Da´Il E´Ireann

Vol. 680 Thursday, No. 2 9 April 2009 DIÓSPO´ IREACHTAI´ PARLAIMINTE PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES DA´ IL E´ IREANN TUAIRISC OIFIGIU´ IL—Neamhcheartaithe (OFFICIAL REPORT—Unrevised) Thursday, 9 April 2009. Requests to move Adjournment of Daíl under Standing Order 32 ……………… 185 Order of Business ……………………………… 186 Residential Tenancies (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2009: First Stage ……………… 203 Business of Daíl……………………………… 203 Private Members’ Business Cystic Fibrosis: Motion …………………………… 203 Adjournment Debate Matters …………………………… 244 Horse and Greyhound Racing Fund Regulations 2009: Motion ……………… 244 Financial Resolutions 2009 Financial Resolution No. 11: General (resumed) ………………… 256 Adjournment Debate Matters …………………………… 271 Adjournment Debate Hospital Services ……………………………… 271 Rural Environment Protection Scheme ……………………… 273 Labour Court Decision Implementation ……………………… 277 Schools Building Projects …………………………… 280 Questions: Written Answers …………………………… 283 DA´ IL E´ IREANN ———— Deárdaoin, 9 Aibreań 2009. Thursday, 9 April 2009. ———— Chuaigh an Ceann Comhairle i gceannas ar 10.30 a.m. ———— Paidir. Prayer. ———— Requests to move Adjournment of Daíl under Standing Order 32. An Ceann Comhairle: Anois, iarratais chun tairisceana a dheánamh an Daíl a chur ar athlo´ faoi Bhuan Ordu´ 32. I call Deputy Bannon. Deputy James Bannon: I thank the Ceann Comhairle. (Interruptions). Deputy Pa´draic McCormack: He is back. Deputy James Bannon: Am I going to have ciu´ nas? An Ceann Comhairle: No chorus. Deputy Pa´draic McCormack: Give him a chance. Deputy James Bannon: The Government side has a new lease of life after the other day, but I do not think it will last for very long. Deputy John Cregan: The Deputy is the centre of attention. Deputy Pa´draic McCormack: Give him a chance. He is only young. He is only starting. Deputy James Bannon: I wish to seek the adjournment of the Daíl under Standing Order 32 to raise a matter of national importance, namely, the threat to health care in this country from the embargo on recruiting frontline medical staff to the health system, which will have a devastating effect on the provision of emergency services, in-hospital care, surgical procedures, the care of the elderly and the disabled, public dental services and the mortality rates of vulner- able and at-risk patients. Deputy Finian McGrath: Hear, hear. Deputy James Bannon: The threat to such services is indicative of the mismanagement of the Department of Health and Children and the Health Service Executive, which are retaining top-heavy managerial and administrative positions and reducing the number of essential health care workers, to the detriment of the health of this nation. 185 Order of 9 April 2009. Business Deputies: Hear, hear. Deputy Pa´draic McCormack: I could not have said it better myself. Deputy Dermot Ahern: He did not say it himself. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan: They are getting anxious over there. They will be more anxious shortly. Deputy Mary Harney: I wish Deputy Bannon a happy Easter. Deputy James Bannon: I am glad the Minister is here to listen to me. Deputy Finian McGrath: I wish to seek the adjournment of the Daíl under Standing Order 32 to discuss an issue of national importance and concern. While I welcome the recent progress that has been made with the proposed cystic fibrosis unit at St. Vincent’s Hospital—— Deputies: Hear, hear. Deputy Finian McGrath: ——I ask the Minister for Health and Children to give a guarantee that 34 inpatient single en suite beds and a separate day care cystic fibrosis unit will be provided at the 120-bed development at the hospital. I call on all Members of the Oireachtas to support the development of a 34-bed national centre for cystic fibrosis patients. Deputy Emmet Stagg: It will cost more than the first unit would have cost. Deputy Johnny Brady: We need a unit for the Deputy. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan: Take it easy, Johnny. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan: I seek the adjournment of the Daíl under Standing Order 32 to raise a matter of local and national importance, namely, the need for the Minister for Trans- port to ensure that vital Dublin Bus and Bus E´ ireann fleets and services are fully maintained and protected; to abandon the appalling programmes of bus cutbacks, which were apparently confirmed last night or this morning, in light of the critical role of buses for urban and rural communities across Ireland; to report to the Daíl, as a matter of urgency, on the steps he and his colleagues are taking to address the serious industrial relations difficulties at Dublin Bus and Bus E´ ireann; and to use all of the State’s industrial relations mechanisms to avoid a disrup- tion to bus services