Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Aontú)
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3. To ask the Taoiseach for an update on the legislative programme. [7685/25]

Mary Butler (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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The Government's legislation programme, which was published on 18 February 2025, sets out the Government's legislative priorities for the current parliamentary session. We all understand that it is a shorter session than usual, but we will have a new programme again just after Easter.

This is the first legislative programme of the new Government, which includes 50 Bills for priority publication and drafting during this Dáil session. There are 14 Bills at various Stages across both Houses of the Oireachtas. These include legislation that will amend the Mental Health Acts, amend the law on defamation and provide for sufficient and effective access to cash. I will work with all Members to progress legislation through both Houses of the Oireachtas.

This aims to advance important legislation around updating employment and equality Acts, the national cybersecurity Bill, licensing of professional home support providers and legislation on housing. All Government Departments were consulted on the preparation of the spring legislative programme. The Government Legislation Committee, which I chair and is attended by the Attorney General, met on Thursday 13 February 2025 to finalise the programme. The committee will meet on a regular basis throughout the session to ensure that the key legislative priorities are progressed.

The Department of the Taoiseach will continue to play a central role in supporting effective co-ordination and prioritisation of policy and legislation across government through Government meetings, the Cabinet committee structures and the Government legislation committee. Currently, some Bills are held up because the committee structure is not yet in place and, as a result, pre-legislative scrutiny of certain Bills will be pushed back.

Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Aontú)
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I want to briefly focus on the lack of committees. That is a massive point. It is significant that we currently have a pinch point in terms of the Opposition and the Government and how speaking time is allocated in this Chamber. As a result, that is slowing down the development of committees, which are a major tool of oversight of Government activities and also necessary for the delivery of the legislative programme. It is important that this issue gets resolved ASAP. We need Standing Orders that reflect the multiparty system we have, that clearly defines the difference between an Opposition TD and a Government TD and assigns speaking times on that basis.

Members who are outside the technical group system should also have the right to speak. Everybody is here on the basis of democratic mandate and they should be able to represent their constituents on an equal basis with everybody else. Standing Orders are historical and they are no longer fit for purpose.

Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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There certainly is a delay with the committees and the business of the House is being stalled because of that. That is solely the responsibility of the Government for trying to overstep the mark of all previous convention and trying to muddy the waters between the Government and the Opposition for its own advantage, and to neuter the Opposition. It is not good enough for it to have a majority, to control the Dáil schedule and to have a majority on all committees; it also wants to populate the Opposition benches and quieten the voice of the Opposition.

I want to ask about one specific Bill, namely, the Defence (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill, by means of which the Government is planning to get rid of the triple lock and launch an attack on our neutrality. When will it come to the House? Is the Government planning to have pre-legislative scrutiny of the Bill or is it planning to ram it through? Could we have a timeline and dates? Could we get a commitment that there will not be an attempt to impose a guillotine?

Ruairí Ó Murchú (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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The Government has it in its power to deal with the committee issue. That just involves making it clear that a Member is either in government or he or she is not.

I want to bring up an issue that falls into the Minister of State's own bailiwick - the Mental Health Act and the proposals to amend it. I have come across a number of unfortunate cases relating to an issue that lies with the Garda. Gardaí are constantly arresting individuals they come across, but under the Mental Health Act they cannot get a person signed in for treatment. They can get them signed in on a voluntary basis and they cannot commit a person.

Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent)
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I thank the Deputy. The time is up. I call on the Chief Whip to respond.

Ruairí Ó Murchú (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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They are a danger to themselves and others.

Mary Butler (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Deputies very much. The Government, and me as Chief Whip, believe the best way to address changes to Standing Orders is within the Committee on Standing Orders and Dáil Reform. This process should be respected. A meeting of the committee will take place this evening. It is imperative that the Dáil can function and that Oireachtas committees can be established as soon as possible. I am sure we will have a robust session later.

In response to Deputy Boyd Barrett's question, the Department of Defence has prioritised one Bill for publication and one Bill for drafting. The Defence (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill is prioritised for publication and drafting of the general scheme is ongoing. The Bill will amend the Defence Acts to reform the existing provision concerning the dispatch of members of the Defence Forces for services outside the State. I reiterate that it is a priority for publication and drafting of the general scheme is ongoing at the moment.

Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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Will there be pre-legislative scrutiny?

Mary Butler (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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One would assume pre-legislative scrutiny will take place in committee, when we get the committees up and running.

I am very anxious to progress the Mental Health (Amendment) Bill. A lot of work has been done on it in the past six months.

Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent)
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I thank the Minister of State.

Mary Butler (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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With the help of the Ceann Comhairle and the House, I hope we can take Committee Stage on the floor of the Dáil in a couple of weeks, given that we currently do not have the option to do it in committee.

Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent)
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I thank the Minister of State. The time is up.