Today's Order of Business is item 1, Second Stage, with 30 minutes for contributions by spokespersons and 15 minutes for all other speakers. There will be a sos from 6.15 p.m. to 7 p.m. Item 1, if not previously concluded, will resume at 7 p.m.
Order of Business.
The Order of Business is agreed.
I would have agreed to 20 minutes for spokespersons if necessary. However, the Leader is being generous and I accept his offer in the spirit in which it has been made.
Will the Leader report to the House on the current position of the Foreign Adoptions Bill? He was to give me an update and I ask him to do so tomorrow.
My colleague, Senator Tom Hayes, will raise a motion under Standing Order 29 later this afternoon to ask the Minister for Agriculture and Food to explain the scientific basis on which the recommendation not to eat meat on the bone was made. There is a sense of double standard on this issue as the Minister is prepared to eat meat on the bone and to even eat the bones if necessary.
He was eating turkey today.
There is great confusion following the Minister's intervention and great damage is being done. We need clarification as to the basis on which this recommendation was made.
Will the Leader ask his agriculture supremo, Senator Rory Kiely, and Senator O'Brien to bring the Minister for Foreign Affairs down the country; show him what a farm is, explain what cattle are, what happens to them when they are sold and the importance of cattle to the economy? The Minister is behaving like a laconic aristocrat before the French Revolution.
Senator Manning is rediscovering his roots.
His languid style is elegant to behold. I know the Minister for Foreign Affairs is obsessed with higher things, such as saving the world, but perhaps he will turn his mind to saving the Irish cattle industry. His performance to date is totally unacceptable and I advise Senators Kiely and O'Brien to instruct him in the facts of life.
I welcome the news that a senior member of Government is behaving like a languid aristocrat. A colleague said to me that the difference between Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael Members was that Fine Gael Members were gentlemen trying to be politicians while Fianna Fáil Members were politicians trying to be gentlemen. Unfortunately, the success rate on neither side has been notably high.
The Independent Members are gurriers——
——and proud to be. The Leader indicated there would be a debate on Luas. Will it take place before the Christmas recess? If not, will he give an undertaking that it will take place early in the new year? Perhaps he will also indicate when we will have a debate on broadcasting. The situation seems to be getting worse. It is virtually impossible to receive RTÉ in certain areas of the city because of the penetration of unauthorised independent radio stations. I am not committed in my opposition to such stations, but licence payers should be entitled to receive the RTÉ signal in the city and throughout the country.
My party would not object to 20 minutes rather than 30 minutes for opening speakers. Anything that needs to be said can be said in 20 minutes. I would be happy in the main with a rule of thumb of 20 minutes for opening contributions.
I welcome the fact that the House is sitting four days this week and next week. However, I do not understand why that is the case in the run up to Christmas. Sitting four days a week is welcome in terms of the business of the House. I also welcome the initiation of five Bills in the Seanad. However, I am not happy that all Stages of two of those Bills will be taken on two consecutive days. The point has been made on previous occasions that this practice should not continue. It is unsatisfactory for the Opposition in particular to take all Stages of a Bill on the same day.
One of the Bills, which has huge implications, arose following a meeting between the Taoiseach and the British Prime Minister. Difficulties in terms of the implementation of legislation have arisen in the past because it was dealt with too swiftly and without due care. I ask the Leader to reconsider the proposal to take all Stages of two Bills in two sittings. Despite the urgency attached to the Bills, perhaps the Second Stage debates could take place this week and the Committee Stage discussions next week. The House has not had much legislation to process up to this point.
Will the Leader bring to the attention of the Minister for Health and Children the fact that the food safety authority has not yet been established? It is annoying to hear the Minister make a statement out of the blue and without reference to an appropriate authority that meat on the bone should not be sold in shops or consumed. Due care must be taken but this must be in the context of recommendations of scientific and professional bodies, of which there has been none. The Minister for Health and Children should respond to the concerns of the House and the public on this matter.
Last week I raised the ongoing dispute between Irish and British farmers. This dispute is not of our making and does not directly involve us. It concerns the British Government and Europe in terms of the sale of British beef. The Minister for Foreign Affairs should raise the matter with the British Government and Prime Minister. This is necessary because the dispute has escalated since last week.
During a debate in the House last week there was an argument between two Independent Members about whether drugs should be legalised. However, in view of events in Carlow-Kilkenny in recent days, I wish to warn people about the dangers which exist at present. Six young people, between the ages of 18 and 22, were admitted to St. Luke's Hospital, Kilkenny, in the last four days suffering from severe coronary and skin problems as a result of taking, as they called it, "one rap of speed". A range of contaminated amphetamines are in circulation at present. It has been suggested that, because the Dublin Drugs Squad is extremely busy, the drug barons are moving down the country. The events in Carlow-Kilkenny are serious because six young people are in hospital. There is a danger that somebody will die after taking just one lot of contaminated amphetamine. Cognisance of this matter must be taken in the discussion on whether drug use should be legalised.
