Séamus Healy (Tipperary, Workers and Unemployed Action Group) | Oireachtas source

With all due respect to the Minister of State, Deputy Canney, and to the Minister of State, Deputy Jim Daly, who spoke earlier, a senior Minister is not here to address this issue. That shows an absolute lack of respect for the Dáil. It is an insult to this Dáil that the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment, Deputy Bruton, is not in the Chamber to address the motion. The other side of that coin is the lack of respect for the process of democracy in the House and for the process by which legislation moves through the Oireachtas. I have no doubt that the Government has deliberately stopped in its tracks the passage of the Bill through the Dáil.

I support the motion, as I supported the Bill in February of last year when it passed Second Stage by 78 votes to 48. The Bill seeks to prohibit the issuing of licences for the exploration for fossil fuels off Ireland's coast.

The Dáil referred the Bill unanimously to the Oireachtas committee which is where, of course, it has remained. It has gone into a black hole and remains there, frustrated at every hand's turn by the Government's opposition. This issue does not affect only this Bill, albeit it is a very important one. It affects many Bills, in particular Private Members' Bills, which find themselves in the same black hole. Democracy is being frustrated by the Government. It is frustrating the will of this Parliament and, ultimately, the will of the people. It is clear that there is great interest in the Bill nationally. Like me, most Deputies will have received numerous emails about the Bill from constituents over the past ten days. They have asked us to support the Bill and made the valid point, to quote one email, that the fair and reasonable approach is that, as this is a Dáil Bill, a select committee of Deputies should be allowed to decide to move it to Committee Stage. The email notes that Senators will have their own chance to vote on the Bill if it passes all Stages in the Dáil and moves to the Seanad. The email says the Government should not be able to block Deputies from pursuing the Dáil's legislative process. This is a widely held view outside the House as well as inside it. This is a very important, practical and necessary Bill and the Government must stop frustrating its progress by means of various methods before the committee. I believe this motion will pass on Thursday and I hope the Bill will be implemented before the current Dáil finishes its business.

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