Today's Order of Business is Item 1, a regulation which, with the agreement of the House, will be taken without debate and Item 2. If we get to Report Stage on Item 2 we will break before taking it. The Adjournment will be at 4 p.m. and there will be a sos between 1 p.m. and 2 p.m.
Order of Business.
I have no difficulty about Item 1 being taken without debate. Has the Leader made progress on the debate on Northern Ireland? Given developments at the weekend and statements made by Sir Patrick Mayhew yesterday, it is appropriate that we have an opportunity to review the situation two months after the Downing Street Declaration. As a consequence of last night's vote in Private Members' Time, will the Leader confirm proposals to install electronic voting in the House?
The Committee on Procedure and Privileges will decide.
The reason for the close vote was because the Government side believed they should have supported the motion and they were having regrets until the last moment. I ask for a debate on the Programme for Competitiveness and Work and East Timor. I recognise the difficulties we face next week, but I would appreciate if the Leader would give a commitment to debate these issues the following week.
As regards Item 2, I have no objection to dealing with Committee and Final Stages today. Will the Leader indicate the length of time it is proposed to adjourn between Committee and Report Stage? It is likely that some amendments may be put down again.
I ask the Leader of the House if we could have a debate on agriculture, given the serious situation in several areas, including PRSI, difficulties faced by pig farmers and the breakdown in the payment of EC grants by the Department of Agriculture. I understand that people from disadvantaged areas will be outside the House next week. Will the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry come to the House to answer some of these important questions?
Could we have a debate on international investments, in the light of the programme, "Marketplace", and the Finbar Ross matter? We must see what arrangements can be made to impose proper legal regulations and to ensure this situation does not occur again. It is difficult to regulate this, but a debate would help to clarify the matter.
I will have definite information next week for Senator Manning and Senator O'Toole on their requests for debates on Northern Ireland and East Timor, respectively. It is the intention of the House to deal with these issues in the coming weeks. We have committed ourselves to taking the Road Traffic Bill next week. Two full days have been set aside for this and there will be late sittings on both days. Many other Bills are also on the way to us and there is an extensive amount of work to do. As soon as it is feasible we will have a debate on agriculture. In relation to Item 2, the Whips will agree arrangements, probably within a half an hour.
Will there be a guillotine on the Road Traffic Bill?
No guillotine has been mentioned.
Order of Business agreed to.