Katherine Zappone (Independent) | Oireachtas source

There has been a good long break since the last time we sat. Given that the budget debate is central now, I would like the Leader to ask the Minister for Finance to come to the House for a discussion. Last weekend, I participated in a great public debate at the Kennedy Summer School with the Minister, Deputy White, and Deputies Sean Fleming and Creighton. Such debates should be happening inside these Chambers as much as they are happening outside them.

All of the political parties have finished their think-ins and have significant resources available to them. Civil servants in various Departments have had the summer to focus on their work and on the legislative agenda without being too bothered by the work generated when both Houses are sitting. Notwithstanding the welcome that Senator Bacik gave to the legislative programme, I would like know where the long-promised legislation on immigration, residence and protection is. Where is the long-promised Bill to amend the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Acts?

Where is the long-promised legislation on gender recognition? We still only have a revised version of the draft scheme of gender recognition that was published this summer. It is not a Bill.

I suggest that the Minister for Finance share with us prior to the budget where the debate is at with regard to the international tax regime and whether we will be jumping first or at least that we would be first in the bunch of countries to get our house in order and to let go of the "double Irish" as it is termed. As Feargal O'Rourke said on the radio this morning, we do not yet have a full vision of the full facts so how can we represent the Irish public debate adequately on such a central issue if we do not have that?

While I respect very much the Leader's efforts towards internal reform of Seanad Éireann, even if we follow all of his proposed reforms, most of which are in place, surely he could not argue that this is an adequate legacy of Seanad reform for the people. The people's "No" vote meant reform.