Trevor Sargent (Dublin North, Green Party)

We have a long list of promised legislation and, as the Taoiseach indicated, we are expecting a general election in 2007. Are all those Bills genuinely promised or is this a pre-election list to encourage re-election on the understanding the Government will process the rest of the Bills? Are there two separate lists or can we take it that they are all promised legislation for this Dáil? It is quite puzzling if the criminal justice (suppression of acts of nuclear terrorism) Bill is not promised for any date. What urgency is being attached to it or is there any substance to it at all?

Will the childcare amendment Bill or the family law Bill legislate for the outlawing of the slapping of children? The Taoiseach must come back to the European Commission on that matter by July. Is any legislation promised on this or is it to be contained in one of those pieces of legislation? Is there more promised legislation which the House has not heard about?

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