PUBLIC AFFAIRS IRELAND NEWSLETTER Your essential weekly guide to legislative, regulatory and public affairs in Ireland Issue 299 January 27 2014

Oireachtas Update

This week in the Dáil the legislation being considered includes the Betting (Amendment) Bill 2013 and statements on the HSE National Service Plan 2014 will be heard on Wednesday.

The Seanad will consider the Health Identifiers Bill 2013 and a motion re Freedom of Information on Wednesday.

The Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform Committee will meet on Wednesday to dicusss the Central Bank Report on the Licensed Moneylending Industry.

News Update Appointments to the Board of the National Disability Association The appointment of the Board of the National Disability Association is currently underway. Expressions of interest were sought for consideration for appointment in October 2013 and 38 applications were received. The applications are under consideration and the Minister for Justice and Equality expects to be in a position to appoint the Board shortly. Merger of Irish Sports Council and the National Sports Campus Development Authority The Minister of State for Tourism & Sport, Michael Ring TD, has published the Heads of the Sport Ireland Bill. The purpose of the Bill is to provide for the establishment of a new statutory sports body, Sport Ireland, which will merge the two existing sports bodies, the Irish Sports Council and the National Sports Campus Development Authority. This merger is part of the Government’s programme for the rationalisation of State agencies and will allow for “a new single streamlined organisation which will bring responsibility for the implementation of Irish sports policy under one agency”. The Minister expects to introduce the Bill in the later in the year. PUBLIC AFFAIRS IRELAND NEWSLETTER Oireachtas Schedule: Week beginning January 27 2014 Dáil

Tuesday January 28 Wednesday January 29 Thursday January 30

2pm 9.30am 9.30am Questions (Minister for Social Questions (Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Questions (Minister for Communications, Protection) Gaeltacht) Energy and Natural Resources)

3.15pm 10.45am 10.45am Leaders Questions Motion re Freedom of Information (to conclude European Parliament Elections (Amendment) in 25 minutes) Bill 2013 (Seanad) - Second and Remaining 3.36pm (Department of Public Expenditure and Reform) Stages Questions () (Department of the Environment Community Statements on HSE National Service Plan and Local Government) 4.36pm 2014 (to conclude at 7.30pm if not previously Order of Business concluded) 12 noon (Department of Health) Leaders Questions Topical Issues 12 noon 12.21pm Motion re Standing Orders (Oireachtas Leaders Questions Order of Business Inquiries) (to conclude at 7.30pm if not previously concluded) 12.21pm 12.51pm Order of Business Revised Estimates (back from Committee) European Parliament Elections (without Debate) (Amendment) Bill 2013 (Seanad) - 12.51pm Second Stage Topical Issues European Parliament Elections (Amendment) (Department of the Environment Bill 2013 (Seanad) - Second and Remaining Community and Local Government) 2.39pm Stages (to conclude at 2.50pm if not Statements on HSE National Service Plan 2014 previously concluded) 7.30pm (Resumed) (Department of the Environment Community Private Members Business: (Department of Health) and Local Government) Motion re Health Service Executive (Fianna Fáil) Industrial Development (Forfas Dissolution) Bill Industrial Development (Forfas Dissolution) 2013 - Order for Second Stage and Second Bill 2013 - Second Stage (Resumed if not Stage previously concluded) (Department of Jobs Enterprise and Innovation) (Department of Jobs Enterprise and Innovation) 7.30pm Private Members Business: Motion re Health Betting (Amendment) Bill 2013 - Second Service Executive (Fianna Fáil) Stage (Resumed) (Department of Finance)

4.42pm Topical Issues

Seanad

Tuesday January 28 Wednesday January 29 Thursday January 30

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

Motion regarding amendments to 11.45am 11.45am Seanad Éireann Standing Orders Health Identifiers Bill 2013 [Seanad] – Order for Statements on the Humanitarian 60 and 62 – without debate Second Stage and Second Stage Situation in Syria, Southern Sudan and (Seanad CPP) (Department of Health) the Central African Republic (Minister of State for Development and 3.45pm 1.35pm Trade) An Update on Youth Justice Motion re Freedom of Information Policy (Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform) Matters on the Adjournment (Minister for Children and Youth Affairs) 3pm Private Members Business - Senators Katherine Matters on the Adjournment Zappone, Mary Ann O’Brien, Jillian VanTurnhout, , , , ,

5pm Matters on the Adjournment Oireachtas Schedule: Week beginning January 27 2014 Committee Meetings

