It is proposed to take Nos. 7, 8, 9 and 12. It is also proposed that the Dáil sit later than 9 p.m. today and business shall be interrupted at 10 p.m. It is further proposed that Nos. 7 and 9 shall be taken without debate. It is further proposed that the proceedings on No. 8 shall be brought to a conclusion not later than 4.15 p.m. It is further proposed that the Report and Final Stages of No. 12 shall be brought to a conclusion, if not previously concluded, at 10 p.m. by one question which shall be put from the Chair and which shall, in relation to amendments, include only amendments set down by the Minister for Finance. Private Members' Business shall be No. 28.

Is the proposal for the late sitting today agreed? Agreed. Is the proposal for dealing with No. 8 agreed? Are the proposals for dealing with No. 12 agreed? Agreed. Are the proposals for dealing with Nos. 7 and 9 agreed? Agreed.

Would the Taoiseach provide the House with some information with regard to the Child Care Bill? He has given me an assurance on a number of occasions in this House that it will be dealt with during this session. I understand from various newspaper reports, and indeed from rumours around the House, that it is proposed that a committee be established to deal with the Bill. If that is so, can he tell the House when the committee will be established and if there are difficulties establishing it, would he not agree to bring the Bill before the House in full Committee?

It distresses me a little to know that the leader of a party like The Workers' Party takes his information from rumours and media speculation. The Bill will be taken and completed this session.

The reason I am raising this matter with the Taoiseach is that all we have heard to date is rumour and speculation.

Sorry, Deputy, you may not enter into argument on the matter now.

The Taoiseach has now told us——

I am calling Deputy Dick Spring. The Deputy has made his point and he has had an answer.

——that the Bill will be brought——

Deputy De Rossa will resume his seat.

In relation to item No. 8 which is to be taken without debate and to which I have no objection, will the Taoiseach say if we can take it that by moving the writ for the Sligo-Leitrim by-election, and announcing a date for it there will not be a general election——

That is on the Order of Business for today, Deputy.

Yes, and it is being taken without debate.

No, it is not. We have until 4.15 p.m. to debate it.

There will be time for a short debate, I gather.

I wish to refer back to item No. 26, the Child Care Bill. In view of the rumour being put around by the Fianna Fáil Chief Whip, will the Taoiseach clarify whether this matter will be referred to a Committee of the House, and if it is not, will it be taken next week in this House? Will the Taoiseach prevail upon his Chief Whip to show a little more flexibility in relation to the formation of such a committee?

Repetition is a luxury we cannot afford on the Order of Business.

In fairness, I have a letter dated three weeks ago from my Whip to the Chief Whip, which remains unanswered——

Please Deputy Yates, resume your seat.

——and yet the Chief Whip is able to bad mouth my party in relation to holding up this Bill. It is quite disgraceful.

And he is misleading the Taoiseach as to what is happening.

Deputy Austin Deasy has been called.

Eighty years they have waited to have this matter legislated for.

I wish to raise on the Adjournment the question of financial assistance for the Butler Community Centre in St. John's Park, Waterford.

I will communicate with the Deputy. A large number of Deputies are offering, I will call Deputy Birmingham.

Will the Taoiseach let me know the position in relation to two items of legislation on education? What is the position with the legislation dealing with university status for Limerick and Glasnevin NIHEs? This has been raised a number of times in the House. Is the Taoiseach in a position at this stage to say with confidence that this year's final year students will benefit? In relation to the VEC area, comprehensive legislation has been promised to amend the VEC Act and to deal particularly with the regional technical colleges. When does the Taoiseach expect that legislation to be before the House?

The Bill dealing with the two universities in Dublin and Limerick should be along shortly, during this session. The other VEC Bill will not be taken during the session.

Will the Taoiseach say if he has now resolved the issue with the Minister for Social Welfare as to whether the Government are proceeding with amending legislation in view of the recent Supreme Court decision in the Hyland case? Will the Taoiseach indicate, if legislation is to be introduced, that it will not involve a reduction in the entitlements of social welfare recipients?

