Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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It is proposed to take No. 6, motion re ministerial rota for parliamentary questions; No. 7, motion re proposal that Dáil Éireann adopt the "EU Scrutiny Work Programme 2013, Joint Committees' Priorities"; No. 8, motion re Standing Orders 28, 39 and 102A; No. 9, motion re proposed approval by Dáil Éireann of a directive of the European Parliament and of the Council on the protection of the euro and other currencies against counterfeiting by criminal law, and replacing Council Framework Decision 2000/383/JHA (back from committee); No. 17, Defence Forces (Second World War Amnesty and Immunity) Bill 2012 [Seanad] - Order for Report, Report and Final Stages; and No. 18, Housing (Amendment) Bill 2013 - Second Stage (resumed).

It is proposed, notwithstanding anything in Standing Orders, that Nos. 6, 7, 8 and 9 shall be decided without debate. It is further proposed that the Dáil on its rising today shall adjourn until 2.30 p.m. tomorrow. Private Members' business shall be No. 102, motion re the fodder crisis.

Seán Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, Ceann Comhairle)
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There are two proposals to be put to the House. Is the proposal for dealing with Nos. 6, 7, 8 and 9, inclusive, without debate agreed to? Agreed. Is the proposal that on its rising today the Dáil shall adjourn until 2.30 p.m. tomorrow agreed to? Agreed.

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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According to the latest figures from the Health Service Executive, more than 5,600 patients in Limerick have been waiting for four years or more for an outpatient appointment. Of those, more than 4,000 have been waiting four years or more for appointments at the orthopaedic hospital in Croom, while 1,400 have been waiting for appointments at the nearby Mid-Western Regional Hospital in Dooradoyle. Nationally, more than 105,000 patients have been waiting for more than a year for a first outpatient appointment with a consultant. There appear to be a lot of issues with information systems on the waiting times for elective and outpatient appointments. Can the Taoiseach confirm when the health information Bill will be brought before the House?

Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Deputy Martin has raised an important point, the details of which I will not go into. In October last year, the orthopaedic outpatient service in Limerick had a waiting list of 10,900 people. In the six months since then, the evolution of the National Treatment Purchase Fund into the special delivery unit has reduced the waiting list by almost 33%, and it now stands at 7,477. To be fair, Deputy Martin should note that we must validate the figures. Some of these people have been waiting for a very long time and some may well have had treatment elsewhere. I expect the validated figures to be available for everybody towards the end of the month.

The health information Bill is not due until early next year.

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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When is the gas regulation Bill due, given the Bord Gáis Energy sale?

Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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It is due this year. I congratulate Bord Gáis Energy's new chief executive, who took up office today.

Gerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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Tá cúpla ceist agam faoi reachtaíocht atá forógraithe. Bhí mé ag éisteacht leis an méid a dúirt an Taoiseach faoi conas is féidir ceisteanna chun an Taoisigh a dhéanamh níos fearr as seo amach. I listened intently to what the Taoiseach said about trying to rearrange Question Time. Today's session was the most frustrating I have spent in the Dáil. It was a complete waste of time from the perspective of a person representing an oppositional point of view. I was advised there would be a certain number of questions, of which I had tabled 26. We did not get past any of them, nor did we get any sense in response to those questions that were answered. As he reviews how we do our business, I ask the Taoiseach to consider this. He sat in opposition for long enough to know what it is like to be bamboozled and filibustered. I ask him to take that on board.

On the Order of Business, I am advised that the Minister for Health has had the report of Professor John Higgins on the establishment of hospital groups for some time. It will have a significant impact and has already started to cause concern on foot of rumours and leaks. Has the report been discussed by Government, when will it be published and when will it be discussed in the Dáil?

Can the Taoiseach set out when Report and Final Stages of the Criminal Justice (Spent Convictions) Bill will be taken in the Dáil? Will all Stages have been completed before the summer recess?

Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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When I entered the House in the 1970s, the Minister of the day, as the Ceann Comhairle will recall, could be in situ answering questions for six months. As a case in point, the Minister for Agriculture could start answering questions when the Dáil resumed at the end of October after a summer recess and still be doing so the following March. Deputy Adams talks about frustration. We have tried different approaches over the years and I am as amenable as anyone to improving matters. It does not mean coming in on Wednesdays-----

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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The Taoiseach keeps saying that, but he is not.

Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Deputy Martin asks the questions and I try to answer them. Everybody else asks questions. Deputy Boyd Barrett is on his austerity rant all the time, and so on.

Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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And the Taoiseach is peddling his myths at length.

Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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We will discuss this matter again.

We are waiting for Report Stage of the Criminal Justice (Spent Convictions) Bill in the House. It is part of dealing with the legislation problem that we have.

The hospital groups have not been discussed by the Cabinet yet but I expect the Minister will bring his report and recommendations to Cabinet next week. It will be published immediately afterwards.

Gerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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The Minister has had the report for some time.

Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Yes, but he has not brought the report to Cabinet. I expect he will bring it next week. It will be discussed, decided upon and published immediately.

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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Will there be a Cabinet sub-committee for that too?

Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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The Waterford Crystal workers, in their battle to get justice over the collapse of their pension fund, won an important ruling in the European Court of Justice that has major implications for them and the issue of pensions generally. Does the Government have legislative plans to respond to the implications of the landmark case? Is it the intention of the Government to meet the representatives of the Waterford Crystal workers to discuss wider implications for legislation arising from this?

Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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This case was referred by the High Court to Europe for clarification on a number of technical issues. These issues have been clarified by the European court so it returns to the High Court and we will await the court's decision, having received the clarification sought.

Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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The workers would rather meet the Government.

Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry South, Independent)
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With regard to the great work of the Road Safety Authority over the past number of years, does the Government have proposals to make the same effort in the prevention of suicide as it makes for road safety? Are there proposals in this respect? It is very important. Is it contained in any promised legislation? Can the Taoiseach provide clarity? In other words, will the Government put the same effort into prevention of suicide as it put into road safety?

Seán Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, Ceann Comhairle)
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Is there promised legislation on the issue?

Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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No, but the Minister of State, Deputy Lynch, is doing an enormous range of activities in suicide prevention, counselling, psychological care and the employment of personnel in the mental health area with the moneys allocated and ring-fenced for the purpose. It is a valid question. There is an enormous amount of information, help and assistance but it needs to be co-ordinated. When a tragic incident occurs in a parish or town, another group tends to be set up. The challenge is to co-ordinate the information, the symptoms, the signs and the counselling and assistance available. That is what the Minister of State, Deputy Lynch, is trying to do.

Séamus Kirk (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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Is there any progress to report on Narrow Water Bridge?

Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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The case has been made clearly. We had a meeting in the constituency of Deputy Kirk with members of different groups. The point has been made clearly by the Tánaiste at a meeting in Belfast with the First Minister and Deputy First Minister. We are following it through. All of the issues that must be dealt with by the administrative authorities here, such as the council and the Government, are in place. There is a process with the Minister, Sammy Wilson, in the Northern Ireland Executive in Stormont and I hope it can be brought to a conclusion successfully. The funding is in three parts, with Europe, the Northern Ireland Executive, and the Government and the local authority in the county Deputy Kirk represents. I hope we can make progress to a conclusion.