Vol. 648 Tuesday, No. 2 26 February 2008 DI´OSPO´ IREACHTAI´ PARLAIMINTE PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES DA´ IL E´ IREANN TUAIRISC OIFIGIU´ IL—Neamhcheartaithe (OFFICIAL REPORT—Unrevised) Tuesday, 26 February 2008. Ceisteanna—Questions Taoiseach ………………………………… 177 Ta´naiste and Minister for Finance Priority Questions …………………………… 186 Other Questions …………………………… 198 Adjournment Debate Matters …………………………… 204 Leaders’ Questions ……………………………… 205 Requests to move Adjournment of Da´il under Standing Order 32 ……………… 212 Order of Business ……………………………… 213 Membership of Committees: Motion ………………………… 217 International Agreements: Motion ………………………… 217 Motor Vehicle (Duties and Licences) Bill 2008: Second Stage (resumed) …………………………… 218 Referral to Select Committee ………………………… 226 Student Support Bill 2008: Order for Second Stage …………………………… 226 Second Stage ……………………………… 227 Private Members’ Business Broadband Services: Motion ………………………… 242 Message from Select Committee ………………………… 264 Adjournment Debate Health Services ……………………………… 264 Hospital Services ……………………………… 266 Child Care Funding …………………………… 269 Schools Building Projects …………………………… 270 Questions: Written Answers …………………………… 273 DA´ IL E´ IREANN ———— De´ Ma´irt, 26 Feabhra 2008. Tuesday, 26 February 2008. ———— Chuaigh an Ceann Comhairle i gceannas ar 2.30 p.m. ———— Paidir. Prayer. ———— Ceisteanna — Questions. ———— Da´il Reform. 1. Deputy David Stanton asked the Taoiseach the progress that has been made on each of the three points regarding Houses of the Oireachtas reform included in An Agreed Programme for Government; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3854/08] 2. Deputy Enda Kenny asked the Taoiseach his proposals for Da´il E´ ireann reform; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7535/08] 3. Deputy Caoimhghı´nO´ Caola´in asked the Taoiseach the process for implementation of the Houses of the Oireachtas reform elements of An Agreed Programme for Government; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7915/08] Minister of State at the Department of the Taoiseach (Deputy Tom Kitt): I propose to take Questions Nos. 1 to 3, inclusive, together. As the Deputies will be aware, the matter of Da´il reform is essentially one for the House itself which, under the Constitution, has responsibility for making its own rules and Standing Orders. While the Government parties are committed to progressing any commitments con- tained in the programme for Government, it is ultimately a matter for the Committee on Procedure and Privileges, which progresses Da´il reform. Responsibility for promoting Da´il reform is shared by all parties in this House and the Government will play a constructive part in exploring with those parties opportunities for improving procedures. Deputy David Stanton: I thank the Minister of State for that very welcome and informative reply. Will he tell the House if the Government has any proposals in this area? Could he outline even one proposal the Government would like to put on the table? Could he name two, three or four proposals? Does he agree this issue has been debated for at least 20 years? In that time can he name any proposal that has seen the light of day? Does he agree that this is an important issue and that you, a Cheann Comhairle, ought to be thanked for trying to move this on? 177 Ceisteanna — 26 February 2008. Questions. [Deputy David Stanton.] Does he agree the Opposition has put proposals on the table but that we have seen nothing from the Government? Will he tell the people, who are watching this in their thousands because it is so relevant to us, what exactly the Government is proposing in regard to Da´il reform after 20 years? The Minister of State may be able to name five issues but even one would be a huge breakthrough. Deputy Tom Kitt: I am more than happy to share my views with the House and to thank you, a Cheann Comhairle, for facilitating dialogue with the Deputy and Deputy Stagg as we have been doing in recent weeks. With regard to Da´il reform, every Chief Whip comes into the position full of ambitions to try to improve our procedures. I certainly have been endeav- ouring to do that. Towards the end of the last Da´il we made an effort to do so. One of the criticisms I have of the general approach to Da´il reform is that while it is very ambitious, we have a general agreement that nothing is agreed until everything is agreed. We introduced some procedural matters in the last Da´il with regard to e-consultation, which the Deputy and others supported, which involved using the Internet to allow the public to access some of the work we do. It is important that we involve the public. I would like to see that process of e- consultation, as we called it, extended, for example, to secondary schools which might be interested in some of