Dáil committees and Irish Water legislation
Pearse Doherty asks when joint committees will be established and presses for progress on forthcoming legislation. The Tánaiste says committee formation will take several weeks and expects Irish Water legislation to pass both Houses before the summer recess.
I am looking forward to the debate on Thursday in regard to the changes to the Order. Perhaps we will need to look again at page 27, when we have sanctions for Ministers who refuse to answer questions, and provide that this will extend to Leaders' Questions, given the Tánaiste's refusal to answer simple questions on the Higgins report.
When is it anticipated joint committees will be formed, which will allow for legislation to be considered? We are discussing forthcoming legislation here, but it appears, judging by the number of moving parts, that it may be from four to five weeks before committees are established and can get down to dealing with committee work on legislation that will be resubmitted on the Order Paper and which is ready for Committee Stage. Can the Tánaiste give us an indication of the timeframe in that regard?
On the commitment in the programme for Government to bring forward legislation to suspend the application of water charges, will the Tánaiste outline to the Dáil when it is intended that legislation will be brought forward? A commitment was made to do it within six weeks, but will she elaborate on that commitment? When is it intended this legislation will have passed both Houses of the Oireachtas? Given the six weeks for bringing forward the legislation, this leaves only four weeks before the summer recess. It appears very ambitious that this legislation will be enacted before the summer recess. Therefore, this will allow another two full cycles of Irish Water billing to take place in the meantime. Will the Tánaiste inform the Dáil on these two issues?
Comment on this
The establishment of the new committees is linked with the Dáil reform programme which contains proposals on the number and range of committees we need in place. The Whip assures me that work is ongoing on the establishment of the committees, but that will take a number of weeks.
On the legislation in regard to Irish Water which is expected shortly, I expect and it is the intention that it will go through the Dáil before the summer recess.