Regarding the trenchant remarks about the Minister for Foreign Affairs, the Leader should convey our deep regard to the Minister of Foreign Affairs for having the courage to go to Algeria, where there are major human rights problems and thousands are being killed daily. That might be described as trying to solve the problems of the world, but his courage in trying to deal with the matter should be applauded. The appreciation of everyone in Europe should be conveyed to the Minister, because he is the only Minister in Europe trying to do something about what is happening in Algeria.
Last Wednesday and Thursday I raised two matters. The first concerns the funding of the Moriarty and Flood tribunals and the inordinate delay in beginning the Flood tribunal in particular. The Taoiseach promised much from this tribunal by the end of the year, but now there will be no public hearings before March at the earliest. There is more to these delays than meets the eye. Will the Leader obtain a definitive statement from the Taoiseach on this matter? Has the Government been unco-operative in the provision of necessary specialist staff?
Second, why did the State's legal team in the C case not take an appeal to the Supreme Court? Presumably they were prepared to see the matter through to the highest court; that is what I understand they were engaged to do. Did they have an independent change of mind or were they nobbled?
Last week I raised the issue of the conditions in St. Ita's Hospital. There seemed to be unanimity on the Leader's suggestion that an all-party delegation should visit the hospital. Will the Leader organise the necessary notification and arrangements with the Eastern Health Board for that visit?
I support Senator Costello's comments on the British ports blockades. These blockades are costing the Irish economy, particularly the agricultural sector, £1 million a day; this is totally unacceptable and runs against the concept of the European Union. We have mentioned the Minister for Foreign Affairs going to Algeria. Perhaps he should go to the British ports to see the situation there first hand. His attitude to date has been unacceptable. The Leader should convey the seriousness of this matter to the Minister and the Taoiseach. It is no good meeting people over tea to say an agreement could be reached. The farmers want action, and so do we.
Senator Manning referred to Senator Hayes's wish to raise a matter under Standing Order 29. That should be addressed to the Minister for Health and Children rather than the Minister for Agriculture and Food, because the former made a recommendation, which should be emphasised, not a ban——
On a point of order, this matter refers to the Minister for Health and Children.
Senator Manning referred to the Minister for Agriculture and Food.
The Minister for Health and Children is Deputy Cowen who is still eating T-bone steaks.
Is Senator Dardis replying to the Order of Business? Is this further dissent?
No. Prudence demands that every precaution be taken in this matter. There is scientific evidence which suggests dorsal route ganglions carry BSE. If the Minister for Health and Children had not issued a warning and there had been a case of CJD, the Opposition would be the first to point out that the Minister had acted irresponsibly. He has acted responsibly.
We can be confident the Minister for Foreign Affairs realises, as much as any other Minister or Member, the importance of the beef industry and has made the appropriate representations to the British authorities. I support the view that the rule of law should be exercised in full to ensure free access under the Single European Act. However, the exercise of that rule of law is a matter for the British authorities. The Minister for Foreign Affairs and the Minister for Agriculture and Food have made representations in that regard. Deputy Spring and the Minister for Agriculture and Food both said this morning that a trade war would not be in the interests of Ireland, Britain or anyone else.
Will the Leader ask the Minister for Public Enterprise to explain to the House what is happening in regard to the erection of masts on Garda stations and elsewhere? This matter has been raised several times in the House over the past few months. The director of telecommunication regulation has indicated that office is not in a position to deal with existing masts which were erected without planning permission due to arrangements between the Garda, Telecom Éireann, Esat and Eircell.
There is growing concern about the emissions from these masts. A few weeks ago a mast was erected beside a school in Sligo. The ESB is currently erecting a mast in Donegal and no guarantees are being given that outside companies, such as Esat, will not be allowed use it. Will the Leader have the position clarified? I am not against development or progress. However, I wish to know if people are being paranoid about this or if their information is correct. We should be told if there is a problem with the emissions.
Many family businesses around the country hope to make extra money during the Christmas period. However, over the past few years a number of people have set up shop in my town for a few weeks before Christmas and then left without paying any money to the local authority. This practice should stop because such traders have an advantage over the established traditional traders. Legislation should be introduced, if it does not already exist, to curb such practices.
Many of the matters raised on the Order of Business today would be more appropriate to the Adjournment. The fact that we are sitting four days this week means there is an opportunity to take eight matters on the Adjournment, although only one matter was raised today. I ask Senators to consider whether the matters they raise on the Order of Business might be more appropriately raised on the Adjournment.