the legislation relevant to them. Although we picked the Broadcasting Bill, perhaps this was not the best Bill with regard to young people. We have strong all-party agreement for a television channel, which is supported by the Taoiseach and the Deputy’s party leader, and there are many peripheral but important issues with regard to public access to what we do. We endeavoured to progress some issues during the last Da´il, before the Deputy became involved. One of the specific proposals related to topical issues and bringing forward the Adjournment debate to a more appropriate time, where there would be public access to what is happening. It is important we do this and that we can agree on the proposal. There are proposals on improving the procedures on Leaders’ Questions. I am aware of the views of Deputy Stanton, Deputy Stagg and others and, again, we can make progress in that regard. We proposed that a short period of notice would be given to the leader, perhaps as short as 30 minutes, which would make for better politics, although Deputy Stanton may not agree. A proposal is on the table on parliamentary questions and on Standing Order 32. At present, Deputies in many cases simply read out a statement on a local issue in their constituencies but we have some good ideas on how to improve on that. A further proposal concerns improving the Order of Business, during which much good time is wasted in wrangling to and fro in the Chamber. There are also proposals on the committee system and legislation in general. There are many solid proposals centring on five key issues. I thank the Ceann Comhairle for facilitating progress in this regard. From my past participation, I accept we perhaps had an over- ambitious approach. We can continue with the modern ideas on using technology, involving the public and improving the committee system and broadcasting. However, there are four or five key issues relating to the Chamber that we can address. We have made progress in our last three meetings. Hopefully, we can bring this to the Da´il committee dealing with reform, the idea being that we could effectively go from this informal stage almost to a pre-agreed process which we could introduce. I will be as positive as possible in that regard, as I have been at our meetings. Deputy David Stanton: I thank the Minister of State for his reply. Does he agree that one of the most important functions of this House is to oversee the work the Government and the Executive performs and to debate that work? Does he also agree that this is not possible when 178 Ceisteanna — 26 February 2008. Questions. the House is not sitting? In other Parliaments, for example, the UK Parliament, the Cabinet does not sit when the Parliament is not sitting. Does the Minister of State agree that constitu- ents are disenfranchised when Deputies from all sides are unable to put down parliamentary questions during recess? Does he agree something needs to be done with regard to the many agencies that have been established, in particular since this Government took office, which are unaccountable through the parliamentary system, in particular the parliamentary questions system? Has he proposals regarding these issues? Deputy Tom Kitt: The issue of parliamentary questions when the Da´il is not sitting has emerged during our discussions. An aspect we will have to consider is the position of staff. As the Deputy knows, I am open to considering the issue of parliamentary questions, written questions in particular. The issue of questions to agencies, such as the National Roads Auth- ority and the Health Service Executive, has been raised by many of the Deputy’s colleagues and Deputies from other parties. There are valid concerns among all parliamentarians with regard to access to speedy replies from those agencies. The item is very much on our agenda for discussion and is one of the four or five key items to which I referred. Both issues, that of parliamentary questions, particularly when the Da´il is not sitting, and that of agencies, are on the agenda, although we have not made progress on the latter yet. To be frank, coming to these discussions as Chief Whip, I would have to revert to my ministerial colleagues on some of these issues. That is the current status of the discussions. As Chief Whip, I agree there are issues that need to be addressed. Deputy Caoimhghı´nO´ Caola´in: I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Tom Kitt, to the hot seat for today and probably this week. In regard to the informal engagements to which he referred, will he outline the exact make-up of those engagements and exactly who is attending? Will he also explain why the Oireachtas reform section of the programme for Government amounts to a scant, short and even vague reference? It accounts for virtually six lines in an 86 page document.