Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 12 March 2008
5 Deputy Enda Kenny asked the Taoiseach the progress to date in respect of the implementation of those elements of the programme for Government for which his Department is responsible; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3545/08]
Amharc ar fhreagra6 Deputy Enda Kenny asked the Taoiseach if he will report on the implementation of An Agreed Programme for Government; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3562/08]
Amharc ar fhreagra7 Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Taoiseach if he will report on the implementation of the programme for Government; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4978/08]
Amharc ar fhreagra8 Deputy Eamon Gilmore asked the Taoiseach the progress made to date with regard to the implementation of An Agreed Programme for Government, particularly in regard to those areas for which his Department has direct responsibility; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6170/08]
Amharc ar fhreagra9 Deputy Enda Kenny asked the Taoiseach if he will report on the recent work of the Taskforce on Active Citizenship; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7968/08]
Amharc ar fhreagra10 Deputy Enda Kenny asked the Taoiseach if he will report on the implementation of the recommendations of the Report of the Taskforce on Active Citizenship; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7969/08]
Amharc ar fhreagra11 Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Taoiseach if he will report on the implementation of An Agreed Programme for Government; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10612/08]
Amharc ar fhreagra12 Deputy Simon Coveney asked the Taoiseach if he will report on the implementation of An Agreed Programme for Government; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10613/08]
Amharc ar fhreagra13 Deputy Michael Creed asked the Taoiseach if he will report on the implementation of An Agreed Programme for Government; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10614/08]
Amharc ar fhreagra14 Deputy Jimmy Deenihan asked the Taoiseach if he will report on the implementation of An Agreed Programme for Government; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10615/08]
Amharc ar fhreagra15 Deputy Olwyn Enright asked the Taoiseach if he will report on the implementation of An Agreed Programme for Government; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10616/08]
Amharc ar fhreagra16 Deputy Charles Flanagan asked the Taoiseach if he will report on the implementation of An Agreed Programme for Government; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10617/08]
Amharc ar fhreagra17 Deputy Brian Hayes asked the Taoiseach if he will report on the implementation of An Agreed Programme for Government; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10618/08]
Amharc ar fhreagra18 Deputy Phil Hogan asked the Taoiseach if he will report on the implementation of An Agreed Programme for Government; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10621/08]
Amharc ar fhreagra19 Deputy Olivia Mitchell asked the Taoiseach if he will report on the implementation of An Agreed Programme for Government; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10624/08]
Amharc ar fhreagra20 Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Taoiseach if he will report on the implementation of An Agreed Programme for Government; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10627/08]
Amharc ar fhreagra21 Deputy Fergus O’Dowd asked the Taoiseach if he will report on the implementation of An Agreed Programme for Government; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10630/08]
Amharc ar fhreagra22 Deputy James Reilly asked the Taoiseach if he will report on the implementation of An Agreed Programme for Government; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10632/08]
Amharc ar fhreagra23 Deputy Michael Ring asked the Taoiseach if he will report on the implementation of An Agreed Programme for Government; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10728/08]
Amharc ar fhreagra24 Deputy Alan Shatter asked the Taoiseach if he will report on the implementation of An Agreed Programme for Government; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10729/08]
Amharc ar fhreagra25 Deputy Billy Timmins asked the Taoiseach if he will report on the implementation of An Agreed Programme for Government; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10730/08]
Amharc ar fhreagra26 Deputy Leo Varadkar asked the Taoiseach if he will report on the implementation of An Agreed Programme for Government; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10731/08]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 5 to 26, inclusive, together.
The programme for Government agreed between Fianna Fáil, the Green Party, the Progressive Democrats and certain Independent Members of Dáil Éireann is a comprehensive blueprint for the country's future. It is fully costed and makes it clear that the budgets over the lifetime of the Government will be kept in broad balance and fully within our commitments under the Stability and Growth Pact.
Since last summer, the Government has wasted no time in commencing our implementation of the wide ranging proposals contained within the agreed programme. Progress on the implementation of the Government programme is continuing and kept constantly under review. Over the duration of this Government, I look forward to the programme being implemented in full. Over the next four years, I believe the Irish people will see incremental and steady changes which will benefit both Irish society and the Irish economy.
It is the responsibility of each individual Minister to ensure that the commitments in the programme that fall within their particular portfolio are fully implemented. In the policy areas which are the responsibility of my Department, I am happy to report that good progress has been made in a number of significant areas. As the House will be aware, the area of active citizenship is a direct responsibility of my Department. It is an area of particular interest to me and one I have pushed in the past number of years. In this regard, an Active Citizenship Office has now been established in my Department, in line with the recommendations of the Taskforce on Active Citizenship.
