The Order of Business is No. 1, motion re fourth Protocol of the Amsterdam Treaty regarding a European judicial area to be referred to the Joint Committee on Justice, Equality, Defence and Women's Rights, to be taken without debate; No. 2, Children Bill, 1999 – Committee and Remaining Stages; No. 3, Vocational Education (Amendment) Bill, 2000 – Second Stage, with the contributions of spokespersons not to exceed 20 minutes and of all other Senators not to exceed ten minutes; No. 19, motion No. 23, to be taken from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. and business, if not previously concluded, to resume thereafter. Business will be interrupted from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m.
Order of Business.
I thank the Leader for supplying me with the background to No. 1. It is useful to have it. In future we might consider the practice of reading the type of note he gave into the record when the motion is being taken to ensure Members are aware of what we are doing.
I have two routine questions for the Leader on the Order of Business. Could he indicate what exact legislation he expects to take between now and the end of this session? By now he must have a fairly clear idea of what is realistic and what he hopes to take. It is asking a bit much of the Opposition to be ready to take quite a number of Bills if it does not have adequate prior warning.
Could the Leader update us on the information given to the House yesterday by the Acting Leader on the status of the reports from the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform and the Attorney General on the arms affair and if he will try to ensure we can have a debate on those reports before the end of this session?
Has the Leader been able to make arrangements to have a debate on the post Nice position before the end of the session?
On business matters, I agree that we need to have a clear indication of what will happen between the now and the end of the session. I would like to make two suggestions to the Leader on the ordering of our business. The last thing we need is a push next week to get everything out of the way and dealt with. People need to have the time to deal with matters and if we need to sit a few days the following week, we should be prepared to do that. That would lead to fewer problems and less tension in the House. On the basis of the business that was concluded yesterday, it would be possible to transfer Friday morning's business to Thursday afternoon to save a Friday sitting. I ask the Leader and the Government Whip to consider doing that to move business forward. Sitting the week after next would also allow a debate on the post Nice position.
It is probable the US authorities will again decide to reduce interest rates down to nearly 3% today because they wish to inject more money into the economy at a time of a downturn. I asked yesterday and I ask again now for the Leader to call on the Minister for Finance to come in here and give us his views on that, particularly at a time when the Central Bank's response to a possible downturn in the economy is to talk about budgetary restraint and taking money out of the economy. We are under the influence of the US, Europe and the Central Bank and the Minister needs to run a budget. We need to engage in these issues now rather than at the time of the budget. It would be useful to have a significant debate on finance before the recess.
I welcome the circulation of a memo on the first item on the agenda. It is becoming increasingly common to have a motion on the Order of Business which we are asked to approve or to refer to one of the committees. It should be practice that an information memo is circulated with the agenda for the day's Order of Business so Members would have an opportunity to examine the information on the motion and to assess the relevance of the motion and whether a debate is required on it.
Obviously we need to know what legislation has to be dealt with between now and the recess. There have also been calls for a number of debates to be held in that period. The Leader of the House should present to Members tomorrow a list of the matters he considers to be a priority, on the basis of what has been requested by Members and what can be dealt with between now and the end of the session. There should be a debate on Northern Ireland, where the situation is critical at present, and all Members have sought a debate on the Nice treaty to see how we will proceed.
There should also be an opportunity to discuss the four years in office of this coalition Government. It has already been discussed in the other House and it is appropriate that this House should be given the opportunity to discuss the delivery or otherwise of the budget, education, health services or public services under this Government in the last four years.
I call on the Leader to hold an immediate debate on the failure for the second year running of the Jeanie Johnston to leave Fenit Harbour. It is a serious matter. The project is badly needed in Kerry and about £10 million of taxpayers' money has been invested in it. The tourism industry in Kerry also needs the project. There is only something small wrong but the Minister should come to the House to debate it. If the people involved in the project wish to carry out trial runs, they should bring the ship to all the ports around Ireland and give the taxpayers who paid for it an opportunity to see this gorgeous vessel. With proper planning it could be sent abroad next year. It is a good job this problem did not happen during the Famine because a lot of Kerry people would never have got out of the country. It is a pity we cannot resurrect the engineers who originally built the ship.
Could the Leader invite the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands to come to the House for an immediate debate on funding from her Department? The arts centre in Ballybunion was fully backed—
Have I wandered by accident into a meeting of Kerry County Council?
—by Kerry County Council. A site was donated by the council and funding of £800,000 is in place. The centre is now seeking a small grant of £600,000 and we need to debate that.
These are matters which could more appropriately be raised on the Adjournment.
Or at Kerry County Council.
I would be sympathetic to any request from the Senator to raise them.
Thank you. I will put it down for tomorrow's Adjournment debate.
A lady from Cork has been imprisoned for her stance against service charges. Politically, it is a non-event but I fear we have been too heavy handed in imprisoning this person. It is most unfair. Will the Leader ask the Minister, Deputy O'Donoghue, to intervene? It is a sad situation. We should not imprison people like this. The point has been made and the woman has been fined.
