Publication of Government legislation
Deputy Martin asks when several promised Bills, including NTMA, cultural institutions and health legislation, will be published; the Taoiseach provides some projected dates and promises further information.
The Taoiseach might indicate when the National Treasury Management Agency (amendment )(No. 1) Bill will be published. This Bill is to enable the investment platform of the NTMA to be established on a statutory basis, including NewERA and the National Pensions Reserve Fund investments into the strategic investment fund. Given the developments in Bank of Ireland last week, and so forth, clarity around this Bill is important.
Will the Taoiseach indicate when the national cultural institutions (galleries) Bill will come forward? Has the Government at any stage considered reflecting on the amalgamation of the National Gallery, the Irish Museum of Modern Art and the Crawford Gallery?
With regard to forthcoming legislation on health, will the Taoiseach indicate when the commitment in the programme for Government to legislate for stem cell research will see legislation brought forward? Legislation was also promised in the programme for Government to clarify the law surrounding assisted human reproduction, including the law relating to parental relationships arising from assisted human reproduction. When does the Taoiseach expect the Minister to publish that Bill?
Will the Taoiseach indicate when the integrated care agency will be established and the legislation underpinning it published? When will the patient safety authority be established, given we are awaiting that legislation for quite some time? What is the position with the hospital insurance fund? Negotiations have commenced in regard to a new GP contract, which has been committed to in the programme for Government.
These are a minority of the issues that were solemnly committed to by the Government at the outset. Given we are nearly three years on, I want to know where we stand.
Comment on this
The Deputy asked about a long list of Bills. I will have to come back to him with regard to some of those in the health area. We hope to have the first Bill before we resume on 15 January. In respect of the second Bill, the heads were cleared in July of this year but I expect it will be mid-2014 before it is published. I do not have a date for legislation on stem cell research or assisted human reproduction, although this is part of the family relationships and children Bill which is scheduled for publication next year. The Deputy raised three or four health issues and I will give him a response on them tomorrow.