I am not ignoring your plea but I support Senator Bonner's request for the Minister, Deputy O'Rourke, to clarify for the House a very controversial issue in my constituency of Sligo-Leitrim. The House will be aware of the case before the High Court involving parents in Easkey. In addition, there are two locations in Carrick-on-Shannon, on both sides of the county boundary, which I raised previously. It is important, therefore, that the issue raised by Senator Bonner be kept in the public arena until clarification is obtained, especially in view of the fact that the masts are located beside educational establishments.
The Minister for the Environment represented this country at the summit on global warming in Kyoto, Japan. The gung-ho attitude of the EU in advance of the summit appears to have collapsed when it conceded to the US on the question of percentage reductions in emissions up to the year 2012. Given that this will affect us all, it is time the House debated the issue. We should obtain a report from the Minister on his deliberations in Kyoto and on the status of EU policy.
This issue is increasingly exercising the minds of members of local authorities in the context of waste disposal and the EU directive on the provision of central rather than local dumps, which have been used in this country hitherto. In the context of sustainable development and given the potential environmental and ecological damage to the planet which will affect us and our children, it is timely we debated these matters. Will the Leader make Government time available early in the new session?
While I sympathise with your request, Sir, regarding raising matters on the Adjournment, I have failed to have matters selected. Will the Leader draw the attention of the Minister for Public Enterprise to the appalling traffic problems in Dublin? In the past week the Garda Síochána said that while it can keep cars moving it does not know for how long the roads will be able to take them. What happened on 8 December was salutary. It would appear that young children cannot walk. The outer suburbs were traffic free because children were not being driven to school. It is time the Minister produced a system in conjunction with the Dublin Transport Initiative which will penalise drivers with no passengers by compelling them to use slow lanes.
Recently there was a 50 car collision in Limerick and I am sure there will be a major outbreak of road rage in Dublin over the next few months. We should stop behaving like Pontius Pilate and do something now. Otherwise, the Minister will become known as the Minister for gridlock.
I condemn the murder of GAA man, Gerry Devlin, in Belfast last week. His was another funeral which should not have occurred. He is the second GAA man to be murdered in the North. It is terrible to see GAA men being targeted in what appears to be a sectarian manner and it must be condemned.
Recent events in British ports are causing serious problems for farmers. The Minister for Agriculture and Food is doing everything possible to resolve matters. He praised his colleague, the Minister for Foreign Affairs, for the stand he has taken. There is no need for me or for any other Senator to take the role of the Minister for Foreign Affairs lightly. He can do his business without my advice. The earlier suggestion was cynical.
I ask the Leader for a debate on the funding of county enterprise boards, the Fund for Peace and Reconciliation and the International Fund for Ireland. Many organisations and community groups in my county are holding their annual general meetings next week. Local authority members are precluded from holding the position of chairman or vice-chairman of county enterprise boards. That is not constitutional. I take exception to the fact that, of the 20 people who attend meetings of Donegal County Enterprise Board, 16 get travelling expenses but the four local authority members do not, although I am surviving reasonably well without them.
That is an issue for the media.
We should not accept that. This House has a responsibility in this regard because most of its Members are also local authority members. There should be respect for people who are elected. Community groups have decided that local authority members only make up the balance, although they have given a lifetime of service. I do not accept they should be treated in this manner.
Senator Bonner and Senator Mooney expressed concern about the health effects of microwave transmitters and said this issue should be discussed in Government time. I draw their attention to item 7, motion 7 on the Order Paper which we are willing to debate in Government time.
Perhaps the Leader could tell me the status of the Shannon River Council Bill, 1997, which was introduced by former Senator O'Kennedy.
That has our full support.
Other speakers mentioned the possible health risks of eating meat on the bone and the possible radiation effects of microwave transmitters. I ask the Leader for a debate on the definite effects of radon gases. The Radiological Protection Institute of Ireland has nearly completed a survey on the effects of such gases throughout the country. It behoves us to discuss this health hazard.
I ask the Leader to ask the Minister for Justice when a paedophile register will be introduced in the Republic. I am sure the Minister is aware that known paedophiles are coming south of the Border to avoid registration in Northern Ireland. We do not want to turn the Republic into a haven for such people.
I am only too pleased to concede to 20 minutes instead of 30 minutes for the principal spokespersons on the Criminal Justice (No. 2) Bill, 1997. I thank the House for its co-operation.
