Gerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

During Taoiseach's questions, we deal with issues and events five months after they had occurred. Yesterday we had 81 questions to the Taoiseach which were taken together. In the spirit of trying to work with the Government and other parties we must look at how our business is conducted. It is not good enough for the Taoiseach to come into the House and unilaterally make an announcement on specific questions which I wanted to ask and ask now.

In January the Minister for Health, Deputy Leo Varadkar, outlined health priorities. He promised new legislation to deal with a range of issues, including reducing the number of delayed discharges. Today 391 citizens are on trolleys, including 42 in Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda. Yesterday 447 were on trolleys. That is as bad as it was during the winter. Where is the legislation the Minister promised?

We were also told that the Garda Síochána (Amendment) Bill 2014 and the independent policing authority would be up and running by December 2014. They are not. We were then told that it would be done by the end of this year, but the scheme of the policing authority Bill was only published in November 2014 and the legislation has not been published. It is potentially one of the most important items of justice and policing legislation since the establishment of the State. Famously, it arose from management accountability practices within An Garda Síochána which saw a Minister and a Commissioner resign. The independent policing authority is a very important and essential part of all of this. Has the Government agreed a date for publication of the Bill?

In fairness to other Deputies, I will not raise the other matters I wanted to discuss. I ask for replies on the two important items of business - health priorities on the day that is in it and the establishment of an independent policing authority. Can we be given publication dates for the legislation on these matters that is due to be brought before the Dáil?

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