David Norris (Independent)

That was the point I was coming to. The motion addresses all the problems. The Government has commissioned reports and so on but has never once taken the scientific advice or implemented the conclusions. Ministers have come into this House and been evasive and economical with the truth and suggested they took on board some of the reports but they have never implemented their recommendations.

This is a potential disaster and it would be outrageous if the Government once again buckled in the face of local considerations and pressure. It would be just like the situation that Senator O'Toole and I highlighted last night in which the Government helped to unload 250,000 defective homes on the Irish people because it did not want to disadvantage a section of the cement manufacturing industry that supports it. It would be wrong to allow narrow local considerations to prevent the Government doing what is clearly the right thing.

Last night there was a serious fire in Portland Row, involving a hostel. A total of 11 fire brigades were called, 50 people were evacuated and five people are still in hospital suffering smoke inhalation. We are lucky that there was not considerable loss of life. Would the Leader consider allowing a brief discussion on No. 16 in my name, which draws attention to this fact and asks that the Government ensure that all such accommodation is professionally vetted in terms of fire regulations, hygiene, and so on?

Could the Leader find out from the Minister, or ask him to come into the House to explain, whether this hostel was ever vetted, whether it was fire regulation compliant, how many people were there and what are the conditions in this type of accommodation? This is funded by taxpayers but some people make a great deal of money out of these hostels around the country most of which do not meet elementary safety regulations.

I put down this matter on the Order of Business on 28 September and raised it previously.