The Order of Business is Nos. 1 and 17, motion 17, the motion to be taken from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m and business to resume thereafter if not previously concluded. Business to be interrupted from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m.
Order of Business.
The Order of Business is agreed. Had the Leader intended to take No. 2, the early signature motion, today?
Yes.
Thank you. The day of the debate on the Committee Stage of the Finance Bill is one of the days when the poor resources with which ordinary Members must work are contrasted with the army of advisers who accompany the Minister. The Minister will have two or three officials to advise him on every section of the Bill while the poor Senators will do a wonderful job with effectively no resources at all. This demonstrates the lot of legislators who have to compete with the level of advice being offered to the Minister. This happens under every Government but it will be demonstrated very dramatically today.
I compliment the Lord Mayor of Dublin on her decision to invite the Orange Order to march in Dublin later this year. We are very ready in this part of the country to speak about tolerance and diversity of culture but our track record in these matters is not good. This morning we heard the two polar voices of Irish bigotry on the same radio programme, "Morning Ireland". We heard that the DUP in Ballymena have refused to confer a civic honour on Liam Neeson and very bigoted remarks were made by a DUP representative from there. An hour later we heard the obverse of the same surly bigotry from a Sinn Féin councillor who implicitly threatened the Orange Order if they held their march in Dublin. The decision of the Lord Mayor gives us an opportunity to put into practice what we preach so frequently in this House, that is, the tolerance of all traditions and cultures on this island.
The Chair has been very tolerant of Senator Manning this morning.
In the absence of my independent colleagues and friends, I endorse the Order of Business. I congratulate the Leader on arranging for the portraits of former Leaders to be hung in prominent positions in the House. Furthermore, I congratulate him on the measurements of the portraits. The largest portrait, coincidentally, is of the latest Leader. It is two square inches larger than the others. Has this been done by accident or by design?
I agree to the Order of Business. I concur with Senator Manning's remarks about the scarcity of resources for Senators. The Leader has often pointed out that between 30% and 40% of legislation is initiated in this House. In these circumstances, the role of the House is changing dramatically and the lack of resources is more apparent than ever. If we are to do our job properly we must examine the resources available to enable Senators to present their case in the best and most beneficial way.
Again I ask for a debate on the housing crisis. I am constantly amazed at how we can live with anomalies in our society. Land which was sold two years ago by a member of the farming community for £17,000 is now being rezoned by Meath County Council and its value will rise to £450,000 per acre. The land is worth 26 times what it was bought for two years ago. We can control wages by national wage agreements but we do not seem to be able to control the price of land. There is a need for a full-scale debate to identify the inadequacies and the anomalies in our attempts to make reasonable provision for those in need of housing.
I join Senator Manning in extending a welcome to the Orange Order should it choose to march in Dublin. I find it strange that a comparison is being made between the Garvaghy Road and what may happen here. The comparison is an invidious one. It is a pity that Orange men and women do not come to the Republic more often because they would discover that they have nothing to fear from us and that we do not pose any threat to them. The best example I could give is what happened in Lansdowne Road when Ulster won the European Cup in rugby. It is worth reminding those who had such comments to make that they are entitled to walk freely through Bodenstown annually.
I realise that we had a debate on Northern Ireland recently but events have moved on in terms of the statements made by Mr. Trimble and others and developments over St. Patrick's weekend. It would be useful for the House therefore to return to the issue at an early stage.
Will it be possible to discover what way the Government is thinking on the taxation of bed and breakfast establishments and small family run guesthouses? There is much confusion on the issue in terms of what will happen. Many small family run guesthouse owners are extremely worried as the imposition of a tax could put them out of business.
This is the fourth time in as many weeks that I have requested the Leader of the House to invite the Minister for the Environment and Local Government to debate with us the issue of litter, about which the dogs in the street are talking. The Minister's failure to discuss it with us in a rational way fills me with puzzlement. Is he afraid to face the music? I repeat my request and stress that it is an urgent matter. The Leader of the House should see to it that the debate takes place not later than next week.
I fully support Senator Manning's remarks regarding the lack of research facilities available to Members of this House. I also support his other remarks. Size was mentioned. Whatever about portraits, size does matter. In that context I very much welcome An Bord Pleanála's landmark decision yesterday relating to Liffey Valley which was based on the best interests of the environment. Retail outlets should be located near where people live, not several miles away. Our roads are being choked. I hope this decision will have a suitably advantageous knock-on effect for the benefit of provincial towns and villages.
I agree with those who have spoken about the litter problem. There is a need, as Senator Manning said, for an informed debate. How the problem of litter can be eliminated and refuse can be dealt with is being debated throughout the country. Groups are paying experts from Europe and the United States to come here, yet Members of this and the other House do not the resources to have a meaningful debate which may lead to the minimisation of waste to the greatest degree possible. Why should we not have access to the resources that are available to every dog in the street? I agree with everything Senator Manning said in this context.
The Orange Order has been a very bigoted group in the past. In various counties there used to be Orange parades which were broken up at certain stages. It was population decline which suddenly drew them to County Donegal. At mass this morning the Pope spoke about differences and the need to reunite the peoples of the world. The people of the North and South should take account of what he said. If we are not afraid to confront differences on this island we can succeed. The "don't be afraid" syndrome should therefore replace the "we are afraid" syndrome at the Orange parade in Dublin.
