Gerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Tá trí ceist agam. Baineann ceann amháin acu leis an education (admission to schools) Bill, ceann eile leis an Public Health (Standardised Packaging of Tobacco) Bill agus an ceann deireanach leis an Health Act 2007. Maidir leis an gcéad cheist, the Taoiseach may have picked up that today, the Supreme Court, on a split decision, upheld the decision of a Clonmel school to deny a school place to a child from the Traveller community. The court ruled that insufficient evidence had been put before previous hearings at the Equality Tribunal and at the Circuit Court. It was not possible, therefore, to carry out a proper analysis. The education (admission to schools) Bill changes the provisions for admissions to school and should prevent this from happening again. When will that Bill be published?

On the Public Health (Standardised Packaging of Tobacco) Bill, I commend the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs on refusing to be intimidated by Japan Tobacco International and the Imperial Tobacco Group. As a former smoker, I know that tobacco smoking is a major cause of death and ill-health and costs this State hundreds of millions of euro each year in health care costs. Is the Taoiseach satisfied that the proposed legislation is not in breach of the EU tobacco product directive or any World Trade Organization agreement? When does he expect that Report and Final Stages of the Bill will be completed?

The last question has to do with promised legislation and the Health Act. Last month, the Minister for Health set out patient safety as one of his five priorities. He said he would give more power to the Health Information Quality Authority, HIQA, and extend its remit, and in correspondence to me he said that he intends amending the Health Act 2007 to allow that to happen. The Taoiseach will know that HIQA has already put on record that many of its recommendations have not been implemented so when will the legislation to allow the Minister's proposed reform be published? Also, when will the action plan being prepared by the emergency Department task force be published?

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