Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)

Can the Tánaiste confirm that there will be no guillotine on Second Stage and Committee Stage of the NAMA Bill? Can she confirm that Committee Stage of the Bill will be taken in the House?

Has the Government fixed a date for the budget? If so, what is that date?

I have travelled around the country in the past number of weeks seeking a "Yes" vote in the Lisbon referendum. We have produced almost a million pieces of literature for this campaign and I expect to cover more than 3,000 km. Some sectors are very concerned at the way we have transposed European directives into Irish law. Currently, the Joint Committee on EU Scrutiny, under the chairmanship of Deputy John Perry, does not have the authority to look at the way we have transposed a number of those directives. I am not talking about losing the impact of a directive but about the degree of flexibility and common sense that applies in a number of these cases. For example, the Tánaiste is well aware of the nitrates directive from her period as Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food. It directed that the last date for spreading slurry was 31 August but because of our weather conditions, the Minister has extended that period to 15 October. I could say the Tánaiste got inside that deadline herself the other day when talking about Lisbon, but I will not say it.

Is the Government considering allowing the Joint Committee on European Scrutiny to look at a number of directives, which I could point out to the Tánaiste, where there is clearly a degree of frustration in different sectors, whether business, the agri-economy or other areas, because of the extent of administrative bureaucracy and red tape that we ourselves have applied to the transposition of directives into Irish law? This would be in the interest of different sectors which would at least know the Government was listening to their complaints. This issue should be referred to the Joint Committee on EU Scrutiny. When the Lisbon treaty is, hopefully, approved there will be far greater access and opportunity for committees to look at proposals which come from the Commission.

For now, a number of directives which have already been transposed into Irish law are causing frustration and anxiety. This could be eased by a common sense approach by Government. I ask the Tánaiste to do that.

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