Dáil debates

Tuesday, 23 September 2014

4:45 pm

Photo of Michael NoonanMichael Noonan (Limerick City, Fine Gael)
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It is proposed to take No. 15, motion re: referral to Select Sub-Committee of proposed approval by Dáil Éireann of Double Taxation Relief Orders 2014; No. 4, Health (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2014 - Order for Second Stage and Second Stage; and No. a32, statements on the participation by Irish Defence Forces personnel in the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force mission on the Golan Heights. It is proposed, notwithstanding anything in Standing Orders, that No. 15 shall be decided without debate; and the proceedings in relation to No. a32 shall be taken at 6.50 p.m. tonight and shall, if not previously concluded, be brought to a conclusion at 7.30 p.m. and the following arrangements shall apply: the statement of a Minister or Minister of State and of the main spokespersons for Fianna Fáil, Sínn Féin and the Technical Group, who shall be called upon in that order, shall not exceed ten minutes in each case, and such members may share their time; Private Members' business shall be No. 159, motion re: housing.

Tomorrow's Business after Oral Questions shall be: No. 4, Health (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2014 - Second Stage (resumed); and No. 5, Sport Ireland Bill 2014 - Order for Second Stage and Second Stage.

Photo of Seán BarrettSeán 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 No. 15 agreed to? Agreed. Is the proposal for dealing with No. a32 agreed to? Agreed.

Photo of Seán Ó FearghaílSeán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)
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I appreciate the importance of the Golan Heights issue but it might have been useful to us if we had a little more time. None the less, I appreciate the urgency of the situation.

I refer to the Health (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2014 because, to say the least, there is a considerable amount of confusion about the impact of this Bill. It includes changes to the charges to be applied to people with intellectual or physical disabilities who avail of assisted accommodation provided by the HSE. The Disability Federation of Ireland and other groups are very concerned about the impact of a number of the amendments to be made by the Bill. I understand a committee was set up to look at this area of charging people with disabilities and that it comprised people from the Department of Health and the HSE but nobody from the disability sector was engaged in that process which, I suggest, was extremely reprehensible.

The Disability Federation of Ireland is concerned that the charges will adversely impact on people accessing respite services for a period of time, together with the inevitable consequences that this new set of charges will have for people in residential accommodation.

Our national disability strategy and the Disability Act-----

Photo of Seán BarrettSeán Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, Ceann Comhairle)
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I am afraid you are straying a bit on the Order of Business.

Photo of Seán Ó FearghaílSeán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)
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I will stop at this, but it is a vital issue. The disability strategy and the Disability Act committed us all to a framework whereby equal participation in society would be facilitated and encouraged. If one is going to take large amounts of money from disabled people in residential care-----

Photo of Seán BarrettSeán Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, Ceann Comhairle)
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That is a Second Stage speech.

Photo of Seán Ó FearghaílSeán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)
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-----they will not be able participate. I thank the Ceann Comhairle for his forbearance but given there was no consultation on this, will the Government withdraw the Bill and have the consultation it should have had before the Bill appeared on our Order Paper?

Photo of Seán BarrettSeán Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, Ceann Comhairle)
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Hold on, according to the order, the Health (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2014 is ordered for Second Stage and Second Stage. I think all these points can be made on Second Stage. Does the Minister wish to reply?

Photo of Michael NoonanMichael Noonan (Limerick City, Fine Gael)
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As I understand it, Second Stage is being resumed, so the Deputy will have every opportunity to make his points in the course of Second Stage, if he has not already made them.

Photo of Seán BarrettSeán Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, Ceann Comhairle)
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I think he has made his point anyway.