The office is currently preparing a plan to implement the recommendations, following consultations that are under way with relevant Departments. In addition, the office has received a positive response from a number of organisations in the business sector that are willing to assist in advancing the active citizenship agenda. In particular, the office, which is chaired by Ms Mary Davis, continues to consult with various business interests to encourage greater connectivity to the community through this sector. Building on existing initiatives, there is a significant contribution this sector can make to communities nationwide.
Consultations are also being held with the wider educational sector with particular regard to raising awareness of the potential for service learning and volunteering. A progress report on the implementation of the task force recommendations is currently being prepared by the office and will be published shortly.
I want to emphasis to the House that as a Government we remain committed to strengthening the fabric of Irish society and to creating an Ireland with vibrant towns and townlands.
I welcome the Taoiseach's reply. What is the cost of the programme for Government which he says has been fully costed? I have not seen that figure published anywhere. The Minister for Finance says it is a matter that will be kept private, if it has been costed at all. I am glad the Taoiseach has indicated that it has been costed.
Against that background, the cost of the Fianna Fáil programme, which was costed, was €7.5 billion. The Minister for Finance has published tax projections for 2010 in his recent budget statement and they indicate that tax revenue will be €6.3 billion short of what was expected at the time the Fianna Fáil programme was published. Is the Taoiseach indicating to the House his belief that this €7.5 billion programme, plus the additional commitments from the Green Party which we have not seen costed, can be delivered even though the tax revenue will be at least €6.3 billion short in 2010 and there is no confidence that will be made up in the following years? The Minister's new economic growth forecast does not suggest it will be made up. Does the Taoiseach still believe this programme can be implemented, as he appears to suggest in his reply?
In light of the Taoiseach's new realism about the state of the economy, reflected in his statement earlier this week, will he accept that those commitments are not possible and that we need a new medium-term strategy to guide both economic and social policy in the coming five years, based on a realistic assessment of the resources that will be available? Is he not participating in an elaborate fooling of the public by continuing to present to the House a programme for Government that is no longer affordable? No Member of this House, either behind the Taoiseach or on these benches, believes it is affordable within the resources. The Taoiseach might clarify his expectations.
When the programme for Government was put together last year, each individual section of it, and particularly those new elements that were outside the national development plan, which was costed at €184 billion, or ongoing programmes such as the commitments we made to overseas development, which were fully costed, the science and technology fund or the research and development fund, which were fully costed, and any of the other ones, were costed at the time by the Department of Finance. I do not have those figures but most of the programme for Government came within the annual Estimates, the three and five year Estimate reviews, the national plan and some of the specific programmes.
On the position raised by Deputy Bruton, if the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance, or any Minister, was here he or she would say that a programme for Government is based on the ability to be able to deliver and implement programmes as resources are available. In good years more can be done but in more difficult years, as we are seeing internationally and today in what is happening in the budgets in Westminster, and what we have seen in Germany last week and in other countries, it is a more challenging period because of what happened last August and the sub-prime difficulties. That is a fact of life. There is a global tightening and that is what I made reference to a number of times recently. That makes it more difficult to deliver within the period because revenues will contract but over a prolonged period up to 2012 we will always have the peaks and valleys in these issues, and that must be accepted as we go on each year. If we had a number of those years it would severely curtail our ability in terms of new initiatives and more progressive projects. I have no difficulty in saying that we will not have the ability to go beyond the departmental Estimates in 2008. They will have to be held tightly. It is our determination not to have any changes in our capital programme. We have gone for a very high capital programme. It is our view that because of the low debt-GDP ratio we have the ability to be able to borrow mainly from our current budget surpluses to implement a capital programme that is needed for the country because of past infrastructural deficits, our rate of development and population growth. We must continue to do that. That removes any flexibilities in terms of having new programmes in other areas.
On the Deputy's question about the ongoing reviews, the Department of Finance, as it does every year, will have its economic and budgetary outlook mid-year and that will reflect the changed circumstances. I am sure when it sees the first quarter figures, as it would normally do, it will give an indication of its thinking on that but those issues are a matter for the Department of Finance.
