Vol. 727 Tuesday, No. 3 25 January 2011 DÍOSPÓIREACHTAÍ PARLAIMINTE PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES DÁIL ÉIREANN TUAIRISC OIFIGIÚIL—Neamhcheartaithe (OFFICIAL REPORT—Unrevised) Tuesday, 25 January 2011. Termination of Ministerial Appointments: Announcement by Taoiseach …………… 379 Business of Dáil: Motion …………………………… 379 Order of Business ……………………………… 379 Finance Bill 2011: Allocation of Time: Motion …………………… 387 Sittings and Business of Dáil: Motion ………………………… 388 Diseases of Animals Act 1966: Motion ……………………… 388 Finance Bill 2011: Order for Second Stage …………………………… 388 Second Stage ……………………………… 389 Message from Seanad ……………………………… 454 Questions: Written Answers …………………………… 455 DÁIL ÉIREANN ———— Dé Máirt, 25 Eanáir 2011. Tuesday, 25 January 2011. ———— Chuaigh an Ceann Comhairle i gceannas ar 2.30 p.m. ———— Paidir. Prayer. ———— Termination of Ministerial Appointments: Announcement by Taoiseach The Taoiseach: I wish to announce for the information of the Dáil that on Sunday, 23 January 2011, the President, on my advice, accepted the resignations of Deputy John Gormley and Deputy Eamon Ryan as members of the Government. On that day, pursuant to section 4(1) of the Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) Act 1946, I assigned the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government to Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív, and the Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources to Deputy Pat Carey. Also on 23 January, I received and accepted the resignations of Deputy Ciarán Cuffe and Deputy Mary White as Ministers of State. Deputy Pádraic McCormack: They will be a big loss. Business of Dáil: Motion Minister of State at the Department of the Taoiseach (Deputy John Curran): I move: That, notwithstanding anything in Standing Orders, the Order of Business shall be taken now. Question put and agreed to. Order of Business The Taoiseach: It is proposed to take No. a9, motion re sittings and business of the Dáil; No. b9, Finance Bill 2011 — allocation of time motion for Committee Stage; No. c9, motion re proposed approval by Dáil Éireann of the proposal that section 17A of the Diseases of Animals Act 1966 continue in force for the period ending on 8 March 2011; and No. 4, Finance Bill 2011 — Order for Second Stage, Second and Remaining Stages. It is proposed, notwithstanding anything in standing Orders, that Nos. a9, b9 and c9 shall be decided without debate; Second Stage of No. 4 shall be taken today and the proceedings thereon shall, if not previously concluded, be brought to a conclusion at 12 p.m. tomorrow; the Financial Resolutions in relation to the Finance Bill 2011 shall be taken on Wednesday, 26 January 2011 on the conclusion of Second Stage, shall be decided without debate and any divisions demanded thereon shall be taken forthwith; the Financial Resolutions shall be moved 379 Order of 25 January 2011. Business [The Taoiseach.] together and decided by one question which shall be put from the Chair; subject to the agree- ment of Second Stage of No. 4, Committee Stage shall be taken on the conclusion of Second Stage or the Financial Resolutions, as appropriate, and shall if not previously concluded be brought to a conclusion at 11 a.m. on Thursday; any Financial Resolutions proposed in respect of Report Stage of No. 4 shall be taken on the conclusion of Committee Stage, shall be decided without debate, any division demanded on them shall be taken forthwith and they shall be moved together and decided by one question which shall be put from the Chair; Report Stage of No. 4 shall be taken on the conclusion of Committee Stage or the Financial Resolutions as appropriate and shall if not previously concluded be brought to a conclusion at 5 p.m. on Thursday, 27 January 2011; and the Dáil on its rising on Thursday, 27 January 2011 shall adjourn until 8 p.m. on Saturday, 29 January 2011 and business shall be interrupted not later than 10 p.m. on that night. An Ceann Comhairle: There are seven proposals to be put to the House. Is the proposal for dealing with Nos. a9, b9 and c9 without debate agreed? Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin: It is not agreed. Deputy Enda Kenny: I have never before attended a Dáil with such a depleted number of Ministers on the Government benches. I have never before faced a group of Ministers with such enormous constitutional responsibilities on their shoulders. It appears that the Minister of State, Deputy Roche, just missed the cut on this occasion. I agree with the motion that was moved by the Minister of State, Deputy Curran. The other seven matters result from an initiative that was taken by the Green Party when it contacted Fine Gael in the context of its exit from the Government. Its decision to do so resulted in cross-party discussions about the opportunity for the Government to enact the Finance Bill 2011 in accordance with the budget that the Government and its supporters passed prior to Christmas. The Government has an opportunity to bring clarity and definition to the inter- national confusion about the capacity of the Irish Parliament to do its legislative and consti- tutional work. Obviously, there are different opinions about the measures contained in the Finance Bill to give legal effect to the budget. It is the Government’s responsibility to ensure the opportunity now being presented to it, on the initiative taken by the Green Party in contacting Fine Gael and in accordance with the discussions of the Labour Party and all parties in Opposition, is implemented with sufficient capacity and resolve. The seven items mentioned by the Taoiseach are in accordance with the schedule worked out at a cross-party meeting with the Minister for Finance yesterday and, from that perspective — although Fine Gael has clear views about elements of the Finance Bill — we will afford the Government the opportunity to implement the Bill, although we reserve the right to have our views on elements of it. Deputy Eamon Gilmore: This is an unusual Order of Business. It brings the business of the 30th Dáil to an end, in effect, the day after tomorrow, and it will bring to an end a dysfunctional and now diminished Government by the end of this week. It sets a timeframe for the holding of a general election, which people all over the country are anxious to have, and which will enable them to make decisions about the future leadership of this country. It brings to an end a period of uncertainty and instability for our country and provides an opportunity for the country and its people to make a fresh start and move on from the recession and the political chaos that we have seen in recent times. 380 Order of 25 January 2011. Business Since before Christmas, the Labour Party has been clear that this is what was required. I said here on the day the Dáil broke up for the Christmas recess that the Labour Party was agreeable to coming back in January and sitting until the end of that month to deal with the provisions of the Finance Bill, and that a general election should then be held in line with the commitment given by the Green Party when it announced its intended withdrawal from the Government in November that such an election would be called by the end of January. When it became clear, when we returned to the Dáil after Christmas, that it was not the Government’s intention to comply with that timetable, I made it clear on behalf of the Labour Party that if the Government did not provide a timeframe allowing for a general election to be called by the end of this month, we would put the issue to the test by tabling a motion of no confidence in the Government. We tabled such a motion on 14 January this year. The Government refused to give time for that motion to be debated last week and it was due to be debated here this evening and tomorrow evening. I am glad that in response, a timeframe has now been set down which will bring to an end the life of this Dáil — although effectively on Thursday rather than tomorrow night — and through which we can be assured that a general election will be held and that the people will have the opportunity of deciding the future of the country. The Labour Party is opposed to the Finance Bill, as we have made abundantly clear. However, we have been consistent in saying that we would be prepared to allow time for it to be debated in the Dáil and for the membership of the Dáil to make its decision on it, while stating that the Finance Bill itself, or any other measure, could not be used to further delay and drag out the holding of the general election and the provision of an opportunity to the people to make a decision about the future of this country. People all over the country want things to move on. We want to have a fresh start and get rid of the difficulties, despair and despondency we have seen for far too long. We want to recover hope and confidence and the sense of a new future. This Order of Business sets the timeframe. It is going to be done this week and the Labour Party accepts that this is the way it should be done, with a clear time- frame, an end to this Dáil and Government and a general election so the people can decide. Deputy John Gormley: On 22 November last the Green Party decided it could no longer continue in Government and that it was an absolute necessity that the country had a general election early in the new year.