Dáil debates

Thursday, 30 May 2013

11:10 am

Photo of Eamon GilmoreEamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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It is proposed to take No. b11, proposed approval by Dáil Éireann of an EU-Israel aviation agreement, back from committee; No. c11, motion re referral to joint committee of proposed approval by Dáil Éireann of the Planning and Development (Amendment) Regulations 2013; and No. 3, Social Welfare and Pensions (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2013 - Order for Second Stage and Second Stage.

It is proposed, notwithstanding anything in Standing Orders, that the Dáil shall sit later than 5.45 p.m.; the sitting shall be suspended at 1.30 p.m. for 30 minutes; in the event that Second Stage of No. 3 does not conclude today, the Dáil shall sit tomorrow at 10.30 a.m. and shall adjourn not later than 2.30 p.m.; and the Dáil, on its rising this week, shall adjourn until 2 p.m. on Tuesday, 11 June 2013; Nos. b11 and c11 shall be decided without debate; Topical Issued shall be taken not later than 5.30 p.m. and shall be followed immediately by Oral Questions; in the event the Dáil sits tomorrow there shall be no Order of Business (within the meaning of Standing Order 26) and accordingly, the business to be transacted shall be No. 3, Social Welfare and Pensions (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2013 - Second Stage (Resumed), and the proceedings thereon shall, if not previously concluded, be brought to a conclusion at 2.30 p.m. on that day and any division demanded tomorrow shall be postponed until immediately after the Order of Business on Tuesday, 11 June 2013.

Photo of Seán BarrettSeán Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, Ceann Comhairle)
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There are four proposals to be put to the House. Is the proposal on the Dáil sitting later than 5.45 p.m. tonight, the suspension of the sitting, the sitting and business of the Dáil tomorrow and the adjournment of the Dáil until 2 p.m. on Tuesday, 11 June 2013 agreed? Agreed.

Is the proposal for dealing with Nos. b11 and c11, motions re proposed approval by Dáil Éireann of an EU-Israel aviation agreement and referral to-----

Photo of Richard Boyd BarrettRichard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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Not agreed.

Photo of Seán BarrettSeán Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, Ceann Comhairle)
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Hold on. No. c11 is a motion re referral to joint committee of proposed approval by Dáil Éireann of the Planning and Development (Amendment) Regulations 2013. Are the proposals for dealing with Nos. b11 and c11, without debate, agreed?

Deputies:

Not agreed.

Photo of Seán BarrettSeán Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, Ceann Comhairle)
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Deputies might give me a chance to read out the proposals before they start-----

Photo of Arthur SpringArthur Spring (Kerry North-West Limerick, Labour)
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They disagree with everything.

Photo of Seán BarrettSeán Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, Ceann Comhairle)
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They are like dogs in traps. They should wait until the traps open before they try to get out.

Photo of Pádraig Mac LochlainnPádraig Mac Lochlainn (Donegal North East, Sinn Fein)
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We are hungry.

Photo of Micheál MartinMicheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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I have not been that fast out of the traps this morning.

Photo of Seán BarrettSeán Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, Ceann Comhairle)
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I was not referring to the Deputy.

Photo of Micheál MartinMicheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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I know. Will the Tánaiste provide time for debate on Nos. b11 and c11? We are not satisfied with the proposal to take them without debate. One relates to an EU-Israel aviation agreement, in which respect significant issues merit debate in plenary session as well as full transparency. The other relates to the referral to joint committee of the Planning and Development (Amendment) Regulations 2013. Some time should be provided for a debate on this matter.

Photo of Mary Lou McDonaldMary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein)
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I agree, particularly regarding the EU-Israel aviation agreement. We should not be party to such an agreement, as it rewards Israel despite that country's continual flouting of international law and its ongoing blockade of Gaza. In 2001, the Israelis destroyed Yasser Arafat International Airport in Gaza. Run by the Palestinian Authority, it was opened in 1998, then bombed by the Israeli army. Ironically, it was built with funding from EU member states and others to the tune of $86 million.

In this context, it is extraordinary that the Government would ask the Dáil to approve such an agreement on the nod and without debate. Let me state clearly that I do not believe that the Dáil or the State on behalf of our people should in any circumstance support such an agreement and give a pass to Israel and its brazenly illegal maltreatment of Gaza and Palestinians. To ask us to do so without debate is extraordinary.

Photo of Richard Boyd BarrettRichard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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On a point of order-----

Photo of Seán BarrettSeán Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, Ceann Comhairle)
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What is the Deputy's point of order?

Photo of Richard Boyd BarrettRichard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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I want to make the point of order that Deputy Catherine Murphy raised yesterday.

Photo of Seán BarrettSeán Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, Ceann Comhairle)
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No, the Deputy will not make a point of order on such a matter. I call the Tánaiste.

Photo of Richard Boyd BarrettRichard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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It is not acceptable that-----

Photo of Seán BarrettSeán Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, Ceann Comhairle)
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Switch off his microphone, please.

