12.Oct.2011 at 12 | Gavan Reilly
Today in Leinster House: October 12, 2011 [updated]
[Updated, 15.48]
As with yesterday, today’s business in the two houses is largely taken up with procedural stuff – meaning that the meat of the action will actually take place in committees.
Nonetheless, here’s what the day has in store:
9:30am – Jobs, Social Protection and Education – The day begins in Room 3, when members meet reps from social investment group Clann Credo to be briefed on social finance, and on corporate responsibility by other reps.
10:00am – Communications, Natural Resources and Agriculture – In Room 4, meanwhile, members are briefed on proposed amendments to the Environmental Impact Assessment laws on both a domestic and European level.
10:30am – Leaders’ Questions – The Dáil’s marquee event sees Enda Kenny respond to barbs from Gerry Adams, Micheal Martin and the technical group.
10:30am – Order of Business – Upstairs in the Seanad, meanwhile, members will begin the daily discussion on whatever items takes their fancy.
10:51am – Order of Business – This item will inevitable not happen until closer to 11am, but once leaders’ questions isw out of the day, TDs will approve the day’s sitting agenda.
11:21am – Pre-European Council Statements – This item was scheduled before Herman van Rompuy decided to delay next week’s summit of European leaders. Nonetheless, TDs have 65 minutes to discuss their hopes for the summit.
11:45am – Motion regarding the 116000 Missing Children Hotline – The marquee item of the day upstairs is an all-party motion calling on Alan Shatter and Frances Fitzgerald to formulate a plan of action to provide the missing children’s hotline. The 116000 number has been reserved for years, but no parties have come forward to supply the service.
12:26pm – Central Bank and Credit Institutions (Resolution) (No 2) Bill 2011 (to conclude) – Continuing the theme laid down yesterday, TDs will get their final glance at the bill being put forward to correct some of the holes left out in Brian Lenihan’s original legislation.
1:00pm – Dormant Accounts (Amendment) Bill 2011 (second stage) – The Seanad gets the first airing of a new bill which dissolves the Dormant Accounts Board, and transfers its functions back to the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government.
2:00pm – Transport, Tourism and Sport (sub-committee) – Leo Varadkar talks members through the Road Traffic (No.2) Amendment Bill, which lowers the blood-alcohol limit for drink-drivers. Room 3.
2:30pm – Foreign Affairs and Trade – In Room 1, the European External Action Service’s chief operating officer David O’Sullivan briefs members on the function of his service, which is the EU’s centralised diplomatic organ.
2:30pm – Questions (Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation) – Richard Bruton takes Dáil questions on matters including emigration, the efforts to save the jobs at Aviva, how to find new jobs for the staff at TalkTalk, and reforming public procurement.
3:45pm – Topical Issues – Four issues, 12 minutes, and one minister for each. The Dáil is then suspended at 4:33pm.
5pm – Private Members’ Bill [Taoiseach’s nominees] – The six non-party nominees of Taoiseach Enda Kenny put forward a motion on the problem of female trafficking for sexual exploitation. Their motion proposes that the Government develop an ‘action plan’ of sorts to deal with the problems.
6pm – Private Members’ Business [Sinn Féin] – Sinn Féin’s motion on the Community and Voluntary Sector gets its second outing. The motion calls on the government to reverse cutbacks to the sectors, and to establish an All-Ireland Consultative Civic Forum as outlined in the Good Friday Agreement. Debate concludes at 7:30pm, with a vote shortly afterward, before the Dáil breaks for the night.
7pm – Matters on the Adjournment – Three daily topical issues are discussed before the Seanad calls it a night.
As always, all of the day’s business can be viewed on the streams:
- Dáil: Web stream, Facebook stream
- Seanad: Web stream, Facebook stream
- Committee Room 1: Web stream, Facebook stream
- Committee Room 2: Web stream, Facebook stream
- Committee Room 3: Web stream, Facebook stream
- Committee Room 4: Web stream, Facebook stream
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