Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)

I have a couple of matters to raise. I welcome the fact that there is an agreed motion today. I agree that after the debate on these two days it is important that the issue is not then just parked and left, that the matters arising from the Ryan commission report and its recommendations and further actions needed by the State, will be followed up and that the House will have an opportunity in the future to debate them.

I wish to ask the Taoiseach about two pieces of legislation which have been of concern to the Labour Party for some time. The first is the Government's planned legislation to give legal protection to same-sex couples. Just a year ago, almost to the day, the Government published the heads of a Bill on civil unions. When will this Bill be published?

Second, the Labour Party has been seeking legislation on the management of multi-unit dwellings and problems associated with management companies. On 27 May 2009, the Government published the Multi-Unit Developments Bill. There are two problems with the Bill. First, it does not apply to housing estates but only to apartment dwellings. Second, it applies only to apartment developments to be built in the future. That is a great vote of confidence in the future of residential construction but does not address the problem on the ground at present. Does the Government intend to amend the Bill to regulate management companies of existing apartment developments and housing estates?

See this speech in context