Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)
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Question 1: To ask the Taoiseach his Department's legislative priorities for the remainder of the Dáil; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21326/04]

Joe Higgins (Dublin West, Socialist Party)
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Question 2: To ask the Taoiseach his Department's legislative programme for the current Dáil session; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22393/04]

Trevor Sargent (Dublin North, Green Party)
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Question 3: To ask the Taoiseach his Department's legislative programme for the remainder of 2004; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22468/04]

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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Question 4: To ask the Taoiseach his Department's legislative priorities for the remainder of this Dáil; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23420/04]

Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 5: To ask the Taoiseach his legislative priorities for the remainder of 2004; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24030/04]

Bertie Ahern (Dublin Central, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 1 to 5, inclusive, together.

My Department has two Bills before the Oireachtas this session, the National Economic and Social Development Office Bill 2002 and the Interpretation Bill 2002. The National Economic and Social Development Office Bill is awaiting Committee Stage. The Interpretation Bill, which has passed all Stages in this House, is awaiting Committee Stage in the Seanad. My Department also has one Bill included on the A list of the Government's legislative programme. This is the statute law revision Bill 2004, which will repeal irrelevant statutes and will be published this session.

Rory O'Hanlon (Cavan-Monaghan, Ceann Comhairle)
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Given that this group of questions is confined and that a large number of questions on Northern Ireland issues is coming up, I suggest that one supplementary question should be taken from each Member who submitted a question, followed by a reply from the Taoiseach. We will then move on to questions on Northern Ireland issues. Is that agreed?

Trevor Sargent (Dublin North, Green Party)
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On a point of order, the Taoiseach has been asked about legislative priorities. Are we to understand from his reply that legislation from other Departments is not a priority, even in terms of wanting it to be enacted?

Rory O'Hanlon (Cavan-Monaghan, Ceann Comhairle)
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The Taoiseach is responsible to the House on Question Time for his own Department.

Trevor Sargent (Dublin North, Green Party)
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I appreciate that but as Taoiseach he has an overall responsibility which goes beyond that.

Rory O'Hanlon (Cavan-Monaghan, Ceann Comhairle)
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The Deputy will have an opportunity. I do not mind suggesting to the House that in order not to curtail questions on Northern Ireland, we should limit the time we devote to this particular question.

Trevor Sargent (Dublin North, Green Party)
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The spirit of the question was certainly not to confine it to the reply that has been given.

Rory O'Hanlon (Cavan-Monaghan, Ceann Comhairle)
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The Deputy will have an opportunity to ask a supplementary question. Deputy Rabbitte submitted the first question.

Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)
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I defer, Sir.

Trevor Sargent (Dublin North, Green Party)
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I repeat my question whether there is any procedure in this House for asking the Taoiseach about matters for which the Government has overall responsibility but which may not strictly be the responsibility of the Department of the Taoiseach. Is such a question ruled out under Standing Orders and if so, what is the avenue available to us?

Rory O'Hanlon (Cavan-Monaghan, Ceann Comhairle)
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Yes, Deputy, that is ruled out under Standing Orders in respect of questions to the Taoiseach. As the Deputy is aware, there are many other ways, Leaders' Questions being one of them.

Trevor Sargent (Dublin North, Green Party)
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I did not ask for an example. If the House is to deal with the legislative programme as it stands, with 11 out of 19 bills on the B list now promised for 2005 instead of 2004, is that not something for which the Taoiseach has responsibility?

Rory O'Hanlon (Cavan-Monaghan, Ceann Comhairle)
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No, Deputy. That is not the responsibility of the Taoiseach at this particular Question Time. The Taoiseach's responsibility in these questions is entirely to his own Department.

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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The Government's White Paper on regulatory reform contains a list of actions relating to the legislative process. Will the Taoiseach inform the House to what extent the promises made in that White Paper are being kept or will be kept in terms of better information flow to Members about upcoming legislation, for instance, the prior publication of the heads of a Bill? There is currently a less than sufficient information flow. How does the Taoiseach propose to better improve that flow in line with the commitments already stated by Government?

Rory O'Hanlon (Cavan-Monaghan, Ceann Comhairle)
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In reference to his own Department.

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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Yes.

Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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I do not wish to become obstreperous with the Ceann Comhairle as he has spoken to me already on this matter. Question No. 5 addresses the point made by Deputy Sargent and some clarification is required as to whether the Taoiseach has responsibility for the legislative programme as published under his stewardship. I appreciate that the first four questions are directed specifically to the Taoiseach and his Department's legislative programme. Question No. 5 concerns his own legislative priorities for the remainder of 2004. It is specifically directed to him in his capacity as Taoiseach because this programme is published by the Chief Whip in the Taoiseach's name. I ask the Ceann Comhairle for clarification as to whether the Taoiseach is debarred from addressing supplementary questions on other legislative priorities other than those relating to the Department of the Taoiseach and if so, by which Standing Order.

Rory O'Hanlon (Cavan-Monaghan, Ceann Comhairle)
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Under Standing Order 33, I think, but I will come back to the Deputy on that information, questions to the Taoiseach at this stage refer exclusively to his own Department. On the Order of Business, the Taoiseach answers questions on legislation specifically in regard to other Departments. If the Deputy wishes more detailed information, he should submit a question to the line Minister.

Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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The Ceann Comhairle will know from long experience in this House that if one manages by whatever contrivance to have a question on the Order Paper, one is entitled to ask supplementary questions. The person to whom the question is addressed must give a response under the stewardship of whoever is Ceann Comhairle.

Rory O'Hanlon (Cavan-Monaghan, Ceann Comhairle)
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The Chair rules on this particular set of questions in accordance with precedent, that the questions refer specifically to the Taoiseach's own Department.

Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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I ask the Ceann Comhairle to send me a further clarification of the ruling. I know the Taoiseach does not wish to be protected by the Chair and he is well able to answer for himself.

Rory O'Hanlon (Cavan-Monaghan, Ceann Comhairle)
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I do not wish the Deputy to go down that road.

Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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I know that and I will not go down that road. I am just suggesting that if there is a question on the Order Paper it should be answered.

Rory O'Hanlon (Cavan-Monaghan, Ceann Comhairle)
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These questions deal specifically with the Taoiseach's Department. Only supplementary questions relevant to the questions are entitled to be asked.

Bertie Ahern (Dublin Central, Fianna Fail)
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On the legislation of my Department, I assure Deputy Ó Caoláin that whenever we can we put out the proposals in advance and I think we have done that. In regard to the Bills we are talking about, the interpretation Bill and the statute law revision Bill, we have put out the purpose of them and I have answered a number of questions on the record on the detail of them. Some time ago we did the same with the national economic and social development office Bill. I will raise with my colleagues the more general point the Deputy made.