The Order of Business for today is No. 1, motion re the powers of the Joint Committee on Health and Children, to be taken without debate; No. 2, National Treasury Management Agency (Amendment) Bill, 2000 – Committee and Remaining Stages; and No. 17, motion No. 29, to be taken between 6 p.m. and 8 p.m.. with business to resume thereafter, if not previously concluded.
Order of Business.
The Order of Business is agreed. What other business does the Leader propose to transact between now and the end of the session? On that subject, I wish to make two points on the Nice summit. First, will the Leader ensure all Members of the House get a copy of the treaty agreed at Nice? We are dependent on newspaper reports and partial versions. It is important that all Members should be given the full text. Second, we should have a debate on the Nice summit between now and the end of the session. The treaty is one of the most far reaching agreements in the history of our involvement in the European Union. We are losing part of our representation in the European Parliament and our com missioner for at least part of the time, as are other countries.
I am not scoring party political points. The implications are serious in many ways and it is important that we should debate it. I would like the Leader to respond positively, otherwise I propose to move No. 6 on the Order Paper tomorrow to give us an opportunity to have such a debate. However, I am sure in the spirit of the season he will accede to our request for a debate on the Nice summit.
Last week I asked the Leader to ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform to explain the circumstances surrounding his refusal to nominate the vast majority of members proposed by a special committee chaired by Dr. Ken Whitaker to the new commission on human rights. I have no problem with the membership of the board as constituted. They are all fine people but it is strange that a special committee is set up, chaired by one of the most distinguished people in Ireland, works hard, produces a report and the report is then thrown back at it. The Minister must have some reasons, otherwise his action stands as a slur on the people who were rejected. I would like him to come into the House and explain why this happened.
I refer to the latter issue raised by Senator Manning. It is one of the most hamfisted operations I have seen for a long time. I know a number of the people involved in the selection of nominees and I am aware of the effort and commitment they made. They feel greatly diminished by the way in which the issue has been addressed. Perhaps there are reasons behind this that we do not understand and I will hold judgment on it until we hear more but I support the call for a full explanation as to why the people selected through due process have not made it to the final stages of selection by the Government.
I have raised previously the Buckley report on the benchmarking of salaries of certain people in the Oireachtas, Civil Service, semi-State bodies and the Judiciary. The report has been in the hands of the Minister for Finance for the past two months. I would like a clear indication from Government that it intends to implement it quickly. It is in the interests of everyone in this House to have a debate on it. There is as much misinformation being given out on the report as there is in any industrial dispute and we need to deal with it.
Over the past weeks the House has referred various issues to committees of the Oireachtas. That is a good process, which all of us have supported. Will the Leader outline when we will get reports back from the committees and how we will discuss them?
I refer to the issue of education and disadvantage. The Minister for Education and Science has given a commitment to increase the number of teachers in schools in disadvantaged areas and the number dealing with pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds. A huge element of social inclusion also remains to be discussed in this area. The lack of investment in people from underprivileged and disadvantaged backgrounds will have an impact on society.
The Government gave a clear commitment in its programme for Government. There is also a clear commitment in the Partnership for Prosperity and Fairness. When will the Minister for Education and Science announce and commit himself to the distribution of at least 200 jobs in disadvantaged areas which should be announced by now?
I support what Senator Manning said about the Nice summit and ask the Leader to facilitate us with a debate. We do not have much time and, as the debate should be before Christmas, it will be on either Thursday or Friday. The media reports of what went on in Nice rang hollow to me. They stated that the Taoiseach was furious and had a major row with the French Government. President Chirac was in Ireland two weeks ago and there was not a single bad word between the two of them. Much of what happened in Nice was part of a charade. It was just posturing. Much of it was agreed beforehand.
Why does the Senator not give the Taoiseach his due?
We sold out.
We sold out already on the issues of commissioners and qualified majority voting. The argument over taxation was spurious.
