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Dáil Éireann Vol. 709 Thursday, No. 1 13 May 2010 DÍOSPÓIREACHTAÍ PARLAIMINTE PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES DÁIL ÉIREANN TUAIRISC OIFIGIÚIL—Neamhcheartaithe (OFFICIAL REPORT—Unrevised) Thursday, 13 May 2010. Requests to move Adjournment of Dáil under Standing Order 32 ……………… 1 Order of Business ……………………………… 3 Visit of Queensland Delegation ………………………… 11 Order of Business (resumed) …………………………… 11 Intoxicating Liquor (National Conference Centre) Bill 2010: Order for Second Stage …………………………… 25 Second Stage ……………………………… 25 Committee and Remaining Stages ……………………… 34 Nurses and Midwives Bill 2010: Second Stage (resumed) ………………… 39 Ceisteanna — Questions Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform Priority Questions …………………………… 66 Other Questions …………………………… 77 Adjournment Debate Matters …………………………… 85 Adjournment Debate Care of the Elderly …………………………… 86 Social Welfare Benefits …………………………… 88 Mine Sites ………………………………… 89 Sports and Recreational Development ……………………… 90 Questions: Written Answers …………………………… 93 DÁIL ÉIREANN DÍOSPÓIREACHTAÍ PARLAIMINTE PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES TUAIRISC OIFIGIÚIL OFFICIAL REPORT Imleabhar 709 Volume 709 Déardaoin, 13 Bealtaine 2010. Thursday, 13 May 2010. ———— Chuaigh an Ceann Comhairle i gceannas ar 10.30 a.m. ———— Paidir. Prayer. ———— Requests to Move Adjournment of the Dáil under Standing Order 32 An Ceann Comhairle: Before coming to the Order of Business, I propose to deal with a number of notices under Standing Order 32. I will call on Deputies in the order in which they submitted their notices to my office. Deputy Paul Connaughton: I seek the adjournment of the Dáil under Standing Order 32 to raise a matter of national importance, namely, the drainage of the Dunkellin River, County Galway, and to ask if the Minister is aware that there are several householders in the catchment area of the Dunkellin River who have not yet returned to their flooded homes; that there are thousands of acres of farmland that have not yet recovered; and that it is now obvious that there will be no relocation money for flood victims. In these circumstances I seek an assurance from the Minister for Finance that the money will be made available for this work in 2010 to prevent a recurrence of the flooding that took place last year. Deputy Finian McGrath: I seek the adjournment of the Dáil under Standing Order 32 to raise a matter of national importance, namely, the urgent need for all Members of the Oireachtas to actively support the move to close down all head shops; to express our strongest concerns about new developments in the past 48 hours where the same drugs can now be ordered over mobile telephones, following the distribution of leaflets advertising them in urban and rural areas; and to call on the Garda and the drugs squad to move against the sale of these dangerous drugs. 1 Requests to Move Adjournment of 13 May 2010. the Dáil under Standing Order 32 Deputy Dan Neville: I seek the adjournment of the Dáil under Standing Order 32 to discuss the following matter of urgent national importance, namely, the increase in suicides for the first three quarters of last year, from 279 the previous year to 354, representing an increase of 26%; the need for the Government to recognise the pressures people are experiencing because of the economic recession and for it to understand the pain that so many people are suffering and that they see no other solution to their situation but to take their lives; to recognise the special circumstances of the bereaved by suicide who experience a sense of stigma, shame, loneliness and rejection; and the need for the Government to resource suicide prevention prog- rammes and suicide bereavement counselling. Deputy Denis Naughten: I seek the adjournment of Dáil Éireann under Standing Order 32 to discuss a matter of urgent national importance, namely, the need for the Minister for Health and Children to outline her plans to address the impending crisis within the health service due to the lack of non-consultant hospital doctors from July, which threatens the operation of accident and emergency departments at hospitals like Roscommon County Hospital and Portiuncula on a 24-hour, seven day a week basis and will lead to the implementation of the Government’s Hanly report overnight and without planning and will result in the loss of life. