It is proposed to take Nos. 3, 16, 8, 17 and 18.

It is also proposed that the Dáil shall sit later than 9 p.m. today and business shall be interrupted at 11 p.m.

It is further proposed that No. 8 shall be taken without debate.

It is further proposed that the proceedings on the Report and Final Stages of No. 16 and the Committee and Remaining Stages of No. 17 shall be brought to a conclusion, if not previously concluded, at 8 p.m. and 11 p.m. respectively by one question which shall be put from the Chair and which shall, in each case, in relation to amendments, include only amendments set down by the Minister for Communications.

It is further proposed that there shall be no Private Members' Business this week.

I must now ask if the proposal for the late sitting today is agreed? Agreed.

Is the proposal that Item No. 8 be taken without debate agreed? Agreed.

Are the proposals for dealing with Items Nos. 16 and 17 agreed? Agreed.

Is the proposal that there shall be no Private Members' Business this week agreed? Agreed.

It will take me a moment to explain the matter I want to raise but I can assure the Ceann Comhairle it is in order and I hope he will find it in order. Last November the Oireachtas Joint Committee on the Secondary Legislation of European Communities reported on the Product Liability Directive from the EC and recommended that it should be introduced to the Oireachtas by primary legislation. That report was followed up by a letter to the Minister for Industry and Commerce who answered a Parliamentary Question from me on 31 May.

He said he intended to introduce the legislation to this House and considered that it was very important. Unfortunately, 31 July is the implementation date which the EC has laid down for this legislation to be brought into operation in all member states and I understand our nearest neighbour Britain has already brought it in. I want to ask the Taoiseach if this legislation will come before the House before the EC deadline; if not, have we informed the European Commission and our partners in Europe that it will not be and when will the legislation be introduced in the House?

The legislation is in course of preparation but I cannot tell the Deputy when it will be introduced or enacted.

Have we informed our EC partners that we cannot do it?

That matter does not yet arise.

I want to ask a question wih regard to promised legislation. During the last fortnight there have been a number of unfortunate incidents of serious pollution, including ones in counties Longford, Kilkenny, Meath and elsewhere and the pollution of a river in County Longford by a lethal dose of cyanide. The Minister for the Environment, during the course of his contribution on the Department of the Environment Estimate on Friday, indicated that soon there would be legislation to deal with this very serious, degenerating problem. I know he is concerned about this problem but I wonder what is the prospect of having legislation to deal with this extremely serious problem as soon as possible so that we will not have a repetition of last summer's disasters?

I am not sure that legislation has been specifically promised.

I was here and I can assure the Taoiseach that it was.

The position with regard to pollution generally is that a number of measures in regard to the problem have been taken on a number of different fronts and any further legislation envisaged will not be before the Dáil during this session.

May I raise on the Adjournment the proposed sale of the Sunbeam Wolsey factory in Cork which employs 427 people, Kerry Fashions, in Tralee which employs 200 people, the Eldora company in Bandon which employs 60 people, Mountmellick Textiles which employs 75 people and Ballet International in Dublin which employs 300 people——

I will communicate with the Deputy.

——because of the takeover of the Crowther company in England. I wish to ask also what steps the Minister for Industry and Commerce proposes to take to safeguard the jobs of the people in these industries.

The Deputy need not elaborate now.

I wish to raise on the Adjournment the death of a person in my constituency as a result of a fire, the suggestion that there was poor water pressure in the area and subsequent complaints about poor water pressure in the Dublin area generally.

I will communicate with the Deputy.

(Limerick East): May I ask the Taoiseach when it is intended to introduce the statutory regulations which were promised in the course of the Finance Bill debate consequent on the extension of withholding tax to voluntary health insurance payments which became law yesterday.

The regulations are in the course of preparation at present.

(Limerick East): I am sure they are and the Taoiseach said that with absolute conviction but my question was when will they be introduced.

At the earliest possible moment.

(Limerick East): In view of the fact that medical consultants have already commenced a campaign against the extension of the withholding tax and, as it became law yesterday, may I ask the Taoiseach if he will treat the introduction of the regulations as a matter of urgency?

Certainly.

With regard to the reply the Taoiseach gave to Deputy Keating about pollution legislation, could the Taoiseach or the Minister for the Environment tell us when the promised grants to assist farmers in dealing with pollution, which were promised by the Minister for the Environment, will be introduced, and can he also tell us something more about them?

Is this legislation promised?

That is not promised legislation.

Does that mean legislation is not necessary?

The Deputy will have to find a different way of raising this matter.

There are a number of Deputies offering and I want to facilitate them all if I can.

The Taoiseach should be careful about being frivolous because it sometimes lands him in trouble.

He will still risk it.

Is the Taoiseach saying that legislation is not necessary to bring in the grants to help farmers which were promised by the Minister for the Environment? I should like the Taoiseach to know that these grants are long overdue.

Deputy Proinsias De Rossa.

Can I ask the Taoiseach when it is proposed to reintroduce the Building Control Bill or could he indicate whether the Government have abandoned the idea of giving legislative backing to the building regulations?

We have by no means abandoned the legislation. It will be brought forward as soon as possible.

I wish to raise on the Adjournment the proposed planting within a matter of days, and with Government grant, of about 40 acres on the shores of Lough Gill which would completely obliterate the vantage viewing point for the Lake Isle of Inisfree and do away with an amenity area designated by An Foras Forbartha.

I will communicate with the Deputy.

I wish to raise on the Adjournment the administration of the aliens section within the Department of Justice, the total absence of any guidelines to people applying for residents' permits or other permits relating to residency and the extraordinary hardship that is caused as a consequence of those delays?

I will communicate with the Deputy.

I wish to raise on the Adjournment the decision by the Government to delay the payment of grants in the environmental area by the Department of the Environment and the Department of Agriculture. It seems the only grant available is the slush fund from the national lottery.

I will communicate with the Deputy.

May I ask the Taoiseach if any change is envisaged in the legislation with regard to fishing licences in view of the ——

Please, Deputy Kenny, desist forthwith.

——statement on the ——

Order, please.

I wish to raise on the Adjournment the total failure of the Government to take any action to protect either taxpayers' money or workers' jobs from the treacherous act of moving a factory out of this country to another country.

I will communicate with Deputy Mac Giolla. Is the Order of Business agreed to? Agreed.