We would not have been there had it been the Labour Party.
There was no question of any change to our taxation policy. It was a spurious row that took place. We should have a debate on the issue before Christmas.
I applaud the visit of President Kennedy yesterday – sorry, President Clinton.
I like it.
I am showing my age.
Senator Costello may be able to resurrect his Dáil seat.
I am sure very few on the benches here do not remember President Kennedy's visit.
An occasional slip of the tongue shows that Senator Costello is human too, like the rest of us.
It is nice to know you think that, a Chathaoirligh. I applaud the visit of President Clinton. The occasion should not go by without our acknowledging it.
And Hillary Clinton, the First Lady.
I was just about to mention the Senator-elect, the First Lady. We should also acknowledge the fact that the President decided that his final official public engagement before he steps down should be to come to this country.
The Taoiseach again.
I do not know if the Taoiseach had anything to do with it. He was certainly on the platform. I acknowledge that.
Have you a question for the Leader of the House, Senator Costello?
It is in the context of what we have called for week after week, namely, a debate on Northern Ireland, that we should acknowledge that the President is putting the focus on Northern Ireland in the dying days of his Administration and seeking to resolve the impasse. I wish him well in his discussions with the British Prime Minister. He has already had discussions with the Taoiseach. I hope the impasse will be broken and that we can finally find peace on this island.
My final point is the issue Senator O'Toole raised, namely, educational disadvantage. What is the Minister for Education and Science doing in the context of the PPF commitments about educational disadvantage? There is a report in today's newspapers about the survey conducted by the Lourdes Youth and Community Services in the inner city, which is in the Taoiseach's constituency, which shows a terrible profile of educational disadvantage. Some 90% of teenagers have not sat the leaving certificate, 50% have not completed the junior cycle and there is a high level of drug taking. It is a profile of extreme disadvantage. What is the Minister for Education and Science doing about this when the Taoiseach lauds our wonderful education system to the President of the United States while there is extreme educational disadvantage in the Taoiseach's constituency?
The Senator supports the call for a debate on the matter.
I am sure all on this side of the House will also welcome the opportunity to discuss the Nice summit and its outcome and especially to congratulate the Taoiseach, the Minister for Foreign Affairs and all the officials involved in securing the most singular achieve ment from an Irish point of view of maintaining our sovereignty over our tax affairs.
—and getting rid of our Commissioner.
It is wrong to say that anybody is getting rid of the Commissioner under the Treaty of Nice. My understanding is that the position will rotate and we will still have a Commissioner.
Not at all, in 2006.
(Interruptions.)
The response from the other side of the House indicates the necessity for the debate. I doubt very much if Senator Costello could, on the one hand, be in favour of enlargement of the Union, which I think we all are, and, on the other hand, say that something should not be done on majority voting to at least have a situation where decision-making can advance in an expanded Union.
What the Taoiseach has done is entirely different. He has created a smokescreen.
Notwithstanding the interference from stage left, I agree with Senator Costello in saying it is important to recognise the contribution that President Clinton has made to the peace process and the welfare of people in Ireland. Last night's events in Dundalk demonstrated quite conclusively, if any demonstration was required, the overwhelming wish of the people on this island to see that the peace process is secured and that it advances. I hope the talks in Stormont today will lead to that end. Listening to "Morning Ireland" today, it was significant that a so-called 32 county sovereignty movement stated things we thought we had left behind us 20 years ago.
Sovereignty has taken on a new meaning.
At this stage, practically every Senator in the Chamber has indicated that they wish to be called on the Order of Business. I would remind Senators that the time allocated for the Order of Business is 30 minutes, half of which has been taken up already.
By how many speakers?
While party Leaders are given certain latitude, I would ask Senators to address their questions or requests as briefly as possible to the Leader of the House.
Will the Leader request the Minister for Education and Science to be open to the idea of a commission to resolve the teachers' dispute? This is the only way forward.
