I want to ask about the Immigration Residence and Protection Bill 2010, the Public Health (Alcohol) Bill 2013 and the health reform Bill, which I will deal with first. There were 518 patients on trolleys in hospitals across the State yesterday, including in Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, which had 30. Today there are 40 on trolleys there and the overall figure is 511. This is the seventh highest number since the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation, INMO, started keeping records. When will the health reform Bill be published? Will the Bill include provisions to deliver the recommendations of the Health Information and Quality Authority, HIQA, which I have raised before and which has not been implemented.

The Immigration Residence and Protection Bill 2010 sets out the legislative framework for the management of inward migration to this State. I raised this with the Taoiseach last week. There are 4,000 asylum seekers. We are both agreed that our people, who have been forced to emigrate, should be treated properly yet I have seen at first hand the hardship of asylum seekers. Can the Taoiseach confirm the progress of this Bill? Has the Government met with groups such as the Irish Refugee Council and Nasc which have made numerous criticisms of the Bill?

Yesterday the Minister for Health published the heads of the Public Health (Alcohol) Bill 2013 but he did not publish a date for it to be brought forward. The interest and advocacy groups and people who are concerned about the hazardous consumption of alcohol and the culture of binge drinking have given it a cautious welcome. The Government had a view on the sports organisations, and the Minister for Health claimed yesterday that there was support for a ban on alcohol sponsorship of sporting events but it appears this will not be in the Bill. Can the Taoiseach confirm or clarify whether it will be in the Bill?

The Deputy’s first question was about the date of approval of the draft terms of reference in respect of Mr. Guerin’s report. That was 19 November, which will save me writing to the Deputy.

The health reform Bill will be introduced later this year. The Public Health (Alcohol) Bill was approved by Government yesterday and that deals with putting in place a statutory footing for the code of conduct that is already in place. The question of sports sponsorship being associated with the marketing and advertising will be dealt with in a way that does not allow for the deliberate targeting of children and will also deal with the structural separation within outlets where drink is available taking into account that price and availability are the two principal causes of access to drink which can lead to over-indulgence and health problems.

The Immigration Residence and Protection Bill 2010, Committee Stage, was restored to the Order Paper by the Government. That Bill is intended to replace immigration law dating back to 1935, notably the Aliens Act, as it was called, which was intended to provide a single code of law on entry into, and presence in, the State of people from other countries. The Bill is intended to meet the objectives of the programme for Government, to introduce comprehensive reforms of the immigration residency and asylum systems, which will include a statutory appeals system and set out rights and obligations in a transparent way. The Bill comprises ten different parts with a total of 168 sections, over 50 of which deal with the protection issues under part 8. There has been a lot of activity around this. In the intervening period the issues of asylum and direct provision have gained momentum and the Minister for Justice and Equality has been mandated to fast-track a separate international protection Bill to meet several particular and immediate concerns while work will continue on the broader immigration Bill. I can update Deputy Adams as necessary.