It is proposed to take item No. 2, that is, the Environmental Protection Agency Bill, to resume discussion on Committee Stage until 4 p.m. and to have a sos beween 1 p.m. and 2 p.m.
Order of Business.
On the Order of Business, I would like to ask the Leader of the House about his intentions for the Local Government Bill, 1991. I do so because I read on the Dáil programme for next week that all Stages of that Bill will be concluded at 4.30 p.m. on Thursday. I read on the programme circulated from the Government Whip, which we got this morning, that that Bill will be taken here on Thursday and Friday next and that all Stages are to conclude on Friday evening. That means that the Bill will be coming here straight from the Dáil at 4.30 p.m. on Thursday. It is very bad practice not to have an interval between the time a Bill leaves the Dáil and is presented here. If our taking the Bill can be postponed until the following week we will co-operate fully to ensure that it gets through in a reasonable manner but if the Leader of the House insists on bringing the Bill here straight from the Dáil without any break whatsoever, that co-operation will not be forthcoming. As I said to the Leader last week, this House works on co-operation but when an element of coercion is involved, as we now see both with the timing of the Bill and the clear implication that it will be guillotined it is very hard to have co-operation. Therefore, I ask Senator Fallon to think again about this.
I join with Senator Manning in expressing my concern that this important Bill will be railroaded through the House, that it will be debated in effectively what will have to be a half baked manner because people will not have enough time to consider the Bill as altered in the Dáil. It is totally unacceptable that important legislation should be pushed through as proposed as we face into local elections.
I also ask the Leader of the House to ask the Minister for Health to renew his efforts to convince the board of Holles Street Hospital to publish the report on the Dunne case. It is desirable that that be done and I do not think that that hospital has anything to fear by such publication.
I would like to add my voice to what has been said by Senators Manning and Upton and I am sure I speak for my colleagues in this bench, too, in that we also would like some time for consideration of the Local Government Bill. I think it would fall within the Government's timetable to deal with it the following week and still have it comfortably within the Government timetable. It is certainly unacceptable that it should come hot-foot from the other House.
I support Senator Manning and the other Senators on their approach to the Local Government Bill. The Seanad has a particular interest on behalf of our electorate, in ensuring that legislation is as effective as it can be and that any difficulties arising from it are ironed out. I also ask the Leader of the House to give time to discuss the recent Law Reform Commission report on the law of succession which recommends that the State sign The Hague Convention. Will the Leader give some time to this very important report?
I support what our Leader has said in relation to the taking and the timing of the Local Government Bill. There is no great need to have the Bill through by next Friday. Given that the Bill was promised many years ago and that it has taken a long time to reach the Floor of the House, we would be willing to co-operate in leaving it over and getting it through in the following week. I ask both the Leader and the Whip to not necessarily succumb to pressures from on high and to agree to this request.
Can the Leader of the House give us any information as to when we may expect legislation dealing with the matter of profits from drug trafficking? Can he say when we might expect the legislation to be before us? I ask the question because I am becoming increasingly aware of a very serious and dangerous drugs problem in the inner city where I live. This problem is to be found both sides of the Liffey. It involves the smoking of heroin and there is distribution through ordinary pushers now that the large drug families have been broken. It is very important that we take the Bill as rapidly as possible to indicate that the Government are showing appropriate concern for a very serious problem in the city.
Senator Manning and others referred to the Local Government Bill. As Senator Manning rightly pointed out, Report Stage of the Bill is due to be completed by 4.30 p.m. on Thursday next. Discussions are still taking place with the Government Whip and I am aware, as indeed is every Member of the House, that there are serious time constraints on the taking of the Bill. However, I will continue discussions, as will Senator Wright, with Deputy Vincent Brady to see what can be done. The Minister indicated here during the week that there is a certain time by which the Bill has to be completed. All those factors have to be taken into account. From my point of view I want to reiterate that co-operation is the name of the game and that I will be anxious to co-operate at all times with all Senators in the House.
Senator Upton also asked about the Dunne case but that matter is not appropriate to the Order of Business. Senator Neville asked about the Law Reform Commission report on the law of succession. At this point I have no proposal for a debate on that matter. The same applies to Senator Norris who asked about legislation on drug trafficking. I have no information on the matter but perhaps I can find out for the Senator when that legislation will be ready.
Order of Business agreed to.