Seanad Éireann díospóireacht -
Wednesday, 8 Mar 1995

Vol. 142 No. 5

Order of Business.

Mr. Manning

It is proposed to take items 1 to 8 together, with items 9, 10 and 20, Motion No. 5. Items 1 to 8 will conclude by 1 p.m. Item 9, the Arterial Drainage (Amendment) Bill, 1995, will start after the sos and will conclude not later than 4 p.m. Senator Daly will be called to speak on this item not later than 3.40 p.m. while the Leader of the House will be called not later than 3.30 p.m. Item 10, Statements on the Role of Seanad Éireann, will be taken if item 9 is concluded and will be taken between the conclusion of item 9 and 6 p.m. Item 20, Motion No. 5, Private Members' motion, will be taken from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. and there will be a sos from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m.

Since next week is St. Patrick's week, it is proposed to sit next Tuesday rather than Wednesday.

Mr. Wright

Will the Arterial Drainage (Amendment) Bill, 1995, be completed today subject to a vote on Second Stage?

Mr. Manning

The Bill will be completed today.

Mr. Roche

That sounds ominous.

Mr. Wright

In the light of recent robberies, armed and otherwise, and the announcement by Minister for Justice, Deputy Owen, that as a result of the peace process gardaí will be dispersed throughout the country, I am sure the Minister would welcome the views of the House on where best to disperse those gardaí. I hope the Leader will find time in the near future for a debate on law and order.

Mr. Norris

I support the call by Senator Wright for a debate on law and order. The House will note that item 6 on the Order Paper refers to attacks on a journalist. As regards items 1 to 8, may I ask when the Committee of Selection will meet? In the light of the useful debate on the banks which we had in a previous Seanad, would the Leader consider a similar debate on another of our great institutions, the Gaelic Athletic Association which has been referred to as the real Government of Ireland? It has taken a political line from time to time and it is also gets special tax provisions. We have just received the booklet on national lottery allocations where I am sure we will find substantial sums of money being allocated to the GAA, which is in many ways an estimable organisation. It would be healthy for us to look at one of our great institutions, not necessarily in a negative or critical way, given that we fund it to such an extent. In the light of the present troubles, perhaps we could ask, if not require, the GAA to be sensitive in its handling of issues such as RUC membership.

Ms Honan

Has the Leader had any success in getting the Minister for Health, Deputy Noonan, to come to the House to discuss the VHI? I know he will be here next week to discuss the Regulation of Information (Services Outside the State For Termination Of Pregnancies) Bill, 1995. We would certainly like to see him here, which I am sure he would be glad to hear. I would like to hear his response to the report of the Kennedy review group which highlighted many of the problems about which the 1.3 million members of the VHI are concerned. As the Leader indicated last week, it would be useful to debate that.

Could we have a debate on the implementation of the Child Care Act, 1991, and the fact that mandatory reporting of child abuse cases has not yet been implemented? We tend to drag out these issues. Much concern was expressed after the report on the Kilkenny incest case, but nothing has happened in regard to this matter and it is vitally important that it is addressed.

Mr. Roche

I support Senator Honan's request for a discussion of the VHI, which is an issue of grave concern. Perhaps the Leader could find time for such a debate. I am sure these concerns are shared by Members on the other side of the House. Could we mark discussions in another jurisdiction as regards its prevention of terrorism Act? We discussed the Irish diaspora in the House last week, as did the President in an enlightening address to both House of the Oireachtas some weeks ago. This odious legislation has most vehemently borne down on Irish people in the United Kingdom. Could the Leader advise me if there is an appropriate way to deal with this matter or indicate the concerns felt by Members on all sides on the way this legislation has odiously oppressed Irish people?

Mr. Farrelly

Will the Leader of the House ask the Minister for the Environment, Deputy Howlin, to initiate the Road Traffic (Amendment) Bill in this House? Most Members welcome the proposed changes. People in rural areas will be able to live in comfort from now on.

With regard to the request for a debate on law and order, I ask that details would be provided to all Members on the seriousness of the problem and how it has escalated over the last ten years. It has reached an alarming level in areas around Dublin, including my county, and these crimes are happening daily.

I would also ask you, a Chathaoirligh, for guidance as to how I could raise an issue relating to the award of a Government contract to somebody who had no tax clearance certificate and who went broke half way through the building of a barracks.

An Cathaoirleach

That is an issue we will talk about; we will give you advice after the Order of Business.

Mr. Farrelly

It is interesting and alarming to note——

An Cathaoirleach

I am sure it is, but it is not relevant.

Mr. Farrelly

——that the smallest builder in the country without a tax clearance certificate cannot get a job.

An Cathaoirleach

It is not relevant to the Order of Business.

Mr. Farrelly

I am asking for guidance.

An Cathaoirleach

We will talk about that later.

