Dáil debates
Wednesday, 18 May 2011
Ceisteanna - Questions
Cabinet Meetings
2:00 pm
Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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Question 1: To ask the Taoiseach his plans regarding the holding of Cabinet meetings outside of Dublin [9563/11]
Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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I have no plans to hold Cabinet meetings outside of Dublin.
Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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In times past there was a move away from what was a rigid approach to the holding of Cabinet meetings. The holding of Cabinet meetings outside of Dublin was a good innovation, in bringing the work of Government closer to the people in terms of developing participation in democracy, etc., and I ask that it be considered again.
On many occasions when Cabinet meetings were held outside of Dublin they were held on non-sitting days and they helped make Tuesdays more productive. Would the Taoiseach agree to the moving of Cabinet meetings to Mondays which would enable the Dáil to have more time, and a fuller day in terms of its work, on Tuesdays?
Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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During the period 2000 to 2006, there were nine Cabinet meetings held outside of Dublin and during the Presidency in 2004, a number of meetings were held in Farmleigh. Other meetings were held in Farmleigh between June 2002 and July 2010.
In the context of Dáil reform, I would not object to having a number of meetings outside of Dublin but the focus of the Government at present is on the three principal areas of dealing with the banks, dealing with the employment situation and dealing with focusing on the budget deficit issues. For the moment, my intention is that Cabinet meetings will continue to be held here in Dublin. I am not adverse to having a number of meetings outside of Dublin but I will probably wait until next year before considering that.
In respect of holding Cabinet meetings on Mondays, there is a matter of practicality and convenience here. The Dáil will be sitting for longer periods from September on and it might be appropriate to consider what best we do. There will be longer Dáil sittings and Tuesdays have been particularly convenient for most members over the years.
Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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On a supplementary-----
Seán Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, Ceann Comhairle)
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No, we are only taking Question No. 1.
Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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This is a supplementary to it.
Seán Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, Ceann Comhairle)
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You have got your answer. You asked a question and got an answer.
Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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Surely I am entitled to a supplementary.
Seán Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, Ceann Comhairle)
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No, you are not entitled to a supplementary.
Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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I thought I was.
Seán Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, Ceann Comhairle)
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Under Standing Orders, you are not.
Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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The precedent in this House-----
Seán Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, Ceann Comhairle)
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Only that if this-----
Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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-----since time immemorial has been that a person has been allowed a supplementary question, particularly if it is the Leader of the Opposition.
Seán Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, Ceann Comhairle)
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No, no. If you look at the Standing Order, it is to elucidate information that one had not got in the original reply.
Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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There is one final clarification I want to get briefly. The Taoiseach mentioned earlier today-----
Seán Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, Ceann Comhairle)
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The reason I say this is we are not getting through enough questions. We are spending a long time on one question and other Deputies do not get a chance to get their questions answered.
Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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I would say-----
Seán Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, Ceann Comhairle)
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If the House wants to change Standing Orders, I will apply them.
Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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From my observations, I would argue-----
Seán Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, Ceann Comhairle)
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There is no point in arguing with me.
Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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I just put forward the point to discuss with you that we have been very reasonable and responsible on this side of the House in how we are asking questions and supplementary questions-----
Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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-----compared to anything I have seen previously here. We have been extremely reasonable and constructive about them and I have not written at any time.
Seán Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, Ceann Comhairle)
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If you ask a question-----
Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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All I want is to simply ask a basic question.
We have heard much about longer Dáil sittings, etc. It seems perfectly logical, if the Taoiseach wants more time for the Dáil, that the Cabinet should sit on Mondays, as I stated earlier, and that the Dáil could then sit earlier on Tuesdays. So far, in the past ten weeks, we have had debate after debate of statements. We have not had a great deal of legislation in the past ten weeks. It is time for the Taoiseach to put aside optics and be practical about what could happen here. I am saying Cabinet meetings on Mondays would allow for fuller days on Tuesdays and more time if that is what people want.
Seán Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, Ceann Comhairle)
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This question was about-----
Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Deputy Martin is late enough-----
Seán Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, Ceann Comhairle)
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Sorry, Taoiseach. This question was about the holding of Cabinet meetings outside of Dublin.
Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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-----asking the Taoiseach about this. His party was in government for a long time and did sweet damn all about Dáil reform.
Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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The position is that most of the legislation that the previous Government was dealing with is either to be amended or rewritten. In fact, pieces of legislation that were clearly promised as priorities by Deputy Martin's party in government were only that - empty promises.
The debates that we have had were requested by Members of the Opposition. We have had a number of those. We start with the new legislation being dealt with today, next week and the week after. If one looks at the record of this Government even in the past eight weeks, we have ended the practice of not coming back on Tuesdays after bank holidays and will proceed to implement a series of changes with the co-operation of the other Members to make this place more meaningful from the autumn session on, which will commence early in September. I hope that we have a thorough discussion about the practicality and the credibility of making changes that are relevant in all Deputies' interests to be delivered by the Ceann Comhairle in respect of whatever the House decides.