and the Garda cannot charge the people involved because——
The Senator is now making a speech.
I am trying to explain the motion. That is putting a right thought in my head. I respect the Chair. Perhaps I could finish my question.
(Interruptions.)
If a District Court judge is not available the Garda cannot do their duty. Therefore, I consider that Item No. 22, is urgent. I did not want to ask to have it taken on the Adjournment. I ask for the Chair's guidance and assistance and the support of everybody in the House to bring it forward.
Is the Leader of the House aware of the fact that there is a most disquieting rumour that Dáil Éireann is going into summer recess some time towards the end of June? Would he agree that it would bring this House into serious disrepute at a time when it is very much discussed in the media for anyone to consider starting the summer recess quite so early? Could he give an assurance that this House will not rise for the summer recess at such an early stage?
I will allow the Leader of the House to answer that but what the Dáil does really does not concern us. Nobody is saying we are going into recess in July.
Of course I agree with the Cathaoirleach that what the Dáil does does not concern us, but when people who should know better start asking questions about the expenses of Members of this House perhaps Members of this House should reply. I have made every effort to get a Member of the Dáil to ask a similar question about Members of the Dáil and they have all resolutely refused, whatever their political views.
Could we get to the point?
I wish to raise the question of Ministers who are responsible for handling business in this House. I would like the Leader of the House to assure us that the Ministers who handle business in this House will take the House seriously. The behaviour of the Minister for Foreign Affairs last Wednesday night in this House was a "thundering disgrace" to quote a famous phrase. He gave us——
In fairness to Senator Brendan Ryan, no matter what Minister was involved, I would have to defend him from the Chair. That does not arise on the Order of Business in the Seanad today. Will Senator Ryan please resume his seat? Last week when the said Minister was in the Chamber, the Senator should have said what he wanted to say and not when he is not here. That applies to any Minister of any party while I am in this Chair. The Leader of the House to conclude.
I did say it and his reply was so objectionable and offensive that I felt obliged to raise it again today. The Minister for Foreign Affairs was a disgrace here last Wednesday night.
The Order of Business for today will be as stated. A point was raised by the Leader of the Opposition in connection with the Hyster closure, which we all regret and was unforeseen by anybody in Government or in the IDA as late as 8 o'clock this morning. If it is appropriate to the House, we will try to get a debate going on that matter tomorrow. I am not promising that it will take place. I do not think that there is anybody here who does not regret what happened. If we cannot have a debate today we will have it tomorrow if possible. I will approach various people. I do not think it is a concern of the Senator only; it is the concern of everybody in the country.
The question raised by Senator McGowan is a matter for the Garda authorities. In general it is recognised by most of us who travel on the roads that vehicles from outside the State do not comply with the laws as they are here. There will have to be more concern for the repercussions of overloading by vehicles from outside the State and of speeding by vehicles from outside the State, but I do not think that is a matter we can discuss now. I will discuss with Senator McGowan whether we will take this as a substantive three hour motion. If we do not take it as a substantive three hour motion, he can put it down as an Adjournment matter.
As to Senator O'Toole's remarks about the Dáil, I do not know when the Dáil will go into recess but, if I were Senator O'Toole, I would not be making any arrangements for holidays on 26 June, the following week or the week after. I have no control over what happens in the Dáil. I guarantee that anybody who has made arrangements for holidays around 26 June should cancel them as of now unless they have pairs. There will not be very many pairs coming from this side of the House in that period.
The questions raised by Senator Brendan Ryan are more appropriate to the Committee on Procedure and Privileges. I do not intend to answer the accusations he made here this evening. If he wants to raise these matters with the Committee on Procedure and Privileges he is quite entitled to do so. If he is not a member of that committee he has the opportunity to pass on his comments to his representative and they can be dealt with by the Committee on Procedure and Privileges.
Did Senator Lanigan answer Senator Fennell on Item No. 19?
Last week I referred to this matter. I can assure Senator Fennell that — I cannot say that it will be taken today; it will not be taken tomorrow — we are not forgetting the report of the Committee on Women's Rights. I give a guarantee that it will be taken as soon as possible. I cannot give a further guarantee because I am not in a position to do so at present. It will be taken at an early stage.
As a matter of urgency, a Chathaoirligh——
When the Order of Business is concluded, we usually take Item No. 1.
Is the Order of Business concluded?
The Leader of the House has concluded.
In order to relieve the accommodation space in the Seanad four Senators, including myself, voluntarily agreed to take accommodation in a house owned by the Office of Public Works in Merrion Square. Since then the rooms we have taken have been refurbished by the Office of Public Works. There is one essential amenity lacking, that is, we have no division bells. There could be a vote in this Chamber without our knowing about it. It is essential that any room occupied by a Senator should have that facility. I ask you to use your good offices to urge the Office of Public Works to carry out this work and see that these bells are put in immediately. Up to this morning there seemed to be some reluctance on the part of the Office of Public Works to provide this facility.
I was not aware that the Senator moved into offices that had no division bells. As regards the powers that I have as Cathaoirleach, sometimes I doubt them. We have a meeting of the Committee on Procedure and Privileges this evening and between now and then I will see that the Senator has bells in some rooms for a division here.
Order of Business agreed to.