Today in Leinster House: November 22, 2012

ENDA’S OFF to Brussels to try and further the cause of Ireland’s economic reform, and while he’s away there’s a distinctly financial tone to today’s events. 9:30am – Committee on Health and Children – The day kicks off in Room 2, where members of the Irish Premature Babies Organisation will be present to mark World Premature Day; […]

Today in Leinster House: November 21, 2012

ALL EYES WILL be on the big Dáil vote at 9pm – on whether to accept Sinn Féin’s demand that Ireland immediately legislate for the X Case – but there are plenty of other items on today’s agenda which should also merit attention (though not nearly to the same degree). 9:30am – Committee on Justice, […]

Today in Leinster House: November 20, 2012

THE OIREACHTAS WEEK actually began yesterday, with a visit from a European Commissioner, but the business in the Dáil tonight and tomorrow evening will – for a myriad obvious reasons – grab all the attention, and rightly so. 1:30pm – Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation – The day begins in Room 2, where members […]

Today in Leinster House: November 15, 2012

THE DÁIL’S agenda is once again eaten up with legislation, but that’s not to say that there’s quite a few important discussions happening elsewhere… 9:30am – Committee on Health and Children – It’s quite unusual for motions to be put in front of Oireachtas committees, but this is a high-profile exception. Consultant oncologist Prof John Crown […]

Today in Leinster House: November 14, 2012

THE DÁIL’S day is largely eaten up by two major pieces of legislation, but there’s plenty going on elsewhere… 9:30am – Committee on Transport and Communications – The day begins in Room 4, where officials from the National Roads Authority will discuss strategic developments in maintaining and developing Ireland’s roads network, including links across the border […]

Today in Leinster House: November 13, 2012

THIS PARLIAMENTARY TUESDAY is a little more crowded that usual; an extra multitude of committee meetings that the day features many more third parties than usual, and more fora for them to appear in. 11:30am – Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade – One of the hot topics of the season, Ireland’s overseas aid, gets […]

Today in Leinster House: November 7, 2012

WELL, IN THIS BRAVE new world in which we have woken up – in which Barack Obama has secured himself another four years as the leader of the free world – it’s back to the humdrum of everyday life in Leinster House, as the Seanad resumes its business and the committees get into full swing. […]

Today in Leinster House: October 25, 2012

AFTER A PRETTY CRAMMED week it’s back to a relatively slim agenda for today, as the Seanad discusses last week’s event in Brussels and the Dáil discusses the state of the Irish economy. 9:30am – Committee on Health and Children – We start in Room 2, where all four (did you know there were four?) health insurers […]

Today in Leinster House: October 24, 2012

THE DAIL formally starts talking about last week’s events in Brussels today, and (perhaps by design, perhaps by coincidence) spends the rest of the next two days discussing the state of the Irish economy. Still loads elsewhere, though… 10:00am – Committee on Education and Social Protection – In Room 3 the TUI and other teaching bodies […]

Today in Leinster House: October 23, 2012

ASIDE FROM THE inevitable fallout from Frau Merkel’s comments last Friday lunchtime in Brussels, this week will be unusually dominated by the Public Accounts Committee – the toothsome Dáil committee which is meeting no fewer than three times this week. It’s keeping an eye on allowances paid at various levels (including, today, to politicians. Ho […]