The Deputy should put down a question on that matter. Deputy Enright.

In relation to the promised legislation——

Deputy Enright.

The legislation was promised by the Minister for Social Welfare——

Which legislation?

The Minister for Social Welfare assures me that he did not promise any legislation.

I raised a question in the House relating to the serious subject matter of the television programmes and the 6 o'clock news on RTE last week which dealt with young Irish men and women who are working and living in subhuman conditions in Britain. The programme also highlighted that quite a large number of young men were being killed and injured on building sites in England. This has been a cause of concern——

Is the Deputy seeking to raise this matter with me in respect of the Adjournment debate perhaps?

This has been a cause of concern to many people.

I will communicate with the Deputy.

I seek permission to raise on the Adjournment the absence of an ambulance emergency service in Tralee, as highlighted in last week's Kerryman which indicated that 13 people lay dying as an ambulance plea failed.

I will be in touch with the Deputy about that matter.

I seek to raise two matters, one on the Adjournment and the other in relation to legislation. I wish to raise on the Adjournment the question of a doctor in my constituency who is a qualified anaesthetist but who, even though he is an Irish naturalised citizen, cannot prescribe as much as a cough bottle because of the legislation surrounding the Irish Medical Registration Council.

I will communicate with the Deputy concerning that matter.

When is it intended to introduce the promised legislation dealing with the Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General?

Not this session.

Will the Taoiseach inform the House when the review of Part III of the Extradition Act, 1965, will take place and when will the report be presented to the House? This report, in recent legislation, is to be presented——

The Deputy should put down a question concerning that matter.

It has been promised.

It is not appropriate on the Order of Business.

There is a statutory duty to present the report to the House as soon as possible after 1 January.

I have advised the Deputy how to proceed.

We are now into the middle of May and we have no report on the Extradition Act.

Deputy Joe Sherlock is offering.

Will the Taoiseach confirm that this report will be presented this session?

Deputy Sherlock.

Can I ask the Taoiseach or the Minister for Finance——

——whether the Minister for Finance has accepted or rejected the recommendation of the all-party committee on the distribution of the lottery funds.

The Deputy may raise that in another way. I am proposing now to take Item No. 7.

It could be announced at a press conference as soon as possible.

Order. Deputy Mary Flaherty.

I repeat my request of last week to raise on the Adjournment the dispute at Unidare in Finglas which has put 500 people out of work——

I will be in touch with the Deputy.

I am not sure if my question should be directed to the Taoiseach or to the Minister for the Environment——

Try me.

——but knowing the traditions of that party I will naturally address it to the Taoiseach.

You may be wrong.

Can I ask the Government——

——in view of the fact that there are four separate pieces of legislation at different Stages on the Order Paper from the Department of the Environment and a fifth Bill, the Water Pollution Bill coming from the Seanad, will the Taoiseach or the Minister consult with the Whips with a view to getting at least one of them enacted before the end of this session? There is no clear sense of priority coming to this side of the House as to which piece of legislation the Government wish to enact first. I assure the Government of our positive co-operation in relation to these matters, if we know in what direction the Government want to go——

The Deputy has made his point.

I assure the Deputy that the Minister for the Environment has a very clear and definite sense of priority.

We are not talking about the election now.

These Bills will be proceeded with in good order and as rapidly as possible. If the Opposition had been a little more co-operative and had dealt with the Building Societies Bill as we suggested, these Bills could be taken much sooner.

Item No. 7.

A Cheann Comhairle——

Sorry, Deputy Donnellan. I did not observe the Deputy.

My question is directed to the Chair.

I wish to raise on the Adjournment the subject matter of Question No. 123 on today's Order Paper.

I will be in touch with the Deputy about the matter.

I wish to raise on the Adjournment the subject matter of a question addressed to the Minister for the Environment re the designation of Clonmel for urban renewal.

I will communicate with the Deputy. We will take item No. 7 now.