As this is the final sitting day of this session I sincerely thank all Members for their co-operation and assistance which made my work easy. I thank especially the Leader of the House, the Deputy Leader, An Leas-Chathaoirleach, the leaders of the various groups, the Whips, members of staff, representatives of the media and everyone associated with the working of the House. I am particularly grateful to the Clerk and Clerk Assistant of the Seanad for their hard work during the session. They, together with their staff in the Seanad office, play a major role in ensuring the smooth and efficient working of the House. I extend to all of you and everyone who assists in our work best wishes for a joyful, happy and relaxing Christmas and a peaceful and prosperous 1999. I call the Leader.
Order of Business.
The Order of Business is items 1, 2, 3 and 4. Item 1 is to be taken without debate. All Stages of item 2 are to be taken today, on the understanding that the motion which appears as item 5 will be taken in the next session, enabling the contents of the Bill to be debated in the New Year. There will be one speaker from each group or party on item 2, as is traditional, and speakers will have 15 minutes. Item 3 is a motion for earlier signature to be taken without debate at the conclusion of item 2. All Stages of item 4 are to be taken today, with the contributions of spokespersons not to exceed 15 minutes, all other Senators not to exceed ten minutes, and Senators may share time.
I join you, a Chathaoirligh, in thanking all who make the working of the House so effective and efficient. I will not name them because you have done so but I wish to be associated with your remarks and to wish them a happy Christmas.
On today's Order of Business, I agree to item 1 being taken without debate but it is customary that Senators be briefed by the relevant Department when this sort of thing happens. On this occasion, Members of the other House received a full briefing but only when it was raised here last week did the relevant Department, the Department of Finance, get in touch with Members of this House. That was a serious oversight and it should be conveyed to the Department that this is not acceptable. We are a separate House and should be briefed separately; it should not be taken that once the Lower House is briefed this House does not have to be taken into account. The person concerned in the Department is efficient and courteous, and it was almost certainly an oversight, but I ask the Leader to bear it in mind.
Will the Leader explain the significance of my name being attached to item 5? Is power sharing wider than anticipated?
Rotating Leaders of the House?
That will be corrected when the next Order Paper is printed but it may be an omen of things to come.
No, it is a throwback.
Otherwise, the Order of Business is agreed.
Parties are amalgamating with such rapidity these days that when I saw Senator Manning's name attached to the motion on the Appropriation Bill I thought the grand coalition had finally been achieved. On behalf of the Independents I thank you, a Chathaoirligh, and An Leas-Chathaoirleach. I also thank the staff of the House for their help during what has been a busy term. It is much appreciated, particularly the long late hours staff members must work to deal with late amendments, changes to the Order Paper, and complicated legislation. The level of the work is reflected in the fact that there is rarely an error in the way legislation comes through, even when there are amendments to amendments as well as amendments to sections.
I reiterate the points raised by Senator Manning. I looked through the regulations of the Freedom of Information Act and spoke to Senator Ryan, who was much involved with the legislation when it was being discussed. No one objects to anything in the regulations but there is a method of doing business, of which we should be aware.
I want the House to note the passing of Dr. Paddy Leahy during the past 24 hours and ask Senators not to open any debates with which he was associated. He symbolised democracy in its purest form and participated in the work of the country. He was challenging in what he had to say and a catalyst to extraordinary debate and emotion. His was the type of participation that we, as public representatives, often seek to bring forward. He made us face our demons and confront taboos and he extended the level of debate and democracy. He made a huge contribution to Irish life.
I wish to be associated with the tributes paid by you, a Chathaoirleach, and the other group leaders to the staff of the House, especially the Clerk and Assistant Clerk for the fantastic work they did during the year. There was a large increase in the legislation going through the House compared to previous years. There was an extra burden on the staff, who have fulfilled their duties very effectively. I thank you, a Chathaoirleach, for the fair way in which you conducted your business. I wish the Leader and all other Members a happy Christmas.
I pay tribute to the work of Dr. Paddy Leahy who passed away yesterday and I offer my condolences to his family and friends.
I recently called for a debate on future planning in the psychiatric services. However, I wish to refer to the admissions policy as it operates and affects consultants. I want a debate on this matter because consultants find themselves in a very serious situation, as do psychiatric nurses. The psychiatric services, especially admissions to acute wards, are abused. People presenting for admission take up acute beds and are looking for a bed and breakfast service. That is not what the psychiatric services are about. Will the Leader provide time during the next session for a debate on this because consultants and nurses face an impossible situation? There is mayhem in psychiatric hospitals because of this practice.
I wish to be associated with the tributes to the late Dr. Paddy Leahy, who I knew for many years. I last saw him at a commemoration in Galway for a friend of ours, Dr. Noel Browne, a former Member of this House. He was a great, courageous, noble spirit and I hope he has found the peace that he sought over the past year when he was very unwell.
I propose a change to the Order of Business because the Leader gave an undertaking yesterday that we would have time to make statements on the situation in Iraq.
I move amendment No. 1:
That statements on the bombing of Iraq be taken before item 1.
