Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)

I have two sets of questions for the Taoiseach. The first relates to the ongoing non-legislative performance of the Department of Education and Science and I ask that he might raise this again with the Minister. There are three Bills outstanding but there is no progress no them. One of the Bills relates to the George Mitchell scholarship scheme and the Taoiseach may have attended a reception yesterday evening on that matter. We are still standing exposed and shamed by refusing to put our money where our mouth is in that regard.

More pertinently, I refer to the forthcoming referendum on the Lisbon treaty. When will the legislation for that referendum be brought before the House? I presume it will be brought before the House this side of the summer recess. Will the Tánaiste, who is sitting beside the Taoiseach, be in a position at some stage later this week to indicate what legislative proposals she will be bringing forward to ensure that the contentious matters of labour legislation in domestic law will be resolved so that it is not an obstacle at domestic level in this Republic and not relating to the Viking case or the Laval case or other matters dealt with at Commission and the European Court of Justice?

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