Mr. Quinn

I ask the Leader of the House to find time for a debate on currency. The turmoil in the currency markets is ignored in the Houses of the Oireachtas. I asked for a debate on this subject some time ago and I commented that this issue tends to be put on the long finger until a crisis occurs. We are now likely to be in a crisis in that this week alone the punt has exceeded sterling on a couple of occasions; there has been turmoil with the peseta and the escudo and now with the US dollar and the Deutsche Mark. This will cause a crisis for our exporters and will bring into debate the issue of the single European currency which is timed for 1999. If we are not ready, perhaps it will be a two speed currency. We should debate this matter ahead of time rather than wait until there is a crisis and then we will have to debate it on the spur of the moment.

Mr. Magner

With regard to the currency issue the problem for most people is that they do not have enough, whatever about its movements.

Mr. Roche

Pass around the hat.

Mr. Magner

Apart from some Members of the Fine Gael Party, obviously.

Mr. Dardis

We might examine the travel of the foreign affairs committee.

Mr. Magner

And most certainly the Progressive Democrats. Would the Leader of the House bring to the attention of the Minister of State with responsibility for sport another sporting organisation, namely the FAI, which still resolutely refuses to hand back the money which was paid for a game that did not take place?

An Cathaoirleach

This is not relevant to the Order of Business.

Mr. Magner

Thousands of citizens' money is being held——

An Cathaoirleach

Mine included.

Mr. Magner

And my own.

An Cathaoirleach

It is still not relevant.

Mr. Magner

I ask you, a Chathaoirligh, to join with me in asking the Leader of the House to get the Minister of State to answer questions as to when we will get our money back.

Mr. Fitzgerald

Senator Quinn has stolen my thunder.

An Cathaoirleach

Another money man.

Mr. Fitzgerald

I would like to raise the issue of currency charges. My problem is the fees the banks charge to exchange money.

An Cathaoirleach

That has been raised by Senator Norris.

Mr. Fitzgerald

The Consumer Credit Bill is going through the other House. It deals with charges on credit cards, ATM cards and all bank charges. We had a debate some time ago on bank charges but the matter is rearing its ugly head again. We could recommend that the banks delay introducing the rise in mortgages because as a rule they are too quick to move in that direction. I call for a debate on ATM charges, credit cards and bank charges in general.

Mr. Farrell

I support Senator Wright's call for a debate on crime. It is serious when a garda is shot in a Dublin street in the course of his duty. We should include the abuse of drugs in that debate. Listening to Joe Duffy on the radio this morning, drug abuse seems to be the reason most of the women prisoners are in gaol. To feed their habit they were shoplifting, they hurt people and they damaged property. I support the call for the debate on crime.

Ms O'Sullivan

I take the opportunity to wish all my colleagues a happy International Women's Day. Some time ago we had a very good debate on the Report of the Second Commission on the Status of Women and we suggested that we should monitor progress. I suggest that we find time to go back to that report and see what progress has been made since its publication.

Mr. Bohan

I wish to say a couple of words on the road traffic legislation. The people I represent are reasonably pleased with the Minister's intention to change the penalties but would he consider substituting a fine for a three month suspension for the first 80 mg — 100 mg? We asked for this before the previous Bill became law. I thank the Minister and compliment him.

Mr. Manning

Before I reply to the Order of Business I wish to put the record straight. I had indicated to the House that the Minister for the Marine would be in the House tomorrow to speak on marine matters. Unfortunately, due to his departure for the Lebanon, tomorrow is not convenient for him but he will come into the House on the morning of Thursday, 23 March, to take that debate and he will take questions as well. I had given that commitment and wanted to indicate to the House why we are not having that debate tomorrow.

On the Order of Business, Senator Wright and others raised the question of crime. The Minister for Justice would welcome an opportunity to come into the House, hear the views of Members and indicate what her plans are. I will ask her, as a matter of urgency, to come into the House to discuss this issue about which everybody is concerned. Senator Norris asked about the Committee on Selection. This committee will probably meet on Tuesday, 14 March. If the other House were not preoccupied it would probably meet this week but because of pressing legislation it will not meet until next Tuesday.

The GAA and a number of sporting issues were raised this morning. The importance of sport in all aspects of our life could provide the basis for a major debate in the near future. I will ask the Minister for Sport if he would be prepared to come to the House; I am sure he would.

Senator Honan and others mentioned the VHI. I have conveyed to the Minister the point made in this regard by Senator Finneran last week. He is preoccupied this week and next week but it is a major issue and he will come to the House to address it. Senator Roche also raised the question of VHI. Everybody in the House shares the Senator's view on the British Prevention of Terrorism Act. I am not sure what the appropriate way for us to discuss it here would be, but I will convey his views, which I believe are the views of the House, to the Tánaiste.

Senator Farrelly asked about road traffic legislation. I will see if the Road Traffic (Amendment) Bill can be taken in this House. I share Senator Quinn's sense of impending crisis on the question of the currency and I will see if something can be done tomorrow. I cannot guarantee anything but I will make a request to see if we can have a debate at some stage tomorrow, as we do not have time today. Senator Magner's point about the FAI was covered. Senator Fitzgerald also raised the question of currency, I will convey Senator Bohan's views to the Minister.

Order of Business agreed to.

An Cathaoirleach

Items 2 to 8, inclusive, will be debated with item 1.