from this weekend. If the Ceann Comhairle does not agree to this request, perhaps he will allow me to ask a Private Notice Question on the same subject later today. An Ceann Comhairle: Tar eís breithnithe a dheánamh ar na nithe ardaithe, nı´l siad in ord faoi Bhuan Ordu´ 32. Having considered the matters raised, I do not consider them to be in order under Standing Order 32. Order of Business. The Tańaiste: It is proposed to take No. 9, motion re proposed approval by Daíl E´ ireann of the Horse and Greyhound Racing Fund Regulations 2009; and No. 12, Financial Motions by the Minister for Finance, 2008, motion 11 (resumed). It is proposed, notwithstanding anything in Standing Orders, that (1) the proceedings on No. 9 shall, if not previously concluded, be brought to a conclusion after one hour and the following arrangements shall apply: the speech of a Minister or Minister of State and of the main spokespersons for the Fine Gael Party and the Labour Party, who shall be called upon in that order, shall not exceed ten minutes in each 186 Order of 9 April 2009. Business case; the speech of each other Member called upon shall not exceed ten minutes in each case; Members may share time; and a Minister or Minister of State shall be called upon to make a speech in reply, which shall not exceed five minutes; and (2) the Daíl on its rising today shall adjourn until 2.30 p.m. on Wednesday, 22 April 2009. Private Members’ business shall be No. 54, motion re cystic fibrosis, to be taken after the Order of Business and to conclude after three hours, if not previously concluded. An Ceann Comhairle: There are two proposals to put to the House. Is the proposal for dealing with No. 9, motion re proposed approval by Daíl E´ ireann of the Horse and Greyhound Racing Fund Regulations 2009, agreed? Agreed. Is the proposal that the Daíl on its rising today shall adjourn until 2.30 p.m. on Wednesday, 22 April 2009, agreed? Agreed. Deputy Alan Shatter: When will the Bill establishing the proposed national asset manage- ment agency be published? How far in advance of the Second Stage debate on that legislation will it be made available to Members of this House? Within what timeframe does the Govern- ment envisage the legislation will be enacted? In the interim, will the Government publish a briefing paper for the benefit of Deputies, detailing the mechanism it intends to use to deter- mine the values of the asset-backed loans that will be the subject of this Bill? We need to ensure the taxpayer will be protected. We need to factor into those values the risk that is to be borne by the taxpayer. Will the Bill, or other legislation, be enacted to ensure the agency is accountable to a commit- tee of the Houses of the Oireachtas? Will there be a degree of transparency in its workings so that Members of the House and the public alike might be made aware of the value of the loan book they have acquired when it is taken from the banks? We must know what steps will be taken to recover borrowings from debtors and realise assets and to ensure that the agency is immune from any influence that any person might attempt to impose on it in order to do favours for the friends of Fianna Faíl and to release them from borrowings that should never have been made available to them in the first place. Deputy Martin Cullen: That is a bloody disgrace. Deputy Timmy Dooley: The Deputy should apologise. Deputy Alan Shatter: The Government is responsible for the mess we are in and should take that responsibility. It is time it apologised for what it has inflicted on the country, before the House goes into recess. An Ceann Comhairle: Hold on please, Deputy Shatter. We were going wonderfully well there for a while, too well. I want you to confine yourself, as you were doing, to the Standing Orders—— Deputy Paul Kehoe: It is that crowd over there. An Ceann Comhairle: Deputy Shatter should ignore all else. Deputy Paul Kehoe: How can one ignore them? Deputy James Bannon: It is impossible to ignore them. Deputy Alan Shatter: With regard to the Bill—— An Ceann Comhairle: Deputy Shatter can ask about the Bill but may not discuss its contents. 187 Order of 9 April 2009. Business Deputy Alan Shatter: I do not wish to discuss the contents but with regard to the Bill, and to having Members of the House fully informed on issues of importance in its regard, will the Minister make available to Members on this side of the House any legal advice available to the Government concerning the approximate \30 billion borrowings in respect of assets outside the State? Will we be informed about any difficulty this agency might encounter in taking ownership or possession of the assets that are secured against these borrowings and realising those assets? That is a particularly important issue.

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