Today's business is item 2, Employment Equality Bill, 1997, Committee Stage to conclude today. The debate will be interrupted from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. and from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Order of Business.
The Order of Business is agreed. I thank the Minister for promising yesterday to restore the South American adoption legislation to the Order Paper within 48 hours. Have the difficulties which delayed the Bill been resolved? If so, the Bill should be taken as soon as possible and he will receive full co-operation in doing so.
When will the Central Bank Bill be taken? Apart from its intrinsic importance it would give the House an opportunity to debate the damaging information emerging in dribs and drabs. We could discuss the status of many tax evading Irish firms and the role of the Central Bank.
Senators Cassidy and Dardis assured us yesterday that the South American adoptions Bill would be restored to the Order Paper, but I did not hear the Leader state this unequivocally. I intend to put down an amendment to the Order of Business which I will not press if the Leader gives an absolute guarantee that the Adoption (No. 2) Bill, 1996, will be restored to the Order Paper within 24 hours. I move: "That item 11, motion 14, be taken first".
Will the Leader make the Attorney General's advice on this matter available to the House?
I concur with Senator Manning's remarks on the Central Bank Bill. I urge that this be debated in the Seanad as soon as possible, especially in the light of growing concern about our international reputation regarding the tax status of non-resident companies. This is very important, as is the relationship of the Central Bank with the Moriarty Tribunal. The Central Bank appears unable to release necessary information on those matters and the Central Bank Bill will have to be looked at to correct this.
Although it is good that Seanad debates are available on the internet, why does it take two days for Seanad debates to become available when Dáil debates are available in one day?
I second Senator O'Toole's amendment. We are entering an era of indefinite sittings. I hear rhetoric in the House about women and family values, but I cannot tell my family when the Seanad will adjourn on any day. I do not care what anybody says; I will leave here when I chose. There are, however, Members on both sides who do not know at what time they will go home on a Wednesday or Thursday because this House cannot order its business to finish at a particular time and I, as someone with a family, object to this. I resent the idea of open-ended debates. If we need to spend time debating the Employment Equality Bill, 1997, we should slot it into a fixed timetable rather than keep Members and staff here until God knows what hour of the night, which is ridiculous.
We will impose a guillotine.
The date for submissions to the Cabinet subcommittee on abortion has been extended. The Minister for Health and Children indicated there was a correlation between the publication of the report on abortion and crisis pregnancies commissioned by the last Minister for Health and the ending of submissions to the subcommittee. Will the Leader say if this means the publication of this report, which has been on the Minister's desk for nearly three months, will be further delayed? As over 20 women a day go to England for abortions, I, and I am sure many Members, would like to see what we can do to address this serious problem as urgently as possible.
When does the Leader expect the Bill dealing with child pornography to come before the House because I am anxious to table an amendment to it? Will he ask the Minister to bring it before the House as speedily as possible in view of the ever increasing amount of abuse?
Will the Leader hold a debate on the change in the structure of local authorities? I have called for such a debate on a number of occasions. Will the Leader ask the Minister for the Environment and Local Government to come to the House at the earliest possible date?
Will the Leader arrange a debate on the NESC report? The report has been reprinted and this shows the keen interest in the important points raised in the publication. It is important that the House debates the contents of the report and sets out the implications for and obligations on us as Members of the Oireachtas in terms of dealing with its results.
I support Senator Burke's call for a debate with the Minister for the Environment and Local Government, particularly in view of the changes he recommends on the funding of local government and equity funding. Equity funding will cause a great deal of difficulty and we must ensure the measures put in place are fair and equitable. This matter is worthy of debate in the House.
I was informed this morning by the Minister for Health and Children that the Adoption (No. 2) Bill is ready to be brought back to the House and I propose to include it on next Tuesday's Order Paper. As regards Senator Manning's and Senator O'Meara's question on the Central Bank Bill, it is on Committee Stage in the Dáil. As soon as it is completed in the Dáil, I hope to take it immediately in the Seanad. I will look into Senator O'Meara's point on Seanad debates taking 48 hours to become available on the website and will see what can be done to bring them in line with Dáil debates.
Senator Brendan Ryan made a most unusual request. We would be accused of guillotining Bills——
That is not what I asked.
——if we were to do anything other than allow a full debate in accordance with the wishes of the House. I appreciate the Senator was not a Member of the last Seanad when this was the case under the stewardship of Senator Manning and it is no different from what I am doing.
That does not make it right.
I will come back to Senator Henry on her inquiry. On Senator Ridge's question about the child pornography Bill, I will come back to her with the information as soon as I get it. On Senator Burke's and Senator Coogan's request for a debate on the proposed changes in local authorities, I will allow time for a debate in the next two to three weeks. On Senator Chambers call for a debate on the NESC report, I already promised such a debate and will allow time at the earliest possible opportunity.
Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.
Order of Business agreed to.
Sitting suspended at 10.50 a.m. and resumed at 11 a.m.