I do not want to accuse the Taoiseach of misleading the House but if the Department of Finance publishes Estimates that indicate that revenue the Taoiseach expected to rise by €7.5 billion by 2012 will be €6.3 billion off target by 2010, does he accept, as leader of the Government, that those Estimates are accurate? Does he believe that Department of Finance projections should be the basis for Government framing strategies that are affordable and realistic or does he want to continue to fool people into thinking that he will deliver lower pupil-teacher ratios, lower tax on the standard rate and the top rate, lower PRSI, 2,000 extra consultants and 1,000 extra hospital beds when the Minister for Finance comes in here and tells us the money is not available?
Will the Taoiseach issue an instruction to his colleagues to publish the costings of the programme for Government in their sphere of activity to allow us have a realistic debate in this House on what the Taoiseach says programmes will cost and the resources the Minister for Finance says will be available? I will not sit here allowing the Government to fool the people about what is and is not affordable. We need a proper strategy to guide us in a difficult economic time. We cannot go on with a cock-and-bull document that is no longer realistic.
I will explain it to Deputy Bruton but he understands it very well. This year——
The Taoiseach should answer the question.
I will answer the question. The Deputy wants me to tell him what we will have achieved by June 2012.
No, I want the Taoiseach to publish the costs of what the Government has proposed.
I will tell the Deputy that in the summer of 2012.
What will it cost?
For the Deputy to ask me now to tell him what exactly we will do——
That is not what I asked. The Ceann Comhairle knows that I did not ask that.
The Deputy did ask that.
In some sense the Ceann Comhairle is a referee here.
The Deputy asked if important matters of advances in education and health, which he claims are cock-and-bull, will not be implemented. It is the Government's wish over the period, within the resources we have, to implement these programmes. We have set our budgets for this year. Tax revenue is down and I gave the figures on this last week based on the two-monthly tax take projection. This morning I gave our view on the national development plan. We will continue to implement this year's policies and frameworks as outlined in the budget.
I have made it clear additional resources will not be available this year for Departments to go outside their Estimates. It will be a year of ensuring line Departments stay within the Estimates. The Minister for Finance said he may need tighter control on the Estimates during the year.
What are the costings?
Next year could be different. If economic circumstances improve, we will be more able to increase expenditure in some areas. If not, we will not have that ability. That is the answer to the question.
That is not the answer to the question. I asked the Taoiseach if he would issue an instruction to Departments to publish the costings of the programme for Government. The Taoiseach has not answered with "yes" or "no". This is not acceptable. We are seeking information and honest answers. If the Taoiseach goes on these Wanderly Wagon wish-lists and talks about lovely motherhood and apple pie without answering questions, we are wasting our time in here.
As Deputy Bruton well knows, it is not the responsibility of the Chair. It is a matter for the Taoiseach——
I know that and I am not blaming the Ceann Comhairle. I am drawing it to the Ceann Comhairle's attention that this should be a "yes" or "no" answer. The Taoiseach, like he would not articulate confidence in the HSE yesterday, will not answer this question.
——to reply in the manner in which he wishes to reply.
It is a simple "yes" or "no" answer.
I call on Deputy Ó Caoláin.
Tá sé geallta ag an Rialtas sa clár Rialtais roinnt nithe a dhéanamh maidir le cur chun cinn na Gaeilge. Cén dul chun cinn atá déanta ar chuid de na rudaí seo, mar shampla, tacú le hAcht teangacha a thabhairt isteach i dTuaisceart na hÉireann — rud a leagadh síos i gComhaontas Naomh Aindriú — agus comhaontas uile-pháirtí a lorg i dtaobh athbhunadh an Chomhchoiste Oireachtais ar an Ghaeilge?
This being Seachtain na Gaeilge, on the commitment in the programme for Government on the Irish language for which the Taoiseach has direct responsibility, what progress has been made on the commitment to introduce a language Act in the Six Counties, as set out in the St. Andrews Agreement? There has been some opposition from predictable quarters in this matter. Does the Taoiseach agree the Irish language belongs to all sections of the people, irrespective of their political dispositions or tradition, as they see it? Will he agree this is a basic right for all?
What progress has been made in seeking all-party agreement on the re-establishment of an Oireachtas committee on the Irish language, another commitment in the programme for Government?
A Cheann Comhairle, we will have to stop the bilingual asking of questions. Some of them take long enough in one language. To ask them in two languages is stretching it a bit.
I am not the Editor of Debates, as the Deputy is well aware.
