Emmet Stagg (Kildare North, Labour)

Arising from discussions in the House, I raised a number of matters at the Whips' meeting last night. Referring to them now is in order. The first relates to management companies and the legislation promised thereon. According to the Chief Whip, that legislation has been pushed back beyond First Stage. Seemingly, a specialist group is considering the legislation. Four years have passed since we first raised this issue, but we are no further along and no decision seems to have been made on whether the legislation should come in one part or three. I would like clarity from the Tánaiste in this regard, if the Government has any. In every urban and suburban constituency, people are being adversely affected every day of the week and severely exploited because the legislation has not been changed.

The second matter relates to Dáil reform. Given the Taoiseach's reply yesterday morning, the Ceann Comhairle will realise that the Government has given him and the three Whips the wet back of its hand in respect of our proposals, calling them "piecemeal". Seemingly, the Government has appointed two people, the Chief Whip and the Green Party Whip, as a specialist group to consider Dáil reform. However, the statutory Dáil reform committee of the House, which consists of all parties, is meant to address this issue. I presume that the Fianna Fáil proposals will also be thrown out. There are also proposals from the Fine Gael, Labour and Sinn Féin parties and the Independents. The committee was at an advanced stage of putting the proposals together in a Dáil reform package, but all of its work has apparently been thrown out. The Chief Whip and the Green Party Whip will dictate the format to the rest of us. Their intention is to steamroll it through the House, but we will resist them strongly. Any such proposal will simply be in favour of the Government rather than the House.

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