Frances Fitzgerald (Fine Gael)

The Government is suggesting that we conclude our deliberations on the Intoxicating Liquor Bill by taking all of Second Stage today and Committee Stage tomorrow. This is an inappropriate way to deal with legislation. Members cannot be expected to put down amendments overnight. It is not conducive to good legislation and it is not in the spirit of reform as put forward in the programme for Government by Fianna Fáil, the Green Party and the Progressive Democrats. It is not in the spirit of reform to introduce legislation in this way and not give adequate time to discuss its implications or to meet those who have a point of view about it or who have lobbied for changes. It certainly does not give us an opportunity to meet with the industries affected, as we would wish to do. There has been much discussion about this Bill over a period of months, but that is not really the point. The point is that we have the legislation now and we need to examine it. I will propose an amendment to the Order of Business to change this in order that the Bill can be taken over a longer period. Perhaps, as my colleague Senator Regan suggested earlier, it should be taken in conjunction with the other legislation being introduced in this area in the autumn.

The Government announced yesterday that savings would be made in various areas. I find it somewhat disingenuous for the Government to say that health and education are not being affected. In fact, the announcements were very general and the details were unclear, as are the actual effects they will have. Obviously the details are being left for the summer, when the Dáil and Seanad are not sitting. What I am hearing about in my own constituency of Dublin Mid-West is cuts in education services, a lack of information about building programmes, decisions being put off and schools not being told where they are on waiting lists for money. It is the same in the health services. I am sure every Senator has had similar experiences. In view of this, the announcement yesterday that health and education will not suffer cutbacks is unclear. It is obvious that major decisions which are affecting front-line services and having dramatic effects on the lives of the people concerned are being taken in these areas as we speak. Whether we are talking about suicide prevention officers in the local HSE areas, as Senator Mary White spoke about yesterday, whose positions have not been filled, or elderly patients waiting for step-down beds, it is not honest to say that health and education are not being affected at present.