In the new year, may we have a debate on child care? There was a lack of provision in the budget on what we would consider proper child care issues. This issue should be addressed in January or February. I am just asking for a debate on the whole area of child care which was not addressed in the budget.
I also wish to raise the decision by the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform to use Butlin's holiday camp at Mosney to accommodate refugees. We are under pressure throughout the country by representatives of the Community Games to ask what is the alternative venue, if there is one, for the Community Games. It would be appallingly negative if—
This matter was discussed on the Adjournment last week.
I am asking for another debate because we have had public meetings about it in Limerick. The people running the Community Games have had no information one way or the other as to what will happen.
Perhaps Senator Costello will supply you with a copy of the reply he received from the Minister.
I would be grateful if he would do so.
Will the Leader convey to the Taoiseach our appreciation, on behalf of the people, to President Clinton? Everybody should have the opportunity of saying thanks to him and acknowledging the excellent work he has done on behalf of the people of this island, North and South.
In the aftermath of last week's so-called "give away" budget, will something be done to help the ailing second-hand car trade? We should have a debate on this matter since a car is no longer a luxury but a necessity. Those who are endeavouring to trade in two year old cars are being asked for sums in the region of £10,000. This is a case of inflation running wild. The issue should be addressed in this House and something should be done to aid the second-hand car business which is very important to the nation.
Since we last met, the EPA has published one more damning report on the quality of drinking water. Will the Leader invite the Minister for Health and Children to the House, as early as possible in the new session, to enable us to discuss the implications of the report? By any standards, the implications for public health are very real and need to be discussed as a matter of urgency.
Last week before the Nice summit I asked the Leader of the House if he would make arrangements for the outcome to be debated in the House immediately afterwards, but that did not happen. I am now of the opinion that it would be better to defer the debate until, as Senator Manning said, we have had time to digest the report. I would be quite happy, therefore, to wait until next month before debating it. From what I have read, the Taoiseach did a good job and seemed to protect us well, but I do not want to sound as if I am getting soft until I have read the small detail.
While I am in good humour—
The Senator is never in bad humour.
—I ask the Leader of the House to convey my congratulations to the Taoiseach on holding last night's event in Dundalk. It was an inspired choice, exactly the right place in which to hold it. It has lifted the spirit of the town.
Yesterday the British Government published the document, The Future of Aviation. On glancing through it – I have not yet read it in full – it seems that we have to do exactly the same here. We should produce something similar based on what the British have done in The Future of Aviation. The potential dangers and challenges to aviation are quite horrific. I ask the Leader of the House to arrange for the matter to be debated next month.
I ask the Leader of the House to arrange early in the next session a debate on the issue of children's health, with a particular focus on the immunisation and vaccination programme, child nutrition and the need to look at the issue of medical cards for children. Now that provision has been made in the budget for medical cards for those over the age of 70 years, the issue of providing medical cards for children under the age of five years should be looked at.
The visit of President Clinton and his wife, Hillary, to Dublin yesterday was a great occasion. Mrs. Clinton is a tremendous politician and was an inspiration to all the female Oireachtas Members who met her in the American Ambassador's residence.
I add my words to what Senator Cox said in relation to our meeting yesterday. All female Senators were present at the ambassador's residence with Senator-elect Clinton. It was a very special occasion.
I support the calls for a debate on the outcome of the Nice summit, in particular the need for the Taoiseach to state clearly that a referendum will be held on the outcome.
There are two issues which we need to address urgently, the first of which is the future of social partnership given the deep unhappiness of the community and voluntary sector at the outcome of the budget. Will the Leader of the House ask the Minister for the Environment and Local Government to address the House on the issue of incineration in the wider context of waste management, but in the specific context of how he intends to address the BSE crisis?
I support Senator Quinn's call for a debate on water quality, drinking water in particular. It would be a very useful exercise given that the reports on some of the investigations which have taken place are a source of great worry.