The programme for Government contains a commitment to reduce the top rate of income tax by 1% and the lower rate by 2%. In addition, employee PRSI contributions are proposed to be reduced by 2%. Does the Government still intend to do that?
On Deputy Ó Caoláin's question, the overall strategy on the Irish language is set out in the programme for Government. A 20-year strategic plan will be developed with support for the introduction of a language Act in Northern Ireland, as provided for in the St. Andrews Agreement. I was involved in those discussions and, as the Deputy stated, we have hit obstacles. It was part of the agreement and we continue to pursue it faithfully.
The Deputy's assessment is correct that it is a matter that should be agreed in the structures. We had an opportunity to talk to the Northern Ireland Minister directly involved. The Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, Deputy Ó Cuív has also pursued this directly. There is a negative view taken by some on it but we will continue to pursue what was agreed.
I do not have up-to-date information on achieving an all-party consensus on re-instituting the joint Oireachtas committee on the Irish language. It is a commitment, however, we intend to pursue.
Will the Taoiseach come back to me on that?
I will raise it with the Minister, Deputy Ó Cuív, and ask him to come back to the Deputy.
The economic and tax targets, as I said earlier, are commitments in the programme for Government but are based on the proviso that resources permit and we stay within the parameters established in the Stability and Growth Pact. The Government intends to stick to those fiscal targets. If resources are available, then we can do it; if not, we cannot do it.
What are the costs of the commitments to the Independent Members who support the Government? The documents drawn up with those Members were signed by the Taoiseach as president of the Fianna Fáil Party and, therefore, cannot be released under a freedom of information request. When the Taoiseach speaks of delivery, is it delivery to the Independents for their support? If the tax take improves, will that mean the delivery to the Independents will improve?
In south Kerry, we are reminded every week by Deputy Healy-Rae that he has an eight page document signed by the Taoiseach for delivery there. Would the Taoiseach concur with the recent description to me by a senior Minister of this eight-page document as being well-padded?
There is text on the back and front of each of those eight pages.
The programme for Government contains a commitment for the Government to campaign for a complete ban on cluster munitions. An international conference on cluster munitions will take place in Ireland in May. Will the Taoiseach agree that if the Government brought forward legislation to ban the use of them or investment in any company that might use them, it would put us in a stronger position in leading the campaign? Is legislation planned for the prohibition of the use of cluster munitions?
The international diplomatic conference on cluster munitions will take place in Croke Park from 19 May. We were in a similar position on the Ottawa Convention on the banning of landmines. Ireland and Norway saved a strong text for that convention by publishing legislation prior to the conference. Separate legislation has been produced by Belgium and Austria on the banning of cluster munitions.
The programme for Government contains a clear commitment to ban outright all forms of cluster munitions. The Minister for Foreign Affairs recently stated he proposes to establish a committee on humanitarian law which would respond to whatever convention emerges in May. The lesson is that it would be hugely important if, as part of the core group that chairs the conference, we follow the example we had in 1996-97. The Ottawa Convention banning landmines was concluded in 1997. We published our legislation in 1996 and it was the defining text because it was strong. If we choose instead to implement the commitment in the programme for Government by establishing a committee that will respond to a convention, we should be careful. Countries such as the United Kingdom, Germany and France are in favour of a weak text. We can influence this.
As we send troops abroad, for example, on peacekeeping and peace-building missions, it is important that our convention is sufficiently strong to prevent Irish troops from participating with armies and forces that do not have a complete ban on cluster weapons, given the incredible and multi-generational damage to civilians that results from their use.
I remind Deputies that the Taoiseach cannot be expected to reply for line Ministers.
Will we have framework legislation in time to influence the international convention in May?
In reply to Deputy Sheahan, any provisions for the Independents, as I have said a number of times, are based on what is in the Estimates or in the national development plan. It is a matter of additional expenditure for items that are already covered in the budgetary process.
So they are getting what they were getting anyway.
It may be quicker to pursue it this way.
So it is true that the document is heavily padded.
The Minister for Foreign Affairs, Deputy Dermot Ahern, has, to his credit, been to the fore in pursuing the issue of cluster weapons in Europe and internationally. In reply to Deputy Higgins's question, the Minister has stated clearly that the current ethical guidelines for the protocol on cluster weapons should go further. He has also stated that based on what happens at the Croke Park conference, which he has worked to organise and bring to this country, we should consider bringing in legislation similar to that introduced in Norway. However, we should allow the debate to continue and listen to the views of those at the conference. We support that position.
