Maurice Cummins (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Senator Bacik spoke about the Road to the Rising event. She complimented the city council and all involved in that event over the Easter period and called for further debate on the Government programme for commemorations. I am sure the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, Deputy Humphreys, would be quite willing to come to the House to have that debate with us.

Senator Bacik and others, especially Senators Mullins and Noone, spoke about the laws the Minister for Justice and Equality, Deputy Frances Fitzgerald, intends to bring to the House, in particular the criminal justice (burglary of dwellings) Bill.It will target repeat offenders. Senator Mullins asked that the draft copy of the Bill would be debated in the House as well as in the Joint Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality. I will certainly bring the matter to the attention of the Minister. Perhaps we will be able to have a debate on the draft of the Bill before the actual Bill comes before the House.

Senator Quinn spoke on the Seanad reform proposals. There is a comprehensive document and I recommend that all Members read it. I am in the process of arranging for the chairman of the body, Dr. Maurice Manning, a former Leader of the House, to come to a debate in the House on the matter and answer questions, probably within the next two weeks. We can have a question-and-answer session and statements.