agenda.ie a guide to what's going on in Leinster House

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 […]

WELCOME BACK. Though there’s been a couple of committee meetings in the last few weeks, the Oireachtas summer recess really ends today as the Dáil ends eight weeks of holidays – and gets its teeth into the weighty matter of whether James Reilly deserves to keep his job. So, without further ado… 1:30pm – Committee […]

The day is a quiet one, as stuff windows down for the long weekend, but nonetheless there’s still a few interesting bits and bobs going on… 9:30am – Communications, Natural Resources and Agriculture – In Room 3, Pat Rabbitte will put a procedural vote to win more powers for Sustainable Energy Ireland, before visitors from the […]

10:00am – Public Accounts Committee – Having held only a brief meeting behind closed doors last week, public hearings resume in Room 1 where members will be joined by Tom Moran, the secretary-general at the Department of Agriculture, and the chief executive of the Food Safety Authority of Ireland, Prof Alan Reilly. They will be discussing […]

10:00am – Public Accounts Committee – The day begins in Room 1, where members hear from Garda commissioner Martin Callinan on spending within the force, particularly on the matter of fingerprint systems. 10:00am – Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation (sub-committee) – Richard Bruton pops into Room 4 to discuss the Protection of Employees (Temporary Agency Work) Bill 2011, […]

It’s another busy day in Leinster House today, with a packed committee schedule and important legislation in either house… 10:00am – Environment, Transport, Culture and the Gaeltacht – In the first of two meetings today – and in two 50-minute sub-sections – members get to meet the incoming chairmen of two of Ireland’s port authorities. At […]

The Dáil’s Wednesday is taken up by some hefty debates on significant legislation, while there’s still plenty going on elsewhere. Here, then, is what’s in store: 9:30am – Jobs, Social Protection and Education – As is now the weekly norm, members get together in Room 2 to begin the Wednesday morning. They will hear submissions […]

You probably didn’t expect to see us around these parts on a Monday – but, then again, we didn’t expect to find ourselves here either. Truth be told, we don’t think many members of the Seanad would expect to be around on a Monday night either… 6pm – Water Services (Amendment) Bill 2011 (to conclude) […]

Today it’s the Seanad which is eaten up with legislation, while there are other miscellaneous bits elsewhere. 10:00am – Public Accounts Committee – Thursdays begin as they usually do – with the Public Accounts committee having a closer look at the reports of the Comptroller and Auditor General. Today the main topic is financial governance. Room […]

Day three of the week, and day two of the new term as far as the Dáil and Seanad are concerned. There’s another constitutional amendment up, and some more interesting committee business also on the agenda. Here’s what’s happening.