Will the Leader of the House draw the attention of the Government to the need to provide a proper place for the assessment and care of disturbed teenagers? I fully support the view expressed in the High Court yesterday by Mr. Justice Kelly when he had no choice but to send a young girl, against his will, to the Central Mental Hospital for assessment. It is very important that disturbed teenagers are not admitted to mental hospitals if they are not mentally ill. In this day and age this is not too much to ask.
On my way to the House this morning from Ballsbridge I observed that there was only one passenger in seven out of every ten cars. In the context of economic development and the provision of infrastructure this cannot be sustained long term. There is a need for a change of attitude to the utilisation of resources. The Irish Architects Association has expressed concern about our ability to meet the housing targets set in the national development plan. This is worthy of debate. The Minister should be invited to discuss with us the issue of how the targets set in the national development plan can be met. There is a need to make certain changes at local authority level to provide the planning structures required to enable us achieve the targets set.
I support Senator Quill's call for a debate on the litter problem which is becoming a source of huge embarrassment in certain parts of the country. Huge progress has been made in beautifying our cities, towns and villages but the litter problem continues. It presents a particularly bad image to tourists. It also affects our pride. Unless it is tackled in a radical way progress will not be made. A debate in this House would be a good starting point.
I commend the House on promoting the Irish language by having statements from time to time. Will the Leader convey to the Minister for the Environment and Local Government my concerns and those of others who complain that a number of local authorities are erecting signs in the English language only? It is important that every local authority adopts a bilingual approach.
I support the call of Senator Quill and others for a debate on litter. Every local authority from the biggest to the smallest should employ litter wardens and hit the litter bug where it hurts – in the pocket. That is the only way to teach them.
Will the Leader ask the Minister for Public Enterprise to intervene to prevent the threatened bus strike from going ahead? She successfully did so on the last occasion. There is talk of a one or two day stoppage on Friday and Saturday. As with all strikes, if it is allowed to go on, those involved will have to sit down and settle it at some stage. If it is true that bus drivers are earning around £250 per week it is a national disgrace. Junior barmen get more than that and they do not have to put up with what bus drivers must put up with in this city. All strikes must be settled at some stage. If at all possible, the Minister should instruct CIE management to sit down and talk to those people and avoid the discomfort which would be caused by another bus strike.
In response to Senator Manning on the Order of Business, we are taking No. 2, the motion for early signature.
Senators Manning, Dardis and Lanigan welcomed the announcement of the Lord Mayor's invitation to the Orange Order to hold a peaceful and orderly march in Dublin in May. As far as I am concerned, they are as welcome as the flowers in May. We in the 26 Counties have always prided ourselves on our freedom of expression. Anyone who wants to participate in an orderly fashion will be most welcome.
I have found that many of these events can be very uplifting. When a representative from the Grand Lodge of the Orange Order came down to Drumree, which is just five miles from my home in north Westmeath, a dear neighbour of mine was asked by a member of the media what he thought of him marching through Drumree. He said that he could march a hundred times a day if he wished and he could feel free to do so if he was doing it in an orderly way. As Senator Lanigan said, if it will reunite all sections of the people on this island, then let it be.
I observed Senator Ross's comments but he is not here to hear me reply.
Senator Costello called for a debate on housing. As I said the last time there was a call for such a debate, I welcome the plan of the Minister for the Environment and Local Government to build 500,000 houses in the next ten years, a house for every eight persons on the island. I am proud to be part of a Government which has started to plan and implement that.
I will pass on Senator Caffrey's views to the Minister for Finance. I understand he has a good personal working relationship with and the admiration of the Minister on financial matters. Perhaps the Senator will take this up with him later this morning on Committee Stage of the Finance Bill.
Mutual independence of thought.
Senators Quill, Lanigan and Ó Murchú called for a debate on litter and I will provide time for such a debate. Of course there are many regulations and laws available to local authorities, of which many Senators are members, and they should appoint litter wardens, as Senator Glynn pointed out. Most towns and villages are beautiful on a Friday evening but on Saturday, Sunday and Monday mornings they are a disgrace. The takeaways cause the problem because their customers throw the packaging on the streets.
After the dances.
It is these premises which are responsible for the people who are littering and, therefore, they be targeted immediately. That is simple to implement and control. Video camera systems may be available in all towns and villages. Such video evidence is available in Dublin if Dublin Corporation wants to implement it immediately.
I will pass on the views of Senators O'Dowd and Chambers to the Minister. I will also pass on the views of Senator Glynn on bilingual signs to the Minister for the Environment and Local Government.
Senator Bohan called for something to be done about the imminent bus strike as a matter of urgency. He said that a bus driver of ten years is earning only between £250 and £260 per week. That is the nub of the problem. Not many people will want to become bus drivers. It is a matter of the company addressing the problem now rather than leaving it for a number of weeks if the strike takes place. I will pass on Senator Bohan's views to the Minister. It is easy to see why there is a problem and why the strike is imminent.
Order of Business agreed to.