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Seanad Éireann díospóireacht -
Wednesday, 20 May 1992

Vol. 132 No. 12

Death of Former Minister. - Order of Business.

The Order of Business for today is Item No. 1 until 6 p.m.— Committee Stage of the Electoral Bill — and Motion 44 between 6 p.m. and 8 p.m.

On the Order of Business, may I ask the Leader of the House when item No. 5, which has been on the Order Paper for a very long time, will be taken? Secondly, I am aware that we now have new proposals to have topical debates each week. Will the Leader of the House tell me when that procedure will commence, because it is very clear that there are a number of major issues which should be discussed, including our preparations for the World Environmental Conference, the problem in Northern Ireland and the changes to the Common Agricultural Policy which are currently being announced?

The Leader of the House might outline for us the sitting arrangements for the rest of the week. He should also take the opportunity over the next week or so to indicate the legislative programme for the rest of this session. As has been referred to by Senator Upton and others over the past number of weeks, part of the new arrangements for the Order of Business, etc. included the taking of topical motions on Thursday afternoon. That has been neglected over the last number of weeks and I will certainly be demanding it for future weeks.

May I join with the other speakers in asking the Leader to let us know what the position is in relation to the topical items on a Thursday? When are we going to see these matters being debated? Would he include the debate on the banks under this heading at the first opportunity — in other words, tomorrow? Would it be possible to have a debate on the Ombudsman's report so that we might get a chance to debate the data relating to the continuing problem with Telecom Éireann and the confrontations with their customers?

I ask the Leader to indicate when we will debate the Education Bills dealing with the Dublin Institute of Technology and the regional technical colleges? Perhaps he could tell us also if he has any information in relation to the Green Paper; is it coming in this term or in this year?

My second question relates to Item 15 — the Prison Reform Bill. The week before last I raised this matter and sought to have First Stage moved to the Order of Business. The Leader's reply was not very satisfactory but he did indicate — I refer to the Official Report of 6 May — that he wrote to me regarding the request about the Prison Reform Bill and that the Minister also replied to me. I got no reply from either person. I would appreciate it if I could get the grounds for the apparent refusal of the Minister to allow this item to come on the Order of Business.

I would like to make one proposal in regard to the ordering of business which I believe the Leader of the House might perhaps consider favourably. Last week there were quite a number of variations for the Order of Business. This would be obviated if the Matters of Concern, for which members are allotted two minutes each, were taken immediately after the Order of Business. Perhaps that could be looked into. I believe it would get away from all the difficulties we had last week. I formally make this suggestion.

This is a matter for the Committee of Procedure and Privileges to review and it is an ongoing situation that can be reviewed.

It should be reviewed in four or five weeks' time to see how that two minute arrangement works out and the associated matters which have not been tried out yet, as far as I know.

In the light of enforced defections recently from the other side, these benches are going to get very crowded. I do not know where we are going to put Senator Hanafin. If he is good he can sit on Senator Norris's lap, otherwise we have no place for him.

It is certainly not appropriate to the Order of Business.

It is not appropriate to my lap either.

I object to these remarks. It is making a farce of the Seanad.

Has the Leader of the House any plans to have an early debate on Item No. 7, which is a review of the activities of the European Community for the past four and a half years? Such a debate is certainly appropriate now with the extraordinary changes in the Common Agricultural Policy.

I commend the stand taken by the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Deputy Andrews, in calling for the withdrawal——

That is not appropriate for the Order of Business. You have two minutes on Matters of Concern tonight.

I want to ask the Leader when he would allow a debate on Northern Ireland seeing that the Parachute Regiment——

The Senator has that two minutes tonight.

I want to ask the Leader for a debate on Northern Ireland.

In relation to the two minutes grievance time, seeing that there are perhaps more than ten Senators involved today, is it possible that there would be some procedure in the near future to have a response to the grievance time? It is on at 8.30 p.m. We came in last week, we said what we had to say and we heard no more. It is not going to take any of the frustration out of us. I will not disrupt the Order of Business by saying that my grievance this evening relates to the status of the Seanad. Will the Leader give me a firm indication when we are going to get the long awaited debate on air transport.

Would the Leader of the House agree that it would be timely for this House once again to have a general debate on the health service, but on this occasion to establish how we can establish how we can use the same percentage of GNP——

It is not appropriate to today's Order of Business. It is suitable for the Senator to raise it by way of private motion or on the Adjournment.

I put it to the Leader that it would be timely and in the best interests of the country and the House if we had such a debate to establish how we can use the same percentage of GNP to improve patient care.

The Senator is making a speech and he is out of order.

I would ask the Leader of the House not to accept the proposal to change the rules agreed by the Committee on Procedure and Privileges, even before they are implemented. It seems that Senator Norris does not agree that grievance time should be at the end of business because he seems to think he will not get the same publicity he did previously.

(Interruptions.)

I ruled, Senator Lanigan, that this is not appropriate on the Order of Business, it is appropriate to the Committee on Procedure and Privileges.

I am surprised that Senator Jackman made the same point. Her representatives on that Committee — Senator Doyle, Senator Manning, Senator McDonald and the Leas-Chathaoirleach — agreed to the proposals. Now, before the new changes are implemented, they want them changed again. It is a load of rubbish.

I am not allowing discussion on this matter. I have ruled that it is for the Committee on Procedure and Privileges.

(Interruptions.)

The Senator should talk to her leader, sub-leader, leaderette and the Leas-Chathaoirleach.

I would like to ask the Leader if we could have an early debate on the Common Agricultural Policy which is very topical and very important?

There is nothing about it on today's Order of Business. This is what I have been saying consistently.

I am asking the question which I asked before: could we have the promised debate on the Common Agricultural Policy? Could we also get an indication when we will have a debate on air transport? Finally, I support the request for a debate on health. We have called for this several times.

I agree to the call by Senator Upton for a debate on the banking system. I would like to see that brought in as quickly as possible.

I am looking for some direction from you, a Chathaoirligh. Item 16, Motion No. 41, on the Order Paper today relates specifically to the Adelaide Hospital. There is a specific motion on the Order of Business in the names of Senators Norris and Ryan, and this item is on the Adjournment today. Does that automatically fall, or what are the rules pertaining to this issue?

It is a totally different matter and is appropriate to be taken on the Adjournment.

Item 5, the Milk (Regulation of Supply) (No. 2) Bill, will be taken within the next two weeks.

With regard to the topical issues, I am as keen as anybody to implement that particular facet of the reform, but last week we had the Maastricht debate and the debate on the referendum and this week we have the Finance Bill. Senators will remember that part of the reform was that the legislative programme would always take precedence. Having said that, I am hoping that over the next couple of weeks we will deal with the Earth Summit, Common Agricultural Policy, air transport and the banks. I would hope that within the next four weeks we will deal with those four items.

Regarding the legislative programme, I will come back to Senator O'Toole on that; between now and the end of July and early August we will cover as much of the legislative programme as possible. As regards the letter Senator Costello mentioned, it will be with him today and, hopefully, will give him some idea why the Minister suggested that we wait another while before dealing with that item.

In regard to the reform, I am pleased that tonight 11 Senators are availing of the time to raise Matters of Concern. As part of the agreement, we hope to review the reforms at the end of this session, before the summer recess.

Order of Business agreed to.
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