Vol. 588 Thursday, No. 4 1 July 2004 DI´OSPO´ IREACHTAI´ PARLAIMINTE PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES DA´ IL E´ IREANN TUAIRISC OIFIGIU´ IL—Neamhcheartaithe (OFFICIAL REPORT—Unrevised) Thursday, 1 July 2004. Requests to move Adjournment of Da´il under Standing Order 31 ……………… 981 Order of Business ……………………………… 982 Sustainable Communities Bill 2004: First Stage …………………… 997 Taxes Consolidation Act 1997 (Prescribed Research and Development Activities) Regulations 2004: Referral to Select Committee ………………………… 997 Treaty of Amsterdam: Motion…………………………… 998 Equality Bill 2004 [Seanad]: Order for Report Stage …………………………… 998 Report and Final Stages …………………………… 998 Residential Tenancies Bill 2003: Report Stage (resumed) and Final Stage ……………1024 Ceisteanna—Questions Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism ……………………… Priority Questions ……………………………1062 Other Questions ……………………………1071 Adjournment Debate Matters ……………………………1084 Barron Report: Statements ……………………………1084 Adjournment Debate Vandalism of School Property …………………………1122 Orthodontic Services ……………………………1124 Water and Sewerage Schemes …………………………1128 Industrial Accidents ……………………………1130 Questions: Written Answers ……………………………1133 981 982 DA´ IL E´ IREANN ral Resources, Deputy Dermot Ahern, to inter- vene to prevent such an exorbitant increase in ———— energy costs. De´ardaoin, 1 Iu´il 2004. Mr. Sargent: Iarraim faoi Bhuan Ordu´ 31 go Thursday, 1 July 2004. gcuirfear Da´il Eireann ar Athlo´ chun ceist phra´innneach don tı´r ar fad a fhreagairt agus a ———— shoile´iriu´ ,se´ sin cathain a bhainfear amach sta´das oifigu´ il don Ghaeilge mar theanga oifigu´ il san Chuaigh an Leas-Cheann Comhairle i gceannas Aontas Eorpach agus uachtara´nacht na hE´ ireann ar 10.30 a.m. ar son an Aontas Eorpach direach thart, agus ce´n fath na´r iarr an Rialtas riamh ar an gCoimisiu´ n ———— Eorpach sta´das oifigu´ il a thabhairt don teanga na´isiu´ nta, agus an phlean ata´ ag an Rialtas anois Paidir. sta´das oifigu´ il a bhaint amach. Prayer. Mr. Eamon Ryan: I seek the Adjournment of ———— the Da´il under Standing Order 31 to raise a mat- ter of national importance, namely, to clear up Request to move Adjournment of Da´il under the confusion that now exists on the future of the Standing Order 31. proposed metro for Dublin given the conflicting statements we have from the Taoiseach who An Leas-Cheann Comhairle: Before coming to seems to believe we cannot afford the project and the Order of Business, I propose to deal with a the Minister of Transport who seems to believe it number of notices under Standing Order 31. I is still on track. propose to call on the Deputies in the order in which they submitted their notices to my office. An Leas-Cheann Comhairle: Having con- sidered the matters raised, they are not in order Mr. F. McGrath: I seek the Adjournment of the under Standing Order 31. Da´il under Standing Order 31 to raise a matter of national importance, namely, the decision by Order of Business. the Department of Education and Science not to grant the \5,000 necessary to fund a July pro- The Ta´naiste: The Order of Business today gramme for 15 severely disabled pupils at Enable shall be as follows: No 17a, motion re Referral to Ireland, Sandymount and the urgent need to pro- Select committee of proposed approval by Da´il vide services for children with disabilities. E´ ireann of Taxes Consolidation Act 1997 (Prescribed Research and Development Dr. Cowley: I seek the Adjournment of the Activities) Regulations 2004; No. 19, motion re Da´il under Standing Order 31 to raise a matter proposed approval by Da´il E´ ireann for a Council of national importance, namely, the lack of sup- Directive on a specific procedure for admitting port for people and families suffering from third country nationals for purposes of scientific autism, the lack of rights based legislation, the research, back from committee; No. 28, Equality lack of non-means tested medical cards for spec- Bill 2004 [Seanad] — Order for Report, Report ific family members suffering from autism, the and Final Stages; No. 27, Residential Tenancies passing off of responsibility between the Depart- Bill 2003 — Report Stage (Resumed) and Final ment of Health and Children and the Department Stage; No. 29, statements on the Report of the of Education and Science in supplying services Committee for Justice, Equality and Law Reform for autistic children and the lack of occupational on the Barron Report. therapists, speech therapists and respite care for It is proposed, notwithstanding anything in sufferers of autism and their families. Standing Orders, that (1) the Da´il shall sit later Mr. Connolly: I seek the Adjournment of the than 4.45 p.m. tonight and business shall be inter- Da´il under Standing Order 31 to raise a matter rupted