I understand the difficulties that occur on the last day of the session but the situation is extremely serious and is approaching genocide. I am not just referring to the war, but the embargoes and the way in which they are administered. Some 6,000 Iraqi children die every month. One of the reasons for this is that if medical supplies are applied for by the Iraqis there is competition among western countries as to which country will supply them.
The Senator has made his point very well.
He has debated the entire issue.
The embargoes are vulgar and disgusting——
The Senator has made a very good case in support of his amendment.
I thank you, a Chathaoirligh. I wish you were in a position to vote for it. If it comes to a tie I look forward to you casting your vote in my favour. The amendment will be seconded by my colleague, Senator Henry.
The House sat 80 days during this session and processed an extraordinary amount of legislation. I compliment the Leader and all of those associated with that as it was a productive time. I sympathise with the family of Dr. Paddy Leahy but I was taken aback by some of the earlier remarks. My understanding was that the deceased supported euthanasia and abortion. I was taken aback that the spokesperson for the INTO supports that person.
This is not the time or the place for such remarks.
That is not appropriate to the Order of Business.
The Senator should sit down and shut up.
I disassociate myself from Senator O'Toole's remarks.
It is no wonder the Senator condemns him now. He did not have the guts to do so when he was alive.
Will both Senators resume their seats? They are totally out of order and that is one of the reasons we do not have votes of sympathy in the House.
I support Senator Norris's amendment. I also support Senator Glynn, but we should go further than he suggested and try to get the Minister for Health and Children to bring the mental health treatment Bill before the House. It has been promised for 15 years. I am not blaming the current Minister for this delay but the case involving former Deputy Bhamjee shows the serious difficulties which people must labour under in the health service. We must take very seriously Senator Glynn's first hand experience in this area. Perhaps the Leader could convey the Senator's concerns and ask the Minister what is happening with this Bill, which is 15 years in the making.
On a point of order, there is a tradition in this House that issues relating to deceased people are not raised in a controversial manner. My first words were that we should leave aside the issues which this man raised and that we should talk about his contribution just for the record.
Why mention him? The Senator raised this issue.
It is absolutely disgraceful——
In reply to Senators Manning and O'Toole, I will contact the Department of Finance and pass on their views. They correctly pointed out that all spokespersons and group leaders should be briefed in cases such as that witnessed this week. I will set time aside for a debate on the psychiatric services in response to Senators Glynn and Henry. With regard to the request from Senators Norris and Henry, I am disappointed that action was deemed necessary but hope that the use of force against Iraq is kept to a minimum. However, the Order of Business is as proposed.
On behalf of the Government parties and myself, I thank you, a Chathaoirligh, and the Leas-Chathaoirleach for your co-operation and help during the year. I also thank the Deputy Leader, Senator Dardis, who was a tower of strength to me, the Government Whip, Senator Fitzgerald, and Deputy Whip, Senator Farrell, for their help during the year. I thank the leaders of the Opposition parties, all of whom have been of tremendous help to me.
And the Independents.
Some are more equal than others.
The Leader of the House without interruption, please.
I thank all Senators for their co-operation and the Clerk and Assistant Clerk for their help. I also thank the Captain of the Guard, the Superintendent and the press. I thank Patricia Danaher from RTE and Jimmy Walsh from The Irish Times. I am disappointed with the Irish Independent, which rarely has a representative in this House. At the next Committee on Procedure and Privileges meeting we might look at ways to approach the editor of the Irish Independent to see what can be done in this regard.
If its case up to now was that Bills were always initiated in the Dáil, that cannot be said of this year when over 25 per cent of all legislation was initiated in this House. The same will be the case next year. The House has sat for 83 days this year, the highest number of sitting days by Seanad Éireann in one year. The highest ever number of Bills were initiated in the Seanad this year. The amount of legislation processed in this House deserves to be covered by the Irish Independent. The Committee on Procedure and Privileges should look at this matter at its first meeting in January.
I wish everyone a happy and holy Christmas. I welcome the news of the breakthrough in the British-Irish Agreement at 4 a.m. today. We could not have had a better Christmas box.
Senators
Hear, hear.
I wish our dear colleague and former Senator, Séamus Mallon well; he is having his operation this morning.
Senator Norris has moved an amendment to the Order of Business: "That statements on the bombing of Iraq be taken before item 1". Is the amendment being pressed?
Yes.
Tá
- Cosgrave, Liam T.
- Costello, Joe.
- Doyle, Avril.
- Doyle, Joe.
- Hayes, Maurice.
- Henry, Mary.
- Manning, Maurice.
- Norris, David.
- O'Toole, Joe.
- Ross, Shane.
Níl
- Bohan, Eddie.
- Callanan, Peter.
- Cassidy, Donie.
- Chambers, Frank.
- Dardis, John.
- Farrell, Willie.
- Finneran, Michael.
- Fitzgerald, Tom.
- Fitzpatrick, Dermot.
- Gibbons, Jim.
- Glynn, Camillus.
- Keogh, Helen.
- Kett, Tony.
- Kiely, Rory.
- Lanigan, Mick.
- Leonard, Ann.
- Lydon, Don.
- Moylan, Pat.
- Ó Murchú, Labhrás.
- Ormonde, Ann.