Victor Boyhan (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I wish to raise three issues: the judicial council; Rebuilding Ireland, the Government's policy to tackle the housing crisis and homelessness; and agriculture and food.

I will not rehearse what today's edition of The Irish Timesreports the Chief Justice, Mrs. Justice Susan Denham, as having said. We need to heed what she said in touching on the separation of powers. That is important to both the Houses of the Oireachtas and the courts. Mrs. Justice Denham has again reiterated the need and desire for a judicial council. Members will recall that many months ago I introduce a motion, passed unanimously, for the establishment of a judicial council. The previous Minister for Justice and Equality, Deputy Fitzgerald, eloquently talked about moving on the matter within weeks. I reviewed the record of the House this morning. The former Minister indicated that legislation was ready and that the matter was also contemplated in the programme for Government. I looked at the programme for Government this morning. One of the main priorities listed is to progress a judicial appointments commission, which is a separate thing. We have had no progress on that. The same Minister also advised the House that it would only be a matter of weeks before the judicial appointments commission would deliver. It has not done so. We have also heard about the demands made by the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Deputy Ross, and the change in those demands in recent days. I will not rehearse all that. However, we need to learn from such experiences. Two things need to happen and the Government claimed to be committed to doing both. One is the establishment of a judicial council and the second relates to progressing with a judicial appointments commission.

Later this morning, I will meet the relevant Minister at the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government for the third quarterly review of Rebuilding Ireland and the objectives relating thereto. We need to remember that those objectives were set by the former Minister, Deputy Coveney. He set out timelines, people with responsibility and clear objectives as to how he would deliver on this programme, the Government's strategy, Rebuilding Ireland - Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness. It has been stated that the new Minister will come before the committee to announce that the Government cannot deliver on its self-imposed timeline and a promise that no homeless people would be accommodated in hotel bedrooms with their kids doing their homework on side lockers while sitting on beds. That is not good enough. It is a disgrace. What is really disturbing about this is that this was a self-imposed deadline by the Government.

The former Minister has now left the Department. I am not critical of him because he was an exceptionally good Minister. It is very disappointing. I am beginning to wonder if there is now a major shift in the context of Rebuilding Ireland and the policy to be followed by the new Minister. I think we need to have the Minister back to the House. Finally, on a good news story, this very day the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Deputy Creed, is in Mexico. One might ask why that is the case. He is there because he is leading a major agrifood trade delegation. He has set up 30 engagements. He will meet the Mexican Minister for agriculture. He is there to make further connections as part of a necessary response in agricultural policy in preparation for Brexit and to develop new beef, pork and agrifood markets for this country. That is a really positive step which is in line with the Government's agreed policy incorporating Bord Bia's Making a World of Difference and Origin Green. That is important because this week is the fifth anniversary of Origin Green, which is an amazing initiative driven and overseen by Bord Bia. We should acknowledge that.