Today's Order of Business is items 1 and 2. Item 1 will be taken until 1 p.m., there will be a sos between 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. and item 2 will be taken from 2 p.m. until 6 p.m.. I suggest 15 minutes per speaker on item 1 and 20 minutes per speaker on item 2. I confirm to the House that the debate on sports policy will take place on Wednesday, 5 March.
Order of Business.
The Order of Business is agreed. I welcome the proposed debate on the sports document. That document has not been circulated to Members; it would be nice if we could have it as soon as possible. I thank the Leader for the updated list of forthcoming legislation. It is very helpful and useful and gives us a chance to plan ahead.
We have had very inclement, stormy weather over the past few days which brings to mind an issue very close to my heart — safety at sea. A document was published on this about six months ago which needs to be discussed. The need for safety must be emphasised to fishermen because, as Senator Magner knows, we are our own worst enemies at times. Fishermen must take due care and ensure their boats are seaworthy. I do not want to treat this as an urgent matter but I would be grateful if we could discuss the document on safety at sea as soon as possible. It is a good document.
Last week we raised the question of the Buckley report on salaries and allowances for public representatives and others in the public sector. That report has been widely debated in the media but we still have not seen it, which is an absolute disgrace. I have been involved in industrial relations and negotiations for 25 years and this is the first occasion in that time that a report following the outcome of negotiations was made available to only one side.
That is bad in terms of open government and delivering better government. It goes against everything I understand about industrial relations. It is grossly unfair to the Members of these Houses, which is the only group which has been asked to defend itself publicly. Members are attempting to do that without having access to the facts. It is unfair and the Leader should raise it. We will endure all the hassle again next week when the report is finally made available. It will be headline news again, as if we were to get another 30 per cent on top of last week's 30 per cent.
The Leader indicated that a debate on the sports report would take place on 5 March. I understand that Committee Stage of the Employment Equality Bill is scheduled for that date. Are both items to be taken on the same day?
We discussed the possibility of providing additional debating time to cover a number of outstanding issues. Has the Leader made any progress with this? It is important that Members receive adequate notice of any developments.
I raised previously the importance of mandatory reporting. Since we last discussed this issue the Government has published a report on the mandatory reporting of disclosures or allegations of child sexual abuse or child abuse. It is important that we have another balanced debate because many Senators had much to contribute on the last occasion. There is too much polarisation on this issue among members of the public. The report will allow them to reach a consensus. Members of the Oireachtas need to be well informed on it.
It is unsatisfactory that on many occasions we must ask for reports to be circulated. Reports produced by Departments should be circulated to Members of the Seanad as a matter of routine. I may be wrong in suggesting that the sports report has not been circulated, but I have not seen it. There was one occasion when we debated an issue while relying on photocopies. Will the Leader look into this with a view to ensuring that we get reports?
There is a need for statements on agriculture, especially in view of the latest development in the BSE crisis where the European Parliament has indicated lack of confidence in the way the EU Commission has dealt with the matter. It is listed as item 14 on the Order Paper. Will the Leader ensure that when there is such a debate Members who have already spoken will be able to do so again?
The same procedure should apply to statements on economic and monetary union, which is item 16 on the Order Paper. I referred yesterday to exchange rate policy and its impact on farming and business. The ESRI has issued a report on the impact of economic and monetary union and whether or not we should participate if Britain decides to stay out. There are now suggestions that if there is a Labour Government in Britain, it will not join the first group participating in economic and monetary union. At a conference before Christmas in the Royal Hospital, Kilmainham, the Taoiseach said that the debate on economic and monetary union is over. We have not even had a debate. It is necessary to hold one which concentrates on the implications for Ireland if Britain decides to stay out.
I support the call by Senator Fitzgerald for a debate on the safety at sea document, especially before the start of the season for amateur boatmen, who are usually the cause of problems as opposed to the professional fishermen.
Last week, "Oireachtas Report", referring to the day's proceedings in the Dáil and the Seanad, covered some aspects of the Dáil and the committees but nothing on the Seanad. We complained about this before and there have been some improvements. However, we are a long way from a satisfactory coverage by the controllers of the franchise for this House. I suggest to the Leader that we meet again with the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Broadcasting and those who operate the system so that we at least get our share of coverage. It is time to protest when no coverage is provided. By contrast, Jimmy Walsh of The Irish Times has provided very good coverage of the Seanad since he started his column and I pay tribute to him.
The House will support the timely action of the Tánaiste in calling in the British Ambassador yesterday. The treatment of Róisín McAliskey has been raised by many Members on both sides. If the British ever learn anything it is that if they treat people decently they will get a decent response. Perhaps in time they will learn that lesson.
The cost of domestic water supplies is being widely discussed at present. I have already asked that we discuss the quality of tapwater. The report of the Environmental Protection Agency was not circulated to everybody; I had to ask for it. Many such reports have to be asked for nowadays.