I ask the Leader of the House to convey our congratulations to the Taoiseach on his great success in protecting the national interest in his defence of our tax regime, which is the envy of every other member state of the European Union.
The Senator is now pre-empting the debate on the Nice treaty.
The Leader of the House should arrange for such a debate as soon as possible, during which it would be appropriate for us to remind the Labour Party of its latter day conversion to the European Union and its promotion of the regime in Romania under the corrupt Ceaucescu at a time when my party was advising the Irish people to join the European Union.
I think the Senator is rewriting history. Proper history does not get as far as Roscommon.
I join Senator Quill and Senator Finneran in calling for a debate on the quality of drinking water. However, I am primarily concerned with the removal of the PRSI ceiling in the budget. It was introduced as a trade off for corporation tax but corporation tax is not applicable to partners or professional partnerships. This will have a hugely adverse impact on recruitment and investment. Does the Government intend to rectify this in the forthcoming Finance Bill? I strongly urge it to do so.
Will the Leader congratulate the Government and President Clinton on their excellent presentation in Dundalk last night of the case for peace? I was at the event and the mood of the people was strong and clear in their demand for peace. There is no place for violence. The people of County Louth were uplifted by the visit and greatly enjoyed it. However, they mean business and that business is the business of peace.
I support Senator Quill's call for a debate on water quality. Some time ago the Minister for the Environment and Local Government introduced a grant scheme to upgrade existing group water schemes. Will the Leader invite the Minister to the Seanad to discuss the issue of group water schemes? While funding is being made available, more is necessary. I also support the call made by Senator Cox for medical cards for children. Medical cards should also be available for students. The higher education grant is not sufficient to cover everyday expenses and it would be most gratifying if medical cards were extended to third level students.
Will the Leader organise a debate on or bring to the attention of the Minister for the Environment and Local Government a new motoring hazard, as if there were not enough hazards on the roads? This motoring hazard has dire and sometimes fatal consequences. The media have given it much coverage in recent weeks and days. It is also something for which there is no specific punishment and no cases have been prosecuted.
Will the Senator tell us what it is and take us out of our agony?
Thank you, a Chathaoirligh. I knew you could not ask me to sit down before I came to the point.
We still do not know what it is.
It is oil spillages. They are the result of criminal negligence on our roads.
Yes.
There appears to be no accountability or prosecutions for oil spillages. It should be an indictable offence and if new legislation is required to provide for that, it should be introduced immediately.
Now that the Minister for Education and Science has discovered it is good to talk, the first item on the agenda of any meeting he might have with the teachers should be a commission on teaching. That would be the best way forward and might lead to longer meetings than he might have otherwise.
I wish to raise a matter which is a particularly sore point with me and which I have brought to the Leader's attention previously. I refer to the provision of cervical cancer screening. There does not appear to have been any provision for it in the budget, despite largesse otherwise, to ensure that—
There is provision in the budget.
—the waiting lists are reduced to a reasonable period, thus alleviating anxiety for the people concerned. This is an urgent matter; it cannot be put on the long finger. Cervical cancer screening should be introduced sooner rather than later.
I join with Senator Dardis in paying tribute to the Taoiseach and the Minister for Foreign Affairs for the great work they did in Nice.
Senator Costello stated that there were not many people around when President Kennedy visited Ireland. I had the pleasure of shaking his hand in Galway and my photograph appeared on the front page of The Irish Times.
Has the Senator a question for the Leader?
I walked around President Kennedy's car and took a photograph of it and there was not a security man in sight. The fact that the US President is now surrounded by security people is a sad reflection on modern society.
I welcome the announcement that the Special Olympics will be held in Ireland in 2003. All sports in which disabled people are involved should be included in the games. As a member of the Amputees and Disabled Golf Society, I would particularly like to see golf being included. I ask the Leader to arrange a debate on this matter. There are golf courses in Dublin which I am sure would be made available free of charge for such an event. Disabled golfers should have an opportunity to display their skills.
