John Crown (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I wish to seek clarification from the Government side with regard to an issue relating to the Order of Business for the next week or so. Last week we were promised that Report Stage of the Protection of Children's Health from Tobacco Smoke would be taken in the House. When I withdrew my amendment to last Tuesday's Order of Business, it was on the basis that Report Stage of the legislation in question would be take place this week. Has time been made available to facilitate the latter?

There was understandable outrage last year when the editor of a current affairs journal in Thailand, Somyot Prueksakasemsuk, was sentenced to 11 years in prison for violating that country's lèse majesté laws, which make it an offence to tarnish the good name of any member of the royal family of Thailand. I was reminded of this matter when I recently discovered that the new GP contract which is being implemented in order to facilitate free medical care for those under six years of age contains its own little Irish version of the concept of lèse majesté. Said contract states that the GPs who sign it "shall not do anything to prejudice the name or reputation of the HSE". Put purely and simply, this is a gagging clause.