Mary O'Rourke (Fianna Fail)

The Order of Business is No. 1, motion referring proposals for discussion by the Joint Committee on Justice, Equality, Defence and Women's Rights. The subject matter comprises three proposals concerning measures to combat corruption in the private sector between EU member states; pre-trial orders which will enable authorities quickly to secure evidence or seize assets which might otherwise be easily moved or destroyed, whereby the judicial authority in the executive member state will recognise and execute the foreign order in the same way as a domestic freezing order; and provisions of the 1995 convention on simplified extradition procedures between the member states of the European Union and Iceland and Norway, in respect of which a similar motion is also being moved today in the Dáil. The business ordered also includes No. 2, Unclaimed Life Assurance Policies Bill 2002 – Committee Stage (resumed) and Remaining Stages, to conclude not later than 1.30 p.m – there is only one amendment remaining to be dealt with on Committee Stage and, although we do not know for certain as the Bill produced a very lively debate yesterday, Report and Final Stages may conclude before 1.30 p.m.; and No. 3, Protection of the Environment Bill 2003 – Second Stage (resumed) to be taken at the conclusion of No. 2 or at 1.30 p.m. if the debate on No. 2 has not concluded. There was much interest last week in the Protection of the Environment Bill and I was asked to bring it back to the House for further debate.