Order of Business
- Order of Business 2 speeches
The Minister proposes the day’s and following Friday’s legislative business; the Ceann Comhairle says no further proposals are to be put.
Brendan Howlin, Seán Barrett
- Housing miscellaneous provisions bill 2 speeches
Barry Cowen seeks a firm timetable for the housing Bill, and the Minister says it will be published within weeks and debated before the summer recess.
Barry Cowen, Brendan Howlin
- Suicide prevention and mental health 18 speeches
Peadar Tóibín urges the Government to prioritise and resource suicide prevention after new figures showed ten suicides weekly. The Minister cites protected funding, €90 million in additional investment and 1,150 new mental-health posts; subsequent interruptions dispute claims about patients being turned away, prompting repeated calls for order.
Peadar Tóibín, Brendan Howlin, Dessie Ellis, Seán Barrett, Kathleen Lynch
- Planning Bill and estates in charge 3 speeches
Seán Ó Fearghaíl raises the conflict between local authorities’ estate-taking obligations and Irish Water’s responsibility for water services. The Ceann Comhairle limits discussion of the Bill’s contents, while the Minister promises a direct response and gives no publication date.
Seán Ó Fearghaíl, Seán Barrett, Brendan Howlin
- Housing Bill publication timetable 5 speeches
Dominic Hannigan seeks confirmation about the housing Bill on behalf of constituents; the Minister confirms publication within two weeks and before the summer recess.
Dominic Hannigan, Brendan Howlin
- Health transport supports Bill 2 speeches
Noel Harrington asks when legislation restoring mobility grants will arrive; the Minister says its heads have not yet reached Cabinet and will seek an update.
Noel Harrington, Brendan Howlin
- PIAB and Teaching Council bills 3 speeches
Bernard Durkan asks about Cabinet approval and publication dates for the personal injuries and Teaching Council Bills; the Minister says neither has reached Government and no timetable is set.
Bernard Durkan, Brendan Howlin, Seán Barrett
- Official Languages Amendment Bill 8 speeches
Michael Kitt questions the timetable for the Official Languages (Amendment) Bill after the Government dropped a proposed merger of the Language Commissioner and Ombudsman’s functions. The Minister says the heads were cleared in April, the Commissioner’s role will remain with the relevant Department, and the change will not delay the Bill, which is expected before the summer.
Michael P. Kitt, Brendan Howlin
It is proposed to take No. 4a, Electoral (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2014 - Second Stage (resumed). Tomorrow's fortnightly Friday business shall be No. 46, Broadcasting (Amendment) Bill 2014 - Second Stage; and No. 47, Land and Conveyancing Law Reform (Amendment) Bill 2013 - Second Stage.
Comment on this
In response to frequent questions from this side of the House on the housing (miscellaneous provisions) Bill, Government Members have assured us that it will be forthcoming this session. Given that the session will end in July, will the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform be more specific than those who have responded on this issue? The Minister of State at the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government, Deputy Jan O'Sullivan, has indicated that she is committed to addressing the crisis for local authorities. It is necessary for the Minister to be more specific in order that we can prepare our amendments to the Bill.
Comment on this
I am informed by the Minister of State, Deputy Jan O'Sullivan, that the Bill will be published in the next couple of weeks and debated in the House before the summer recess.
Comment on this
The programme for Government commits to early intervention for people with mental illness problems and to the detection and treatment of people at risk of suicide. According to figures published by Pieta House yesterday, ten people take their own lives every week in the State.
It calls for suicide to be given the same attention as road deaths. Will the Government now resource and prioritise this issue as it has committed to do in the programme for Government?
Comment on this
Suicide is one of the most challenging and real social problems we face and suicide prevention and mental health are priorities for the Government since coming to office. Not only have we provided and protected the funding allocated to the mental health sector, we have provided an additional €90 million to date and an additional 1,150 posts in both adult and child mental health services over the past few years. I am minded of the views of the Deputy. It is an issue for which we must have careful regard and even when other areas are under pressure, it is an area that we are determined to protect.
Comment on this
There is chaos out there in the accident and emergency departments.
Comment on this
People are getting turned away in the mental health.
Comment on this
It is true. I was in the hospital myself. It is true.
Comment on this
Yesterday I raised the question of the planning Bill, listed 86 on the Government legislation programme, in the context of a dilemma that exists whereby the Planning and Development Act 2000 states that local authorities, when taking estates in charge, must take all services in charge whereas the Act establishing Irish Water gives Irish Water responsibility for the water services. The result of the dilemma currently is that local authorities, such as that in County Kildare, are not taking estates in charge at all. Will that lacuna in the law be addressed via the planning Bill or will there be a protocol brought forward by Government as a matter of urgency to address the difficulty?
Comment on this
One cannot discuss the content of a Bill. Can the Minister tell me when the planning Bill is due?
Comment on this
There is not yet a date, as Deputy Ó Fearghaíl was informed, for its publication but I will ask the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government to communicate directly with him on the other matter he raised.
Comment on this
It may be that the Member for Laois-Offaly has already raised this; I am not quite sure. I wanted to ask the Minister about the housing (miscellaneous provisions) Bill. I now gather it was what Deputy Cowen raised and we got an answer. It is something that my constituents in Meath are concerned about.
Comment on this
I look forward to its publication in July.
Comment on this
It will be published within two weeks.
Comment on this
That is great. I thank the Minister.
Comment on this
When will the health (transport supports) Bill will come before the House to provide for the restoration of the mobility grants to the disability sector?
Comment on this
The heads have not yet come to Cabinet. I will ask the Minister to update the Deputy directly.
Comment on this
What is the progress in preparing the personal injuries assessment board (amendment) Bill to come before the House? Have the heads been approved by Cabinet and when is it expected the Second Reading will take place?
Similarly, have the heads of the teaching council (vetting and protection of children and vulnerable persons) Bill been approved by Cabinet and when is it likely to come before the House?
Comment on this
Deputy Durkan was lucky in the lotto for questions today, but not so lucky, unfortunately, in the Bills he has selected. Neither of those Bills, the PIAB Bill or the teaching council Bill, has yet come to Government and there is no set date when the Bills might be published.
Comment on this
Tá ceist agat faoi Bille na dteangacha oifigiúla (leasú), the official language (amendment) Bill. One of the recommendations of this Bill was to merge the functions of the Language Commissioner and the Ombudsman's office, among other issues. It was also going to abolish the Placenames Commission. I understand the merging of the Coimisinéir Teanga and the Ombudsman's office is not going ahead, and I welcome that. I do not know why the Government ever decided to try to merge those two bodies.
Comment on this
It was recommended by a committee that you set up.
Comment on this
No, Deputy Kitt's party in government.
Comment on this
I ask the Minister whether, now that the Government has decided not to merge the Coimisinéir Teanga and the Ombudsman's office, this will further delay the taking of this Bill.
Comment on this
The heads were cleared by Government on 4 April and we had a debate on that issue. I did not resist much in taking responsibility for answering to the Dáil for the Coimisinéir Teanga and it is appropriately left with an tAire Ealaíon, Oidhreachta agus Gaeltachta, where it will stay. That amendment will not delay the presentation of the Bill to the House.
Comment on this
Hopefully, before the summer session.