Tuesday January 28 Wednesday January 29 Thursday January 30

1.30pm 9.30am 9.30am Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation Justice, Defence and Equality Health and Children Committee Room 2, Leinster House Committee Room 2, Leinster House Committee Room 2, Leinster House AGENDA: AGENDA: AGENDA: (i) The Action Plan for Jobs: 2014 Revised Estimates for Public Services: General Scheme of the Public Health Update on the implementation of the (i) Vote 20 (Garda Síochána); (Standardised Packaging of Tobacco) Bill Action Plan for Jobs 2013 and priorities for Vote 21 (Prisons); 2013 (resumed) the Action Plan for Jobs 2014; and Vote 22 (Courts Service); Session A: 9.30 am (ii) Scrutiny of EU legislative proposals: Vote 23 (Property Registration Authority); and [Irish Cancer Society; Irish Heart a. Departmental Six-Monthly EU Scrutiny Vote 24 (Justice and Equality) [Minister for Justice and Equality]; Foundation; Irish Asthma Society; and Report (January to June 2013); and and ASH Ireland]; b. Update on COM(2013)207 re disclosure (ii) Vote 35 (Army Pensions); and Session B: 11.45 am of non-financial and diversity information Vote 36 (Defence) [Minister for Defence] [Children’s Rights Alliance; Tipperary by certain large companies and groups Regional Youth Service; and ISPCC] [Mr John Murphy, Secretary General, 1pm Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Education and Social Protection 10am Innovation] Committee Room 3, Leinster House Public Accounts AGENDA: Committee Room 1, Leinster House 2pm (i) Social Enterprise in Ireland [Representatives from Forfás]; and AGENDA: Agriculture, Food and the Marine (ii) Equality Budgeting [Representatives from Equality Budgeting (i) Business of the Committee; and Committee Room 3, Leinster House Campaign] (ii) 2012 Annual Report of the Comptroller AGENDA: and Auditor General and Appropriation Forestry Bill 2013 (resumed) 1pm Accounts: [Representatives from Environmental European Scrutiny - Finance and Public Expenditure (Joint Chapter 6: Land Swap Arrangement in the Pillar; Irish Farmers’ Association and Irish sub-Committee) Provision of Affordable Houses; and Timber Growers’ Association] Committee Room 4, Leinster House Vote 13: Office of Public Works [Secretary AGENDA: General, Department of the Environment, 2.15pm Private Meeting Community and Local Government; and Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht Ms Claire McGrath, Chairman, OPW] Committee Room 4, Leinster House 2pm AGENDA: Public Expenditure and Reform (Sub Committee) (i) Scrutiny of EU legislative proposals: Committee Room 4, Leinster House Schedule A: AGENDA: COM(2013)480; COM(2013)768; and 2014 Revised Estimates for Public Services - Vote 13 (Office of COM(2013)769; Public Works) Schedule B: [Minister of State with special responsibility for the Office of Public COM(2013)743; Works] (ii) The management of sewage sludge and biofert 2.30pm [Mr Percy Foster, Cré - Composting Foreign Affairs and Trade Association of Ireland]; and Committee Room 1, Leinster House (iii) Developing a plan to capture the AGENDA: full value of our genealogical heritage The work of the Passport Office (resumed) [Mr Joseph Nugent, Director of Passport Services] [Mr Kieran Feely, General Register Office; and Mr Pádraig Dalton, Director General, 4.30pm Central Statistics Office] Public Service Oversight and Petitions Committee Room 3, Leinster House 5.15pm AGENDA: Health (Sub-Committee) (a) 4 pm Private; and Committee Room 2, Leinster House (b) 4.45 pm Public Petitions received AGENDA: 2014 Revised Estimates for Public 3pm Services - Justice, Defence and Equality Vote 38 (Department of Health); and Committee Room 2, Leinster House Vote 39 (Health Service Executive) AGENDA: [Minister for Health] (a) 3 pm Private; and (b) 4 pm The feasibility of introducing a Community Courts system in Ireland [Mr Julius Lang, Centre for Court Innovation – New York; Mr Philip Bowen, Centre for Justice Innovation - UK; Mr Justice Michael Reilly; Mr David Brennan, City Business Association; Mr Oisín Quinn, Lord Mayor of Dublin; and Representative of the Bar Council]

2pm Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform Committee Room 4, Leinster House AGENDA: Central Bank Report on the Licensed Moneylending Industry - November 2013 [Mr Bernard Sheridan, Director of Consumer Protection, Central Bank of Ireland]

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