Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)

I apologise for missing the announcement of requests to move the adjournment of the Dáil under Standing Order 32.

Can the Tánaiste tell us if the Nurses and Midwives Bill will be published before the resumption of the Dáil in the autumn session? He will appreciate that the Government has just come out of a very heated confrontation with members of the Irish Nurses Organisation and the Psychiatric Nurses Association of Ireland and that many within their ranks, even people among those who voted to accept the detail of the proposed resolution at the time, remain extremely vexed and annoyed. Will he at least expedite this long overdue legislation that addresses and relates to their profession?

In respect to the Government's programme of legislation, the practice in recent years has been that this is presented on the first day of the commencement of a new term. Is there any prospect that the Government would consider publishing it and circulating it to Deputies in advance of the commencement day so we can have clearer advance notice of the Government's intent for the new Dáil term in September?

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