Senator Manning mentioned the Foreign Adoption Bill. I will have information on this matter for the House tomorrow morning. Senators Manning, Costello, Ryan and Kiely mentioned the serious situation which farmers still face. I asked the Department of Agriculture and Food for an update and I will read an excerpt from the reply I received at 2.20 p.m. today:
The Minister for Agriculture and Food met his UK counterpart in London on Thursday last to discuss the matter and convey our concerns. It was made clear that the UK market is a traditional one for us, worth £200 million (100,000 tonnes in 1997), and there is no question of beef being dumped. Minister Walsh was assured that everything possible would be done to ensure trade continued unimpeded. Contact with others, including the Welsh Secretary, elicited similar condemnation and assurances. The Minister for Agriculture and Food has made arrangements to have the matter discussed at the Agricultural Council next week. The matter has been raised by Ministers O'Rourke and Andrews as well as An Taoiseach.
The House will agree that Irish farmers are being treated unfairly by their Welsh counterparts. We all want to see a speedy conclusion to this issue and we hope that will take place by the end of this week.
Senator Norris called for a debate on Luas. We had such a debate earlier this year at which Senator Avril Doyle attended as Minister of State. I will consider another debate early in the next session. The Senator also expressed concern about the poor quality of the RTÉ signal in Dublin. I will arrange for a debate on broadcasting as soon as the Minister is available to come into the House.
Senator Costello expressed concerns about the two short Bills which will be before the House in the next few days. I sympathise with the Senator's views on Bills being rushed through. However, they are short Bills and I will contact the leaders after the Order of Business. The Dáil wishes to debate these Bills next week and they must be passed before Christmas to enable the transfer of prisoners from the UK to Ireland. The Court Services Bill, 1997, will allow a member of the court to retire. I do not think the Opposition will have any difficulty with these Bills. I assure the House that, as far as possible, I will introduce Second Stage of a Bill one week and remaining Stages one or two weeks later. I ask Senators to bear with me on this matter.
Senator Lanigan expressed the concerns of parents caused by drugs in Kilkenny and Carlow. This is such a serious matter that the Senator should include it in his Second Stage speech on the Criminal Justice (No. 2) Bill, 1997. It is appalling that the drugs problem is affecting the whole country. The Bill deals with the concerns of many Senators.
I promised to contact Senator Coghlan last weekend. However, I did not arrive in Dublin until after 1 p.m. today and I will come back to the Senator this afternoon. Senator Ryan called for a Seanad deputation to visit St, Ita's, Portrane. Last week I stated that I have no objection to any group of Senators briefing themselves at first hand about this problem. Neither the Eastern Health Board nor St. Ita's should have any problem with this either, and I encourage Senators to do so.
Senators Bonner, Mooney, O'Meara, Coogan and Glynn referred to public disquiet about the erection of mobile telephone masts and I will arrange to have a debate on this matter at the earliest opportunity. I share the Senators' concerns in respect of Counties Donegal, Sligo, Leitrim and Galway. This problem occurred in my constituency when planning applications for such masts were discussed.
Senator Mooney also referred to the Kyoto Summit. I propose that the House debate the environment and local government in the first week following the Christmas recess and the Senator can raise his concerns at that stage.
Senator Ridge requested that the Minister for Public Enterprise, Deputy O'Rourke, come before the House to discuss the traffic problem in Dublin. It might be better if the Senator raised this matter on the Adjournment this week. The Minister would be glad to come before the House to discuss the problem with the Senator. Traffic problems in Dublin at Christmas get worse each year. I will ask the Minister to come before the House if the Senator tables a motion on the Adjournment.
With regard to the matter raised by Senator Rory Kiely, I am sure every Member of the House condemns the brutal murder of Gerry Devlin.
Hear, hear.
This man gave much to his community and the Gaelic Athletic Association in Northern Ireland and his murder was appalling. I hope and pray that this kind of behaviour will come to an end sooner rather than later.
Senator McGowan raised the issue of funding of groups and organisations and the unfair treatment received by public representatives serving on their boards. I believe this should be brought to the attention of the Minister immediately to see if a consensus can be reached. I will discuss the matter further with the Senator and return to the House with information on it at the earliest opportunity.
I will communicate with the House in the morning in respect of Senator O'Meara's concerns about the Shannon River Council Bill.
Senator Keogh inquired about the establishment of a register of paedophiles. This is an extremely important matter and I will communicate the Senator's wishes to the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform this afternoon.
Lest the silence on this side of the House be misinterpreted, I wish to be associated with the Leader's condemnation of the murder of Mr. Gerry Devlin. I intended to raise this matter but it slipped my mind. This was the appalling killing of a decent and innocent man and I hope those responsible will be brought to justice.
The Labour Party Members also wish to be associated with the Leader's remarks.
I believe all Members wish to be associated with the Leader's remarks on this matter.
Order of Business agreed to.