Photo of Pádraig Mac LochlainnPádraig Mac Lochlainn (Donegal North East, Sinn Fein)
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On promised legislation, last week TheJournal.iewebsite covered the family courts in an excellent series of reports. The suffering of families which must endure this family courts process was quite harrowing. In fairness, Ministers have, on a number of occasions, promised that the Government will bring in legislation to address this. The first Bill to which I draw the Minister's attention is the mediation Bill which would ask families, when they initially break up, to engage in mediation to, hopefully, find a resolution which avoids them having to go through the whole process of the courts and all that comes with that, including the huge costs to families that entails. The second Bill to which I refer is the family court Bill. Having read through those harrowing reports and excellent journalism last week, when will the Government bring in these Bills to address this issue once and for all?

Photo of Michael NoonanMichael Noonan (Limerick City, Fine Gael)
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We have no date yet for publication of the family court Bill. The mediation Bill will be published early next year.

Photo of Michael McGrathMichael McGrath (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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On a number of occasions before the recess, we discussed the situation relating to the sale of loan books to unregulated third parties Bill and the Minister committed to bringing it forward earlier than 2015. It is listed for this session but does the Minister know specifically when it will be published? I know his Department had a public consultation exercise, which has concluded, but the sooner we see the Bill, the better.

Photo of Michael NoonanMichael Noonan (Limerick City, Fine Gael)
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It is still on schedule to be published this session.

Photo of Mattie McGrathMattie McGrath (Tipperary South, Independent)
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I would like to ask about the referendum on children's rights and the misappropriation of funding. Will there be a debate in this House on what happened to the money voted by the House for that referendum? Approximately, €1.1 million of it was-----

Photo of Seán BarrettSeán Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, Ceann Comhairle)
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That is a separate-----

Photo of Mattie McGrathMattie McGrath (Tipperary South, Independent)
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It is an issue.

Photo of Seán BarrettSeán Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, Ceann Comhairle)
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It sounds like a parliamentary question.

Photo of Mattie McGrathMattie McGrath (Tipperary South, Independent)
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I am going to be forced to report it to the Garda Síochána if I do not get some answers here. I have raised it here countless time.

Photo of Seán BarrettSeán Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, Ceann Comhairle)
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You are entitled to an answer but put down a parliamentary question.

Photo of Mattie McGrathMattie McGrath (Tipperary South, Independent)
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I have done so but did not get answers.

Photo of Michael NoonanMichael Noonan (Limerick City, Fine Gael)
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Normally, items of expenditure are debated when the debate occurs on the Estimates. When the Estimates debate is scheduled for individual Departments, it is either discussed here or at the finance committee.

Photo of Bernard DurkanBernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Is the Minister able to indicate to the House the current position on the national paediatric hospital development board (amendment) Bill? To what extent has it been approved by Cabinet and is it expected to be brought before the House in this session? Has the education (admission to school) Bill been approved by Cabinet? When is it likely to come before the House and will it be in this session?

Photo of Michael NoonanMichael Noonan (Limerick City, Fine Gael)
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The second Bill to which the Deputy referred is well advanced and it is expected to be published in this session. There is no date yet for publication of the national paediatric hospital development board (amendment) Bill.

Photo of Alan FarrellAlan Farrell (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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Given the amount of time it will take the universities to put together their electoral registers, can the Minister outline the progress on the Seanad electoral (university Members) (amendment) Bill? It is of key importance that it is taken early in the new year on the basis that an election will be called sometime next year or the year after. Will the landlord and tenant Bill include proposals to amalgamate any of the agencies in the property services area in order to streamline such services?

Photo of Seán BarrettSeán Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, Ceann Comhairle)
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We can debate the content of the Bill when it comes before the House.

Photo of Michael NoonanMichael Noonan (Limerick City, Fine Gael)
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The proposals in the Seanad electoral (university Members) (amendment) Bill have been discussed in the Seanad already. Effectively, the discussion was on the proposed heads of the Bill but work is advanced on it. Tentatively, it will be published next year.

Photo of Alan FarrellAlan Farrell (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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What about the landlord and tenant Bill?

Photo of Michael NoonanMichael Noonan (Limerick City, Fine Gael)
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There is no date for publication.