I raised an issue last week which has not been satisfactorily resolved, namely, that the appropriate Minister should be present in the House when legislation is being debated. The impression was conveyed last week that while it might be acceptable to allow Ministers to babysit Bills on Second Stage, the practice of bringing them into the House on Committee Stage to answer questions on technical and difficult Bills which require expertise would not continue. This has happened in regard to the ICC Bill, the National Pensions Reserve Fund Bill and the National Treasury Management Agency (Amendment) Bill, about which I protested last week when the Minister of State at the Department of Tourism, Sport and Recreation, Deputy Eoin Ryan, took Second Stage of a Bill which deals with very complicated financial matters.
Having protested about the matter, I did not think we would have a repeat performance on Committee Stage. Yet the Minister of State, Deputy Ryan, is currently sitting in the ante room, presumably waiting to deal with Committee Stage of the Bill. While Deputy Ryan is a very able Minister in his own field, it is totally wrong to bring Ministers who do not have expertise in the subject matter of a Bill into the House to babysit legislation. The message is being conveyed that this afternoon's debate on the NTMA Bill is completely irrelevant. Furthermore, no amendments will be accepted because the Minister of State is not qualified and does not have the authority to do so.
Will the Leader assure the House that Ministers will not be brought into the House on a daily basis to babysit Bills? Will he assure us that legislation will only be introduced when the relevant Ministers are available and that such Ministers will not go on trips abroad when legislation is awaiting them in this House?
Hear, hear.
The practice of babysitting Bills renders the workings of the Seanad irrelevant and conveys the impression to the public that we are merely going through the motions. If the Leader is unable to assure me that this will not happen today, I will call a vote on the Order of Business.
I support the view expressed by Senator Ross. The Minister of State did not reply at the conclusion of the Second Stage debate last week but said the Minister for Finance would come into the House for the Committee Stage debate and would deal with the issues raised. It appears that is not to happen.
Senators Manning, Quinn, O'Meara, Finneran and Farrell called for a debate on the Nice summit. I will certainly endeavour to have a copy of the text sent to Members as soon as possible. I join in congratulating the Taoiseach and the Minister for Foreign Affairs on a job well done on behalf of the Government, Members of the Oireachtas and the people for the strong stance they took in our interests and in the interest of all small nations. I have no difficulty in having a full and lengthy debate on it. If the Taoiseach is not available this week we will convene the Seanad next Tuesday.
And Wednesday.
And Wednesday if necessary. Senators Manning, O'Toole and Costello expressed concern about the new Commission on Human Rights, and I will pass their views to the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform.
Senator O'Toole called on the Government and the Minister to publish the Buckley report. All Members would welcome publication of the report, particularly in light of the increases Members are alleged to have received according to the national media, which have stated on four occasions that we received an increase in our salary as a result of the report. Of course, this has not happened so the quicker the Government releases the report and introduces legislation the better.
Senator O'Toole raised another issue which I will bring to the select committee which is meeting immediately after the Order of Business. He also asked about the 200 jobs for disadvantaged areas under the PPF. I will pass on his strong views to the Minister in this regard.
Senators Costello, Callanan, Cox, O'Meara, Dardis and O'Dowd congratulated all those associated with President Clinton's visit, including the Taoiseach, the Minister for Foreign Affairs, President Clinton, Senator-elect Hillary Clinton and their daughter. It was a wonderful showpiece of modern Ireland, demonstrating to the world how advanced we are in technology. Before the world President Clinton endorsed how we conduct our affairs in the South and how we have progressed over the Clinton years in particular. He has great concern for Ireland and delivered a magnificent speech in Dundalk, which was very uplifting. The Taoiseach gave a wonderful address in Dublin yesterday. It was great to see the support the President received from the people of County Louth. I know the brother of a Senator played a major part during the Clinton years in progressing and assisting the peace process. I congratulate all those involved in the visit.