Photo of Richard Boyd BarrettRichard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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-----one third of the Opposition is being denied the right to speak on the Order of Business-----

Photo of Seán BarrettSeán Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, Ceann Comhairle)
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The Deputy knows the Standing Order. Will he resume his seat, please?

Photo of Richard Boyd BarrettRichard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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-----and set out its objections to this proposal.

Photo of Seán BarrettSeán Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, Ceann Comhairle)
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The Deputy caused enough disruption yesterday without carrying on again today. I will not put up with it.

Photo of Richard Boyd BarrettRichard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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One third of the Opposition is being denied its right to speak.

Photo of Seán BarrettSeán Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, Ceann Comhairle)
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If the Deputy does not behave himself, he will be out that door in a minute. I call the Tánaiste.

Photo of Emmet StaggEmmet Stagg (Kildare North, Labour)
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If the Deputy had not rowed with Deputy Joan Collins, he could have-----

Photo of Richard Boyd BarrettRichard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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Does it not matter that one third of the Opposition is being denied the right to speak?

Photo of Emmet StaggEmmet Stagg (Kildare North, Labour)
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If the Deputy was friendly with Deputy Joan Collins, he would have more people.

Photo of Seán BarrettSeán Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, Ceann Comhairle)
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Deputy Boyd Barrett knows the rules. The fact that he is now a one-person party is not my problem.

Photo of Richard Boyd BarrettRichard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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So much for democracy.

Photo of Eamon GilmoreEamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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There are two resolutions, the first of which is on the Planning and Development (Amendment) Regulations 2013, which deals with exemptions for certain works, including the felling of trees and so on, for electric vehicle charge points and for matters relating to septic tanks arising from Environmental Protection Agency, EPA, inspections. This resolution was discussed by the Oireachtas committee.

The aviation agreement was laid before the Dáil by way of a motion on 28 May and was discussed by the Select Sub-Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport on 29 May. As such, it has been discussed by a Dáil committee. It has come back for approval by the Dáil. If we want to treat the committees of the House and the work they do with respect, they should be enabled to discuss-----

Photo of Mary Lou McDonaldMary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein)
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No, it should be debated in the Chamber.

Photo of Richard Boyd BarrettRichard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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It is giving Israel associate membership of the EU despite flouting human rights.

(Interruptions).

Photo of Eamon GilmoreEamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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-----these issues. The agreement has been discussed by the Oireachtas committee and now is the time to have it approved by the Dáil.

Photo of Mary Lou McDonaldMary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein)
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It should be discussed in the Chamber.

Photo of Micheál MartinMicheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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On a point of order, the committee concerned-----

Photo of Seán BarrettSeán Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, Ceann Comhairle)
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There is no point of order.

Photo of Micheál MartinMicheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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The Tánaiste might listen to me and respond in so far as-----

Photo of Seán BarrettSeán Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, Ceann Comhairle)
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This is a straightforward technical issue.

Photo of Richard Boyd BarrettRichard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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It is not a technical issue.

Photo of Micheál MartinMicheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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It is a political one. The transport committee considered it from the transport perspective-----

Photo of Seán BarrettSeán Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, Ceann Comhairle)
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Excuse me. If the Deputies would not mind resuming their seats, I will explain to them-----

Photo of Micheál MartinMicheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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-----and would not have dealt with the political foreign affairs dimension to the issue, namely, the blockade of Gaza and so on.

Photo of Eamon GilmoreEamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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It does not deal with the problem of Gaza.

Photo of Micheál MartinMicheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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Those issues would not have been raised by the transport committee. That is my point.

Photo of Seán BarrettSeán Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, Ceann Comhairle)
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I ask Deputy Martin to co-operate with the Chair. He is here long enough to know the rules of the House.

Photo of Micheál MartinMicheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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I am, but it is reasonable to put to the Tánaiste the suggestion that the committee would have taken a one-dimensional approach to the issue.

Photo of Seán BarrettSeán Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, Ceann Comhairle)
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Is the proposal for dealing with Nos. b11 and c11, without debate, agreed?

Deputies:

No.

Question put: "That the proposal for dealing with Nos. b11 and c11 be agreed to."

The Dáil divided: Tá, 65; Níl, 38.

Tellers: Tá, Deputies Emmet Stagg and Paul Kehoe; Níl, Deputies Aengus Ó Snodaigh and Seán Ó Fearghaíl.

Question declared carried.

11:25 am

Photo of Seán BarrettSeán Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, Ceann Comhairle)
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Is the third item for agreement, namely, the proposal for dealing with Topical Issues and Oral Questions today agreed to? Agreed. Finally, is the proposal for dealing with the sitting and business of the Dáil tomorrow agreed to? Agreed.

I am afraid the time for the Order of Business has expired.

Photo of Billy KelleherBilly Kelleher (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail)
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That is a disgraceful Standing Order.

Photo of Micheál MartinMicheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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That Standing Order must be changed.