Mary O'Rourke (Fianna Fail)

The Order of Business today is No. 1, motion re the Official Languages Act, to be taken without debate, which seeks to provide a framework and mechanism for planned improvements in the delivery of public services through Irish in order that the State's obligations can be met in a coherent way and with progress being achieved in the context of existing resources over time, which motion was referred to the Joint Committee on Arts, Sports, Tourism, Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs for consideration and on which the committee has completed its deliberations; No. 2, motion re Bovine Disease (Levies) Acts 1979 to 1996, to be taken without debate, which concerns the rates of disease levies applied to milk deliveries for processing and cattle slaughtered or exported and are paid by the farming community towards the cost of the eradication of TB and brucellosis in cattle, in connection with which under the terms of the recent partnership, Towards 2016, it was agreed with the farming bodies, subject to receiving the requisite approvals, that a further reduction of 50% in the current levy rates was appropriate from 1 January 2007, which motion was referred to the Joint Committee on Agriculture and Food for consideration and on which the committee has completed its deliberations; No. 3, motion re Criminal Justice (Drug Trafficking) Act 1996, to be taken without debate, which concerns certain sections of the Act which relate to powers of detention, amendment of the Criminal Justice (Forensic Evidence) Act 1990 and re-arrest and which will cease to be in operation unless a resolution has been passed by each House of the Oireachtas, which motion was referred to the Joint Committee on Justice, Equality, Defence and Women's Rights for consideration and on which the committee has completed its deliberations; No. 4, motion re draft custody regulations, to be taken without debate, which concerns the extension of the period of detention of an arrested person for questioning in a Garda station from 12 hours to 24 hours, which motion was referred to the Joint Committee on Justice, Equality, Defence and Women's Rights for consideration and on which the committee has completed its deliberations; No. 5, motion re Fisheries (Miscellaneous Commercial Licences) (Alteration of Duties) Order 2006, to be taken without debate, which concerns the licence fees payable from 1 January 2007 in respect of salmon commercial fishing licences, including a salmon conservation levy equivalent to 50% of the licence fee whose proceeds will be invested in wild salmon management initiatives designed to rehabilitate wild salmon stocks and habitats, and which also prescribes the fees to be payable in respect of eel and oyster commercial fishing licences and salmon, eel and shellfish dealers' licences issued or renewed for a period commencing on or after 1 January 2007, which motion was referred to the Joint Committee on Communications, Marine and Natural Resources for consideration and on which the committee has completed its deliberations; No. 6, motion re Regional Fisheries Boards (Postponement of Elections) Order 2006, to be taken without debate, which concerns the postponement of elections for members of regional fisheries boards from 2006 to 2007, which motion was referred to the Joint Committee on Communications, Marine and Natural Resources for consideration and on which the committee has completed its deliberations; No. 7, motion requesting leave to withdraw No. 23 on the Order Paper, which Senator Brian Hayes sought; No. 8, Social Welfare Bill 2006 — Second Stage, to be taken on the conclusion of the Order of Business and to conclude no later than 1.20 p.m., with the contributions of spokespersons not to exceed 12 minutes, those of all other Senators not to exceed eight minutes, on which Senators may share time and the Minister to be called upon to reply no later than ten minutes before the conclusion of Second Stage; No. 9, Local Government (Business Improvement Districts) Bill 2006 — Report and Final Stages, to be taken at 2 p.m. and to conclude no later than 2.30 p.m.; and No. 10, Houses of the Oireachtas Commission (Amendment) Bill 2006 — All Stages, to be taken at 2.30 p.m. and to conclude no later than 4.30 p.m., with the contributions of spokespersons on Second Stage not to exceed ten minutes, those of all other Senators not to exceed six minutes, on which Senators may share time, and the Minister to be called upon to reply no later than ten minutes before the conclusion of Second Stage which will be no later than 4 p.m., and Committee and Remaining Stages of the Bill to be taken immediately upon the conclusion of Second Stage. There will be a sos from 1.20 p.m. to 2 p.m.