2016 Estimates and judicial counsel Bill
Thomas Broughan asks about the timing of the true 2016 Estimates and whether judicial counsel legislation is urgent, while also referring to modular housing. The Minister says the Estimates will be genuine, judicial counsel legislation is planned this session, and modular housing does not currently require legislation.
I have three brief questions. Will next week's Estimates be the real Estimates for 2016 or will we actually get the 2016 Estimates afterwards? Since we changed to an October budget, we are in a situation where several of us in the Opposition have made submissions to the Ministers, Deputies Howlin and Noonan. When are the real 2016 Estimates available?
Is the judicial counsel Bill a red-line piece of legislation, given that the Chief Justice and others have called for it to be implemented urgently?
The Minister is a northsider and he might remember that we had modular housing in a number of places on the northside. The problem was that people were left living in those modular units, prefabs, for decades. It was the task of people in politics to try to resolve that. I do not think that is the solution. The Minister, Deputy Kelly, seemed to be moving towards that position with Fr. McVerry. We should declare a housing emergency. We have all been calling for it.
Comment on this
I have no doubt that the Estimates that will be published and dealt with in the Houses will be real. Judicial counsel legislation is planned for this session. The issue of modular housing does not touch on legislation, unless it is determined that legislation might be necessary. Things have moved on a great deal in terms of our housing provision since the issue the Deputy is talking about.
Comment on this
Does the Minister remember that era?