Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)

Can the Taoiseach explain why his Ministers are so bad and so slow at producing legislation? The current legislative programme lists 19 Bills that are supposed to be published this session, but only six have been published to date. I examined the list of promised legislation published in May 2003. A minerals development Bill was supposed to appear in 2004 and we are now told it will not appear until mid-2009. A national monuments Bill was supposed to appear in late 2003 and we are now told it is not possible to say when it will appear. A nurses and midwives Bill, a judicial council Bill, a Curragh of Kildare Bill and a landlord and tenant Bill were supposed to appear in 2004, but none of these has appeared.

The Taoiseach appointed additional Ministers of State. What are they doing and why are they not producing the legislation that they and the Government promised would appear four years ago? Are their travel commitments so exhausting that they are suffering from jet lag and cannot prepare the legislation when they return home? What is the problem?

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