Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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It is proposed to take No. 22, Construction Contracts Bill 2010 [Seanad] - Second Stage (resumed) to adjourn at 1.30 p.m. today, if not previously concluded; No. 23, statements on the update on Ireland's chairmanship-in-office of the OSCE; and No. 21, Electoral (Amendment) (Political Funding) Bill 2011 [Seanad] - Second Stage (resumed). It is proposed, notwithstanding anything in Standing Orders, that the proceedings on No. 23 shall, if not previously concluded, be brought to a conclusion at 3.42 p.m. today and the following arrangements shall apply: the opening statements of a Minister or Minister of State and of the main spokespersons for Fianna Fáil, Sinn Féin and the Technical Group, who shall be called upon in that order, shall not exceed 15 minutes in each case; the statement of each other Member called upon shall not exceed ten minutes in each case; Members may share time; and a Minister or Minister of State shall be called upon to make a statement in reply which shall not exceed 5 minutes; on the Comptroller and Auditor General (Amendment) Bill 2012, the Second Stage of which shall be considered tomorrow, the following arrangements shall apply: the opening speech of the main spokespersons for Fianna Fáil, Sinn Féin, the Technical Group and of a Minister or Minister of State, who shall be called upon in that order, shall not exceed 15 minutes in each case; the speech of each other Member called upon shall not exceed 15 minutes in each case; Members may share time; a Minister or Minister of State, who may speak twice, shall be called upon not later than 1 p.m. to make a speech which shall not exceed 15 minutes; and the main spokesperson for Fianna Fáil shall be called upon to make a speech in reply which shall not exceed 15 minutes.

Seán Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, Ceann Comhairle)
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There are two proposals to put to the House. Is the proposal for dealing with No. 23, statements on the update on Ireland's chairmanship-in-office of the OSCE agreed to? Agreed. Is the proposal for dealing with the Comptroller and Auditor General (Amendment) Bill 2012 tomorrow agreed to? Agreed.

Billy Kelleher (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail)
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Mr. Moran, the Secretary General of the Department of Finance has warned that because of staff cuts and a lack of resources, the Department of Finance will find it impossible to implement Government strategy and plans. Will there be legislative outflow from the strategic plan to be announced today? If, as the Secretary General has stated, the staff are incapable of implementing Government policy will there be a knock-on delay in legislative programmes not only in the Department of Finance but across all Departments?

Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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As the Deputy is aware, all Departments are required to present their statement of strategy to Government setting out the Department's objectives and strategies to meet the programme for Government commitments set for the Department. One of the reforms the Government introduced at the beginning of its term of office was to make changes in the Department of Finance, making two separate Departments, the Department of Finance and the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, which was approved by the House. The Government has given a commitment to additional resources for the Department of Finance as identified last year in the Wright report. Recruitment to administrative officer posts is under way and I understand appointments will be made shortly. In addition there is also some recruitment of specialist staff who will work in the Department.

Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein)
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The programme for Government contains a commitment to reform legislation on workers' rights to engage in collective bargaining to ensure compliance with recent judgments of the European Court of Human Rights. As the Tánaiste will know that court has ruled that the accepted right to join trade unions includes the right to bargain collectively. At the time of the campaign on the referendum on the Lisbon treaty and in its manifesto for last year's general election the Labour Party made the commitment to legislate for collective bargaining and that is reiterated in the programme for Government. The Tánaiste will be as aware as I am, particularly in these very hard times, that vulnerable workers now more than ever need their rights to collective bargaining enshrined in law and protected. When will this legislation be published?

Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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The commitments in the programme for Government will, of course, be fully implemented. As the Deputy is aware, a number of important pieces of legislation from the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation relating to the rights of workers are being progressed. One is the legislation giving rights to agency workers and there is also legislation on the joint labour committees and the EROs. That legislation arose because the High Court struck down the joint labour committee system and the employment regulation order. The Government decided that the system would be reinstated on a reformed basis and that legislation is progressing. The focus at the moment is on progressing that legislation and the commitments in the programme for Government will be fully honoured.

Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein)
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When?

Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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I cannot give the Deputy a timescale. Work is under way and there is the legislative programme, but the commitment will be honoured.

James Bannon (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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As an Irish water authority to manage the water distribution network is to be established in the Republic of Ireland similar to the body that has been in place in Northern Ireland since 2004, when will legislation be introduced to update the law on trustees of the old group water schemes? As the Tánaiste may be aware, a number of trustees are deceased and accounts established by those people have become dormant accounts. This is money that belongs to the members of group water schemes. It is important to have legislation on this prior to the establishment of the Irish water authority.

Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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That legislation, which is coming from the Department of Justice and Equality, is due next year.

Mattie McGrath (Tipperary South, Independent)
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When will the Bill on the governance of the HSE to provide for its abolition be introduced? More importantly will a director be appointed to implement A Vision for Change in its totality as opposed to the cherry picking that is happening at the moment? We lost our acute unit in Clonmel and nobody seems to be in charge of that area.

Beidh fíor fháilte roimh an Tánaiste go Cluain Meala nuair a thiocfaidh sé sa samhradh.

Seán Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, Ceann Comhairle)
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There is an invitation to the Tánaiste.

Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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Go raibh maith ag an Teachta as an chuireadh go Cluain Meala. Tá súil agam go mbeidh mé ann i rith an tsamhraidh chun cuimhneachán a dhéanamh ar bhunú Pháirtí an Lucht Oibre.

Mattie McGrath (Tipperary South, Independent)
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Lá spéisiúil.

Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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The HSE governance Bill is due this session.

Seán Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, Ceann Comhairle)
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We now move on to the-----

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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A Cheann Comhairle-----

Seán Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, Ceann Comhairle)
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I did not hear you, Deputy Durkan.

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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I had indicated.

Seán Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, Ceann Comhairle)
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I did not see you.

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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I will have to wear a lighter shade of pale to attract the attention of the Chair.

Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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The Deputy is fading into the background.

Seán Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, Ceann Comhairle)
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I was surprised that your hand was not up.

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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I am sorry, a Ceann Comhairle. In future-----

Seán Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, Ceann Comhairle)
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Deputy Durkan on the Order of Business.

Billy Kelleher (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail)
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Can the Deputy not take a hint from the Chair?

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Perhaps we might have a little bit of silence from the other side.

Seán Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, Ceann Comhairle)
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Thank you.

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Given the vast raft of promised legislation the Government inherited from its predecessor and the important legislation proposed arising from the programme for Government, and of necessity, is it intended to introduce an accelerated programme to implement the legislation - now unpromised - with particular reference to the housing Bill which is to provide for the rationalisation of housing agencies and to strengthen the regulatory framework for social housing, given the terrible situation with 100,000 families on housing waiting lists at present?

Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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The housing Bill is due this year.