Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)

I wish to pursue with the Taoiseach his intentions with regard to the filling of the vacant position in the Government. I shall run through what happened on previous occasions when Ministers resigned. In 2004, the former Minister for Finance, Charlie McCreevy, resigned on 29 September, along with the Ministers Joe Walsh and Michael Smith. The three nominations for replacing those Ministers were made on the same day. In 1997, when Ray Burke resigned as Minister on 8 October, his replacement was nominated the following day. If we go back as far as 1996, when Deputy Michael Lowry resigned as a Minister on 30 November, his replacement was nominated on 3 December, the next day on which the Dáil sat. This is the first occasion I can recall when there has not been a nomination to fill a vacancy arising in the Government, either on the day the vacancy occurred or in the first Dáil sitting afterwards.

What is the Taoiseach's intention in this regard? Does he intend to nominate a replacement in the membership of the Government for the former Minister, Deputy O'Dea, or does he intend to leave the membership of the Government at 14, as it now stands? The position comes up somewhat like the recruitment embargo in the public sector. How long is it intended to leave it that way?

I received a letter today, dated yesterday, from the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, Deputy Gormley, concerning the Dublin mayor and regional authority Bill. From it, I see we are to have a Dublin mayor and a new type of regional authority for Dublin. The Minister states he is publishing the draft scheme today to give opportunity for further consultation before the Bill is finalised. He has set up a consultative meeting in Leinster House for spokespersons on 4 March. I welcome all of that but I seek clarification from the Taoiseach. Is it intended, following that consultation with Opposition party spokespersons, that the Government will reconsider that Bill or consider amendments to it in its draft form in light of comments and observations made by Oppositions spokespersons? We were told before that the heads of the Bill had been approved by the Government. Is it intended that there will be another consideration of the Bill by Government before the Bill is published?

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