Senators Jackman and Keogh called for a debate on child care and I will certainly leave time for that. I welcome, as do most Senators, the advances in the budget in terms of children's allowances, to which I referred on the Order of Business last week. The Senators also called for the Minister to consider a commission to resolve the strike. We all hope the strike will be over as soon as possible. The only way the issue can be successfully concluded is through everybody sitting around the table.
Senators McDonagh and Coghlan raised various issues, including the motor trade. This has been the best year in the history of the trade. I also take into account their concerns. The Appropriation Bill will be before the House tomorrow and perhaps they can raise their concerns in that context.
Senators Quill, Finneran, Coghlan and Bonner called for the Minister for Health and Children to come to the House for a debate and Senator Quinn called for the Minister for the Environment and Local Government to come to the House for a debate. Other Members raised the standard of drinking water and the management of water quality and I will leave time for a debate on this in the next session.
Senator Quinn asked that we pass on to the Minister his view that we should seriously consider the British report on the future of aviation. I can have this done after the Order of Business.
Senators Cox and Bonner called on the Minister for Health and Children to have a debate on the further extension of the medical card. I attended some senior citizens' Christmas parties over the weekend at which I was informed that the gesture in the budget which gave automatic entitlement to a medical card to senior citizens over 70 was most welcome.
Senator Caffrey called on the Minister for the Environment and Local Government to take note of the dangers caused by oil spillage. I will pass his views on to the Minister.
Senator Keogh expressed concerns about funding for cancer. Such funding was included in the Estimates, as far as I am aware. I will confirm this and come back to the Senator.
Senator Farrell called for a special debate on the 2003 Olympics. We are aware of his love of golf and that he is a world champion. Time will be made available for such a debate.
Senators Ross and Joe Doyle called for the Minister to be present, where possible, when legislation is being taken in the House. Lest the House is misled by Senator Ross's allegations, let me put the record straight. Since this Government took office in 1997, 137 Bills have been brought before both Houses. Forty-five of those Bills were initiated in this House and the Minister was present for all of them. That speaks for itself. In the light of the general thrust of Senator Ross's request, I certainly will do everything I possibly can. However, the last week of each session is exceptional. I would, therefore, ask Senator Ross, who is the second longest serving Senator in the House, to understand the legislation before us today and not put down an amendment to the Order of Business.
The Senator had better invite him to the senior citizens' parties.
I am trying to avoid a vote on the Order of Business.
Question put: "That the Order of Business be agreed to."
Tá
|
Bohan, Eddie.Bonner, Enda.Callanan, Peter.Cassidy, Donie.Chambers, Frank.Cox, Margaret.Cregan, John.Dardis, John.Farrell, Willie.Finneran, Michael.Fitzgerald, Liam.Fitzgerald, Tom.Fitzpatrick, Dermot.Gibbons, Jim. |
Glennon, Jim.Glynn, Camillus.Kett, Tony.Kiely, Daniel.Leonard, Ann.Lydon, Don.Mooney, Paschal.Moylan, Pat.O'Brien, Francis.Ó Fearghail, Seán.Ormonde, Ann.Quill, Máirín.Walsh, Jim. |
Níl
|
Burke, Paddy.Caffrey, Ernie.Coghlan, Paul.Cosgrave, Liam T.Costello, Joe.Cregan, Denis (Dino).Doyle, Joe.Hayes, Tom.Henry, Mary.Jackman, Mary. |
Keogh, Helen.McDonagh, Jarlath.Manning, Maurice.O'Dowd, Fergus.O'Meara, Kathleen.O'Toole, Joe.Quinn, Feargal.Ross, Shane.Ryan, Brendan.Taylor-Quinn, Madeleine. |
Tellers: Tá, Senators T. Fitzgerald and Gibbons; Níl, Senators Ross and J. Doyle.
Question declared carried.