The December edition of Consumer Choice included a damning report on tapwater supplies. This month, another report indicates that the smaller the source of supply the more likely the prospect of heavy contamination. Many Senators are from parts of the country where there is heavy faecal, especially animal, contamination of water supplies. This is an increasing phenomenon due to changed methods of agriculture. We need to debate the issue. It is not simply a question of cost; practice is also involved.
Mr. Naughten
Will the Leader ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry to look at the interpretation and operation of the Protection of Animals during Transport Order? Live exporters are frustrated with the red tape involved in these regulations and consider that the interpretation of the order is causing inefficiency. They are frustrated that they cannot export cattle because of ensuing delays.
Will the Leader also ask the Minister when he expects P&O, the parent company of Pandoro, to make a decision on the export of steer cattle? These two issues are causing much frustration among farmers throughout the west. While live exporters tell them there is a market in Europe for these cattle, they cannot export them because of the regulations and the lack of transport facilities.
Will the Leader indicate when (1) the licensing laws in Dublin and (2) Luas will be debated? During the recent debate on Northern Ireland, I and other Senators called on Mr. John Hume to turn his face against an electoral pact with Sinn Féin. I am sure the House will welcome the firm announcement by Mr. Hume that he will not contemplate any such electoral pact because he realises, as does this House, that when one has an armalite in one hand and a ballot box in the other, the electorate who vote for Sinn Féin must ask themselves was it their vote that pulled the trigger?
Will the Leader arrange for a debate on the milk quota system as soon as possible and will he ensure that any such debate be confined to this issue? We can produce milk much more cheaply than most other EU countries. The demand for milk products has grown, yet farmers are unable to produce more milk because of the quota system.
Will the Leader ascertain from the controller of the Government Publications Office why there is such a discrepancy in the prices charged for Government reports, legislation and so on? For example, the rather flimsy 52 page Ethics in Public Office Bill costs the citizen £10 to purchase. Where is the justification for that cost? I ask the Leader to take up this matter as the pricing structure is not just an issue for researchers or lobby groups but one of access to information. There should be a simple explanation for that divergence in pricing.
Senator Townsend referred to muddying the waters. Slurry pollution is a serious problem in Cavan and Monaghan. I strongly support Senator Henry's call for a debate on water quality in Ireland because it is an issue that affects everybody. We should uphold the right of every citizen to clean water.
I support Senator Norris's remarks and I ask the Leader to send the congratulations of the House to Mr. John Hume, leader of the SDLP, for realising he has been supping with the devil for the last six to seven years. His late conversion is very welcome; he must realise that if one clasps a serpent to one's heart, one gets stung. Mr. Hume has now apparently come back into the fold and joined the rest of us in ostracising Sinn Féin. The Leader should convey the congratulations of the House to him on coming back to the land of the living and politically sane.
I agree with Senator Fitzgerald on safety at sea and I will give him a definite date for that debate, as I have promised one for some time. Senator Fitzgerald also requested a debate on sport. I spoke to the Minister this morning and he will circulate a copy of the report to all Seanad Members, but Senators Dardis and Henry have raised a bigger question on the circulation of official reports. I understood that all such reports would be automatically circulated to Members of both Houses, but that may not be the case. I will ask the Clerk of the Seanad what the regulations are and if she will take steps to ensure that Members of the Seanad are automatically furnished with all such reports.
Senator O'Toole raised the Buckley report and I compliment him on behalf of the House for the fine way he handled this in the media over the weekend. I agree with him that it is outrageous that we have to defend ourselves on the basis of a leaked fragment of a report we have not seen. That is an appalling way to do business and we should now have the report in front of us so we can see the basis for the decisions that were or were not made.
Senator O'Toole also raised the question of having other issues debated. Tuesday afternoons might be appropriate for these debates but I will need co-operation from Members because there is no point in having debates if nobody is here. I need to be sure that this experiment would work.
Senator Dardis raised the question of agriculture. That will be a new debate and not just a continuation of the old one. Senator Magner raised the question of "Oireachtas Report". The group leaders should have a meeting with its editor to express our concerns on the matter. Senators Henry and Gallagher raised the question of water quality. That is a very serious issue, and when we get the Environmental Protection Agency report it could form the basis of a short debate.
Senator Naughten raised the question of the protection of animals. The Minister is looking into problems with the regulations on the transport of animals and hopes to make an announcement on that issue soon. The Senator also raised the question of P & O, who are considering the transport of breeding heifers and a decision on that matter is to be made within a week.
Senator Norris mentioned two debates he would like to have and I agree with his comments on Mr. John Hume's article. That is the subject of a Martyn Turner cartoon in today's The Irish Times that sums up the reality of the situation better than any of our speeches.
Senator Townsend raised the possibility of a debate on the milk quota system and I will try to arrange one. Senator Hayes raised the interesting question of the cost of some Government publications and in principle he is right. Excessive cost should not be an impediment to the right of access to these publications and I will try to get information on that matter. I do not have to comment on Senator Ross's contribution.
Order of Business agreed to.