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh: Ba mhaith liom cead a lorg an Dáil a chur ar athló faoi Bhuan Ordú 32 chun déileáil leis an gnó práinneach agus rí-thábhachtach seo a leanas, the urgent need for the Government to reverse the disproportionate cuts of from 18% to 20% made to the community and voluntary sector, which according to a report commissioned by Impact will result in the loss of up to 5,000 vital jobs by the end of the year. This is in a sector that is increasingly stretched as it picks up the pieces left in the wake of budget 2010 and on which our most disadvantaged communities are dependent for basic services, supports, representation and advocacy. These cuts demonstrate a deliberate Government policy to silence the voices of the disadvantaged and must be seen against a backdrop of debilitating cuts made at national level to bodies such as the Human Rights Commission and the Equality Authority. The Government is trying to gag all those who have rightly criticised its manifestly unfair policies. Deputy Terence Flanagan: I seek the adjournment of the Dáil under Standing Order 32 to raise a matter of national importance, namely, the need for the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government and the Government to help immediately the 20,000 house- holders whose homes are defective because of the presence of the defect pyrite in the found- ations of their homes. The Government is of the opinion that simply by ignoring and denying this issue exists, it will go away. Unfortunately, it will not. Responsibility lies with the Govern- ment to help those homeowners suffering anxiety, stress and depression because of what has happened and is happening to their homes. If the Government had not allowed light touch regulation in the building industry, this catastrophe would not have happened. The Exchequer has collected more than €12.2 billion in stamp duty in the past five years from hard-pressed homeowners. I appeal to the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government to tackle the issue head on as it has been dragging on for two years. Deputy Kathleen Lynch: I seek the adjournment of the Dáil under Standing Order 32 to raise a matter of national importance, namely, the fact that the last remaining in-patient beds at St. Mary’s orthopaedic hospital in Cork are to close. This is the only hospital on the northside of Cork city. I call on the HSE to retain full control of the grounds of the hospital so that it can be used as a health facility into the future. The sale of any section of the land for retail or commercial development would be a backward step and would interfere with the integrity of St. Mary’s hospital as a long-term health facility. I also call on the HSE to put in place a mechanism to engage with the 220 staff affected by this decision to ensure there will be no job 2 Order of 13 May 2010. Business. losses and that all personnel will be meaningfully redeployed to specific roles in the health service. An Ceann Comhairle: Having given the matters full consideration, I do not consider them to be in order under Standing Order 32. Order of Business. The Tánaiste: It is proposed to take No. a9, Intoxicating Liquor (National Conference Centre) Bill 2010 — Financial Resolution; No. a5, Intoxicating Liquor (National Conference Centre) Bill 2010 — Order for Second Stage, Second and Remaining Stages; and No. 18, Nurses and Midwives Bill 2010 — Second Stage (resumed). It is proposed, notwithstanding anything in Standing Orders, that No. a9 shall be decided without debate; and that the Second and Remaining Stages of a5 shall be taken today and the following arrangements shall apply — the proceedings on Second Stage shall, if not previously concluded, be brought to a conclusion at 12.35 p.m. today, the opening speeches of a Minister or Minister of State and of the main spokespersons for Fine Gael and the Labour Party, who shall be called upon in that order, shall not exceed ten minutes in each case, the speech of each other Member called upon shall not exceed ten minutes in each case, Members may share time, a Minister or Minister of State shall be called upon to make a speech in reply which shall not exceed five minutes, and the proceedings on Committee and Remaining Stages shall, if not previously concluded, be brought to a conclusion at 1.05 p.m. today by one question which shall be put from the Chair and which shall, in relation to amendments, include only those set down or accepted by the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform. An Ceann Comhairle: There are two proposals to be put to the House. Is the proposal for dealing with No. a9 agreed to? Deputy Enda Kenny: As a general rule I dislike a situation where Bills are expected to be passed in one session. However, I have spoken to our justice spokesman, Deputy Charles Flanagan, who has spoken to the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform. This is a single issue Bill that includes a financial provision to permit the national conference centre to have a liquor licence. On that basis, there is no objection on this side of the House to taking all Stages of this Bill today. Deputy Joan Burton: Similarly, we have no difficulty with this Bill being taken today. However, it is astonishing that the Minister or some senior official forgot to make provision for a licensing arrangement for the national conference centre, which would mean it could not hold late night functions and so forth.
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