not later than 7 p.m; (2) Nos. 17a and 19 of national importance, namely, the unjustified shall be decided without debate; (3) Report and application by the ESB for an electricity price rise Final Stages of No. 28 shall be taken today and of up to 13% coming in the wake of ESB price the proceedings thereon shall, if not previously rises totalling 24% since 2000 resulting in a cumu- concluded, be brought to a conclusion at 1 p.m lative increase of almost 40% in the past three by one question which shall be put from the years, the company’s facile pretext of growing Chair, and which shall with regard to amend- international oil prices which are actually falling ments include only those set down or accepted by after reaching record levels recently, the energy the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law regulator’s meek acceptance of such excuses prior Reform; (4) the proceedings on Report Stage to approving the ESB application, the disastrous (Resumed) and Final Stage of No. 27 shall, if not effect of such electricity increases on the competi- previously concluded, be brought to a conclusion tiveness of small businesses and to call on the at 3.30 p.m. today by one question which shall be Minister for Communications, Marine and Natu- put from the Chair, and which shall with regard 983 Order of 1 July 2004. Business 984 [The Ta´naiste.] Yesterday a report commissioned by the Irish to amendments include only those set down or Congress of Trade Unions and SIPTU was accepted by the Minister for the Environment, received by every Deputy and Senator. That Heritage and Local Government; (5) the pro- report exposes the utter folly of the Govern- ceedings on No. 29 shall, if not previously con- ment’s determination to break up Aer Rianta. cluded, be brought to a conclusion at 7 p.m. and The Government’s plan set out in the State Air- the following arrangements shall apply: (i) the ports Bill is not a plan but a wreckers charter. statements of the Minister for Justice, Equality That is what it amounts to. The public and the and Law Reform and of the main spokespersons workforce will be the real losers. Committee for the Fine Gael Party, the Labour Party and the Stage of this Bill is to be taken at noon today and Technical Group, who shall be called upon in that the taking of Report and Final Stages is sched- order, shall not exceed 15 minutes in each case; uled for next week. In light of the report from (ii) the statement of each other Member called SIPTU and the Irish Congress of Trade Unions, upon shall not exceed ten minutes in each case; will the Ta´naiste withdraw this Bill and indicate (iii) Members may share time; and (iv) the Mini- clearly that the proposition within it will be aban- ster for Justice, Equality and Law Reform shall doned by Government? Unless that is done very be called upon to make a statement in reply clearly and absolutely, we will oppose the Order which shall not exceed five minutes. of Business. An Leas-Cheann Comhairle: There are five proposals to be put to the House. Is the proposal Mr. R. Bruton: It was enough to make a cat for the late sitting agreed to? laugh to hear the Minister of State describe the committee’s attempt to have hearings as an Mr. Rabbitte: I regret that I must oppose this attempt to politicise the issue of decentralisation. proposal. I will also oppose each of the other four This is the man who brought decentralisation into proposals unless the Ta´naiste can give an under- the political arena in a way that is almost unpre- taking to the House, following the outrageous cedented. misrepresentation on radio this morning by the Minister of State at the Department of Finance, A Deputy: Talk of Parlon country. Deputy Parlon, that the Select Committee on Fin- ance and the Public Service will have the support Mr. R. Bruton: It was cowboy politics to which of the Government parties to scrutinise and we were treated. Decentralisation was introduced examine the proposals on decentralisation. in this House under cover of the budget. There Deputy Parlon told the nation this morning has been no strategic plan, human resource plan, that the proposal put to the committee would regional context or spatial plan context within have involved politics before the local and Euro- which this is being developed. When senior civil pean elections. However, the motion put to the servants, rightly, through their union, brought the committee was to allow for a two-day examin- matter to our attention, the Minister for Finance ation after the elections, sometime in June or accused them of manipulating the media to try to July. The Minister of State’s comment is a gross block the measure. This is a political project, misrepresentation of what happened. which has been driven through the Da´il without This is a major decision.