Mark Daly (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Will the Leader confirm if Senators, such as Senators Reilly, Swanick and others, who have an interest in the area of health, will be put on the committee from which they have previously been excluded. I hope they will be because it would be appropriate. There are not too many with the professional expertise of people such as Senators Swanick and Reilly who I am sure would be able to add to that committee. I hope the Leader will ensure the Seanad is represented on that health forum.

To date, in terms of the legislative programme, the schedule of business has been very long on statements and motions and very short on legislation. Last week, we put the House on notice that we would be seeking that the Corporate Manslaughter Bill be put on next week's schedule of business and, if not accommodated, we would be tabling an amendment to the Order of Business every day. This Bill was recommended by the Law Reform Commission in 2005, which is only 11 years ago. The Bill is badly needed and it would have prevented many tragic deaths over the past number of years had it been passed. There would be consequences for those who did not do their jobs or failed to act when they should have done so.

In the past three weeks, since the Seanad resumed, 33 hours has been spent on motions and statements and eight hours and 15 minutes on legislation. It could not be said that we are doing our job as a legislative body. If someone were to accuse this House, and the other House is not much better, of being a talking shop, it most certainly is because legislation is not being brought through. If we examine the number of Bills on the Seanad Order Paper, Fianna Fáil has only two fewer Bills than the Government.