PUBLIC AFFAIRS IRELAND NEWSLETTER Your essential weekly guide to legislative, regulatory and public affairs in Ireland Issue 288 October 21 2013

Oireachtas Update

This week, the legislation being considered in the Dáil will include the second stage of the Local Government Bill 2013 while the Seanad will hear statements on Seanad reform from An . Among the Committee Hearings this week, the Committee on Public Service Oversight and Petitions will engage with Mr Peter Tyndall, nominee for appointment to the position of Ombudsman.

News Update

VAT legislation on public bodies and tax exemptions in the public interest The European Commission is launching a public consultation on existing VAT legislation on public bodies and tax emptions in the public interest. The Commission is inviting all interested parties to submit their contributions in response to the questions raised in the consultation document ‘Review of existing VAT legislation on public bodies and tax exemptions in the public interest’. In December 2011, a ‘Communication on the future of VAT’ was adopted by the Commission and it sets out the fundamental characteristics that must underlie the new VAT regime and the actions needed to create a more efficient, robust and simpler VAT system in the EU. The review and possible revision of the VAT rules on the public sector, including the special rules for public bodies and the tax exemptions in the public interest, is one of the priority areas for review. In preparing an impact assessment on this issue, the Commission is launching this public consultation to give all interested stakeholders a further opportunity to express their views on the issue. Details on how to submit a contribution can be found here. Establishment of a National Lottery Regulator The Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, TD, has predicted that the Office of Regulator of the National Lottery will be established and the Regulator appointed in early 2014. The functions of the Regulator are provided for in part 3 of the National Lottery Act 2013 and include ensuring that the National Lottery is run with due propriety and the interests of participants in the lottery are protected. The Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform shall perform the functions of the Regulator until a person is appointed to the Office.

Appointments Update Appointment of two female Supreme Court judges

On October 16, President Michael D Higgins appointed Justice Mary Laffoy and Justice Elizabeth Dunne as Supreme Court judges. Both women were former Judges and the appointments mean that Chief Justice is no longer the only female judge in the Supreme Court. Justices Laffoy and Dunne were sworn in at Áras an Uachtaráin at a ceremony attended by An Taoiseach TD and Minister for Justice Alan Shatter TD.

Public Affairs Tel: 01 8198500 Ireland Fax: 01 8944733 25 Mountjoy E: [email protected] Square East www.publicaffairsireland.com 1 twitter.com/publicaffairsir Oireachtas Schedule: Week beginning October 21 2013

Dáil

Tuesday October 22 Wednesday October 23 Thursday October 24 Friday October 25

2pm 10.30am 10.30am 10.30am Questions (Minister for Arts, Leaders Questions Leaders Questions Social Welfare Bill 2013 Heritage and the Gaeltacht) (All Stages) (Department of 10.51am 10.51am Social Protection) 3.15pm Order of Business Order of Business Leaders Questions Motion re Report of the Joint Committee Social Welfare Bill 2013 (All Stages) 3.36pm on Justice, Defence and Equality (Department of Social Protection) Questions (Taoiseach) On Establishment of the European Public Prosecutors Office (without 2.40pm 4.36pm Debate) SOS Order of Business Statements on Pre-European Council 3.42pm Topical Issues (to conclude in 65 minutes) Topical Issues

Local Government Bill 2013 Local Government Bill 2013 Second 4.30pm Order for Second Stage and Stage Resumed (Department of the Questions (Minister for Second Stage (Department of Environment, Community and Local Communications, Energy and the Environment, Community Government) Natural Resources) and Local Government) Road Traffic Bill 2013 Second Stage 5.45pm 7.30pm Resumed (Department of Transport, Morning business continued Private Members Business Tourism and Sport) Motion re Older Citizens (Fianna Fáil) 1.30pm SOS

2.30pm Questions (Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government)

3.45pm Topical Issues

Morning business continued

7.30pm Private Members Business Motion re Older Citizens (Fianna Fáil)

Seanad

Tuesday October 22 Wednesday October 23 Thursday October 24

2.30pm 10.30am 10.30am Order of Business Order of Business Order of Business

3.45pm 2pm Motion regarding the Proposal for a Council Statements on The One Percent Difference, Statements on Seanad Reform Regulation on the establishment of the National Giving Campaign (An Taoiseach) European Public Prosecutor’s Office – (Minister for the Environment, Community without debate and Local Government) 4pm (Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Statements on the Common Agricultural Defence and Equality) Matters on the Adjournment Policy (Minister for Agriculture, Food and the 11.45am Marine) Order of Business

5.30pm Private Members Business - EU Scrutiny Private Members Business and Transparency in Government Bill 2013 – Second Stage 7.30pm (Senators , Marc MacSharry, Matters on the Adjournment )

