Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)

The Government has sought consensus on a range of matters which have arisen such as cancer issues. The Victims' Rights Bill promoted by Deputies Shatter and Charles Flanagan has a broad measure of support and is an area in which the previous Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform had a real interest. It is now the subject of division with the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, Deputy Dermot Ahern. The Government received the consensus it sought during the past two and a half months with regard to the Lisbon treaty. Could the Government state the basis and fundamentals of the Victims' Rights Bill are broadly in line with what it proposed itself, accept the Bill and amend it on Committee Stage? As the Government sought consensus from the Opposition parties it might be appropriate for it to show consensus itself.

When will we see a package on Dáil reform from the Government Whip? This has gone on for five or six years. The Government has received recommendations from Fine Gael, the Labour Party and both parties combined. It has received recommendations from the former Chief Whip, Deputy Tom Kitt. This is clearly ineffectual. When does the Chief Whip, Deputy Pat Carey, propose to table his proposals for Dáil reform?

An issue which clearly showed up during the campaign on the Lisbon treaty was the implementation of legislation and directives by Irish officials across a myriad of areas. As the Taoiseach knows, this caused people to vote "No" for reasons which had nothing to do with the treaty. Does the Taoiseach intend to carry out a trawl of the transposition of European directives into Irish law and how their implementation affects people here? To retain the essence of a directive but showing flexibility where it can be shown would demonstrate the Government in some sense understands the frustration of people across an extremely broad range of sectors with how it is done.

Does the Taoiseach have an update on the fair deal with regard to long-stay institutions? On a number of occasions, Deputy Reilly asked the Taoiseach what intentions he has to introduce measures in its place in the interim period if it will not see the light of day prior to the end of this year.

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