This stance on service charges has been taken by a certain group but it is really a non-event in our city and, indeed, throughout the country. It is sad that we are taking matters to this level. Our priorities are wrong. The lady is in Limerick prison and there is no need for that.
I propose an amendment to the Order of Business, that item 24 be taken at the start of today's business. The motion deals with the fall-out from the Nice treaty referendum. We were given an undertaking yesterday that we would be given a definite date for this debate and I will suspend my judgment on it until I hear the Leader's response.
Can we hold a debate on AIDS, not just worldwide but in view of the troubling increases that have been reported in heterosexual transmission? This was the first of the Houses of the Oireachtas to have a debate on this important subject. At the time, some irresponsible media people, a small minority, suggested that the disease would not affect heterosexual people but the highest rate of transmission in this country, according to this year's statistics, is through heterosexuals. We need to warn young people and we could use the debate to do so.
Will the Leader impress on the Minister for the Environment and Local Government the importance of intervening in a major dispute that has engulfed the country between farmers and the National Roads Authority with regard to the siting of certain strategic super highways and the payment of adequate compensation to farmers? The fabric of rural Ireland will disintegrate and there will be an exodus from the countryside unless something is done. Tonight, for example, hundreds of farmers will converge, more in hope than confidence, on Hayden's Hotel in Ballinasloe to hear the IFA explain what they might be able to get. The NRA is not listening to them and it is time the Minister for the Environment and Local Government intervened before we have another land war on our hands.
Can the Leader arrange a debate before the end of this session on reforming the nursing homes legislation, particularly with regard to having a transparent, independent and open inspectorate whose reports will be published as soon as they are available and appointing an ombudsman for senior citizens in long-term care institutions, including health board and private nursing homes?
I formally second Senator Norris's amendment to the Order of Business.
In reply to Senators Manning, O'Toole and Costello, I hope, after the meeting of the Committee on Procedure and Privileges this morning, to have the proposed legislation the Seanad will debate in the present session available for discussion with the leaders and the Whips to secure final agreement on it. The Senators also sought debates on the Nice treaty, finance and the four years of achievement by the present Government. As I pointed out last week, I intend to allocate a full day for statements and debates on the various matters which have been brought up on the Order of Business. All other business will comprise legislation. We can discuss that further at the meeting of the leaders and Whips this morning.
Senator Manning asked about the arms crisis report. An update of this will be available tomorrow morning and I will inform the House then about it.
I will convey Senator Kiely's views to the Minister regarding the Jeanie Johnston. I am aware of the importance of the project to Kerry. I will also convey the Senator's views on funding for the arts to the relevant Minister.
I will inform the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform of Senator Cregan's concerns about the imprisoned person he mentioned.
It is definitely not possible to take No. 19, motion 24 this week. Perhaps the Whips and I can include it in our considerations when we meet this morning. Senator Norris also called for a debate on AIDS and I certainly will provide for this, possibly not during this session but early in the next session.
Senator McDonagh called for a debate in the House with the Minister for the Environment and Local Government regarding the impact on the farming community of the proposed new national routes of the NRA. This issue is of major concern in the midlands region. On the one hand, it is a sign of progress and on the other hand everyone wants to see the farmers getting their fair share. I certainly agree the matter should be included in the day long debate to which I referred and I will make sure this is one of the items taken. It is one of the most pressing issues at present, where only 5% of the total investment involved is for the cost of the land being acquired. There is room for consultation and negotiation and I hope that will happen. I wish everyone well in that regard.
Senator O'Dowd called for a debate on reform of the nursing homes Act. I certainly will have a look at that to see when it will be possible.
Senator Norris moved an amendment to the Order of Business, that item 19, motion 24, be taken before item 1. Is the amendment being pressed?
Is the Leader giving a commitment that this will be taken before the end of the session?
No.
I cannot accept that.
Amendment put.
Tá
|
Burke, Paddy.Caffrey, Ernie.Coogan, Fintan.Cosgrave, Liam T.Costello, Joe.Cregan, Denis (Dino).Doyle, Joe.Henry, Mary. |
Keogh, Helen.McDonagh, Jarlath.Manning, Maurice.Norris, David.O'Dowd, Fergus.O'Toole, Joe.Ross, Shane.Taylor-Quinn, Madeleine. |
Níl
|
Bohan, Eddie.Callanan, Peter.Cassidy, Donie.Chambers, Frank.Cregan, JohnDardis, John.Farrell, Willie.Fitzgerald, Liam.Fitzgerald, Tom.Gibbons, Jim.Glennon, Jim. |
Glynn, Camillus.Kett, Tony.Kiely, Daniel.Leonard, Ann.Mooney, Paschal.Moylan, Pat.O'Donovan, Denis.Ó Fearghail, Seán.Ormonde, Ann.Walsh, Jim. |
Tellers: Tá, Senators Norris and Ross; Níl, Senators T. Fitzgerald and Gibbons.
Amendment declared lost.
Order of Business agreed to.