Matters on the Adjournment Oireachtas Schedule: Week beginning October 21 2013

Committee Meetings

Tuesday October 22 Wednesday October 23 Thursday October 24

1.30pm 9.30am 9.30am Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation Transport and Communications Health and Children Committee Room 2, Leinster House Committee Room 4, Leinster House Committee Room 2, Leinster House AGENDA: AGENDA: AGENDA: (i) Scrutiny of EU Legislative Proposals: (i) Scrutiny of EU Legislative Proposals: COM(2013)627 Hearings on End of Life Care Schedule A: COM(2013)471 re pressure equipment; re measures concerning the European single market Session A: 10.00am and for electronic communications and to achieve a [The Irish Hospice Foundation; National Council of Schedule B: COM(2013)227; COM(2013)309; Connected Continent [Officials from the Department of the forum on End of life Care; Irish Centre for Social COM(2013)444; COM(2013)477; COM(2013)564; Communications, Energy and Natural Resources; and Gerontology; and Ms Joan McCarthy, School of COM(2013)569; COM(2013)573; COM(2013)575; Commission for Communications Regulation]; and Nursing and Midwifery, UCC]; and COM(2013)583; COM(2013)604; COM(2013)652; (ii) The case for nuclear energy in Ireland Session B: 12 noon and [Representatives from Better Environment with Nuclear [Hospice CEO Group; Irish Palliative Medicine (ii) Significant business closures and job losses Energy (BENE)] Association; Irish Association for Palliative Care; Dr and proposed solutions to reverse closures and Karen Ryan, Palliative Medicine, St Francis Hospice; losses in the drinks industry [National Off-Licence 9.30am and All Ireland Institute for Hospice Care] Association] Justice, Defence and Equality Committee Room 2, Leinster House 10am 2pm AGENDA: Public Accounts Agriculture, Food and the Marine Private Meeting Committee Room 1 Leinster House Committee Room 3, Leinster House AGENDA: AGENDA: 1pm Private Meeting Private Meeting Education and Social Protection Committee Room 3, Leinster House 10am 3.30pm AGENDA: Education and Social Protection Fisheries (Joint sub-Committee) General Scheme of the Gender Recognition Bill 2013 Committee Room 3 Leinster House Committee Room 3 Leinster House [Department of Social Protection; Transgender Equality AGENDA: AGENDA: Network Ireland; TransParenCI; BeLonG To Youth General Scheme of the Gender Recognition Bill 2013 Private Meeting Services; LGBT Noise; Professor Donal O’ Shea] (resumed) [Free Legal Advice Centres; Equality Authority; Dr 4.30pm 2pm Fergus Ryan; Dr Tanya Ní Mhuirthile; Dr Philip Crowley; Members’ Interests of Seanad Éireann Finance (Sub-Committee) and Amnesty International] Committee Room 1, Leinster House Committee Room 4, Leinster House AGENDA: AGENDA: 10.15am Private Meeting Credit Reporting Bill 2012 [Minister of State at the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement Department of Finance] Committee Room 4 Leinster House 5.15pm AGENDA: Children and Youth Affairs (Sub-Committee) 4pm Session A: 10.30am Committee Room 2, Leinster House Public Service Oversight and Petitions Development of road links along the border region [Mr AGENDA: Committee Room 3, Leinster House Fred Barry, CEO, National Roads Authority] Child and Family Agency Bill 2013 [Minister for AGENDA: Session B: 11.30am Children and Youth Affairs] Engagement with Mr Peter Tyndall, nominee for All-Island Economic Development [Mr Thomas Hunter appointment to the position of Ombudsman McGowan, Chief Executive Officer; Mr Aidan Gough, Strategy and Policy Director; and Ms Margaret Hearty, Director of Programmes and Business Services (InterTrade Ireland)]

12.30pm Members’ Interests of Dáil Éireann Committee Room 1 Leinster House AGENDA: Private Meeting

2pm European Union Affairs Committee Room 3 Leinster House AGENDA: The experience of Estonia and Latvia in the EU [Mr Mait Martinson, Ambassador of Estonia to Ireland; and Mr Gints Apals, Ambassador of Latvia to Ireland]

3pm Children and Youth Affairs (Sub-Committee) Committee Room 2 Leinster House AGENDA: Child and Family Agency Bill 2013 (resumed) [Minister for Children and Youth Affairs]

Public Affairs Ireland Tel: 01 8198500 25 Mountjoy Fax: 01 8944733 Square East E: [email protected] Dublin 1 www.publicaffairsireland.com twitter.com/publicaffairsir