Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (Donegal North East, Sinn Fein)
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The committee has had the opportunity to deliberate on the petitions before us today and I will read our decisions. The first petition for consideration was P00010/13, from Mr. Patrick Smyth, calling for the introduction of legislation to allow for the creation of an offence of reckless lending. The petitioner is of the view that the banks should be held somewhat responsible for the financial difficulties in which a large section of the public finds itself regarding their mortgages and bank debts, and, consequently, carry some of the burden. The decision of the committee is to forward to the petitioner a copy of the Minister for Finance, Deputy Noonan's response and inform him that as his petition seeks the introduction of legislation, the matter is more germane to the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform. The committee has also decided to write to the clerk of the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform with a request that the committee consider the matter of reckless lending as a matter that would benefit from further investigation by the committee as part of its work programme or consideration in the context of the consideration of other financial services legislation and amendment to address the concerns about reckless lending raised by the petitioner. We will copy this letter to the petitioner and close the petition.

The second petition is P00023/13, from Ms Annmarie Crowley, requesting that Cork County Council take charge of the maintenance of the estates, roads and parks in the surrounding area of Weston Park, Carrigaline, County Cork. Since the submission of the petition, the estate in question has come under the management of Cork County Council, therefore this issue has been resolved. We have agreed to close this petition.

The third petition for consideration is P00007/14, from Ms Lara Henry on green leylandii or leyland cypress trees. The committee has previously deliberated on similar petitions, namely P00050/12, P00070/12 and P00071/12, and has made strong recommendations to the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government calling on him to introduce legislation on tree height. Our decision is to bring this petition to the attention of the Minister of State at the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government with responsibility for housing and planning showing that petitions continue to be received on this subject, which remains a problem for many people. We will forward a copy of all correspondence received to date from the Minister to the petitioner informing her that the committee has made very strong recommendations on introducing legislation to tackle the height of trees. We have also decided to refer the matter to the Oireachtas Joint Committee on the Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht with a request that the committee consider the issue of tree height as a matter that would benefit from further investigation by the joint committee as part of its work programme or consideration in the context of the consideration of legislation and amendment to address the concerns of the petitioner. We will copy this letter to the petitioner and close the petition.

When we refer petitions to the relevant sectoral committees our committee ensures that we still manage the petition, examine what was done about it and then communicate with the petitioner. Our role is not to pass over but actively to oversee petitions when they move on.

Charles Flanagan (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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This is a recurring theme, as the Chairman rightly pointed out. I am not sure if the Chairman can do anything stronger in terms of ensuring the Department takes the matter seriously and that it does not go into some work programme for some far distant date. Perhaps this issue might be the subject of a press release from the Chairman or we might take a stronger view on it.

This is the third or fourth such petition we have had.

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (Donegal North East, Sinn Fein)
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We will actively monitor the responses. This matter can escalate into unnecessary civil, legal action. It would be much more desirable to have guidelines that were clear to all parties. We will actively monitor that as it progresses. Thank you, Deputy.

Our last petition is P00009/14, from Mr. Aaron Davey, calling for the legalisation of cannabis use in Ireland. The committee has previously deliberated on similar petitions, P00029/13 and P00001/14, on the legalisation of cannabis. We have agreed that legalisation is not within the remit of this joint committee. The petitioner has requested that legislation to legalise cannabis be enacted. We will write to the petitioner and advise him that as his petition seeks the introduction of legislation, the matter is not within the remit of this committee and is more germane to the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality or the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Health and Children. As with previous petitions, we are referring it on. Again, we will write to the Clerks of the relevant joint committees advising each that this is the third such request for the legalisation of cannabis. Although we are closing the petition, we will monitor the issue. We have a responsibility not just to pass petitions on but to ensure there is a substantive "Yay" or "Nay" from the relevant committees.