Oireachtas round-up

The implications of the Mahon tribunal, bogs, scrap metal and access to future European bail-out funds dominated Dáil proceedings, while the Government lost a vote taken in the Finance Committee.

A parliament which is becoming accustomed to assuring its place in history ended the month with a debate on another momentous event in Ireland’s story: the Mahon tribunal.

According to Eamon Gilmore, the report is “little short of devastating” because of the systemic corruption in the planning system in Dublin. He added that corruption was “overwhelmingly a Fianna Fáil problem”.

Micheál Martin admitted that many within Fianna Fáil acted “infamously”. He said the party had been held to account and his message to the public was “there is no task I take more seriously than fixing my party.”

Joan Burton’s call for the European Union to allow Ireland to restructure the promissory notes for Anglo Irish Bank and Irish Nationwide (saying a reduction in cost would help to pass the referendum on the Fiscal Compact) was reportedly criticised by her Cabinet colleagues. Asked by Shane Ross to comment on Burton’s Financial Times interview, Eamon Gilmore insisted that they were two separate issues. On 22 March, Michael Noonan revealed that long-term Irish Government bonds were a possibility as an alternative. At the time of going to print, a decision had yet to be announced.

The Tánaiste came under fire when Sinn Fein’s Peadar Tóibín asked him to admit that he has become the Minister for emigration and that “emigration is now a central policy platform of the Government to tackle unemployment.” He lamented that “families are currently fire-selling their houses and the GAA generation is being deleted from communities throughout this country.” Gilmore denied this and reiterated that, in order to create jobs, the Government must restore the country’s reputation to get investment back into the country.

Mattie McGrath’s Scrap and Precious Metal Dealers Bill was prompted by the increasing and often “traumatic” stories of the theft of copper, silver and gold. His constituents “prayed to St Anthony or whoever” following the theft of a safe from Holycross Abbey in Tipperary, which is said to contain relics of the true cross. “That the thieves stooped so low, were so blatant and so uncaring set a new low,” the independent TD commented.

McGrath was glad that a Friday sitting had been introduced, giving him, and other opposition members, the chance to introduce new bills. Due to worries about the impact the Bill would have on legitimate business, Justice Minister Alan Shatter would not support sending it to committee stage.

The Technical Group was more successful when its motion, aimed at resolving the long-running controversy over 57 bogs, designated as areas of special conservation by the EU in 2000, was accepted by the Government. The motion, moved by Luke Ming Flanagan, asked that the proposals from the Turf Cutters and Contractors Association be brought to the European Commission. Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht Jimmy Deenihan concluded: “The motion and the Government’s amendment are similar and have the same intention. In a spirit of partnership, co-operation and trust, I will withdraw the amendment.”

Continuing the environmental theme, Fianna Fáil’s Timmy Dooley asked Energy Minister Pat Rabbitte when he expects to receive the Environmental Protection Agency’s report on fracking and if he intends to publish a green or white paper on the subject. The Minister said that desk-based research is currently under way at the University of Aberdeen, commissioned by the EPA. When it is finished, a working group of departmental and EPA officials will conduct more extensive work in 2012. He quipped: “Although my hair is grey with the subject, I have no plans to publish either a green or white paper at this stage.”

Referring to the Government’s decision to sell the power-generation capacity of ESB, parts of Bord Gáis and to consider disposing of some of Coillte’s assets (such as its two board mills, but not its lands), Brendan Howlin tried to appease critics who say he is selling off the family silver. “In reality, what family, if faced with real financial difficulties and a substantial amount of debt, would not consider drawing on whatever assets and investments it had to reduce its vulnerability?” he asked. This prompted Fianna Fáil’s Sean Fleming to accuse him of “telling families in financial difficulties that they should consider drawing on the value of their family homes to reduce their vulnerability.”
Referring to the Government’s first annual report on the Programme for Government (which didn’t include ‘report cards’ on each Minister as the Taoiseach had previously promised), Senator Darragh O’Brien told the Seanad: “The Government’s report card overall should state ‘must do better’ and perhaps it should be awarded a D+.”

Following Éamon Ó Cuív’s resignation as Fianna Fáil deputy leader over the party’s backing of the fiscal compact, the Galway West TD was suspended from the Dáil on 21 March for refusing to stop reading his prepared speech on water regulation. During Ó Cuív’s suspension, Ceann Comhairle Seán Barrett stated on the record his disappointment “that people are supporting ongoing complete disregard for the Chair. It is appalling.” Claims by Fine Gael’s Seán Kyne that this was a pre-determined move by Ó Cuív to avoid voting on the Sinn Féin motion on the Fiscal Compact Treaty’s ‘blackmail clause’ were later rejected by the Fianna Fáil TD. That Sinn Féin motion was defeated 85-37 with Fianna Fáil TDs voting with Sinn Féin.

A US delegation, led by former Speaker and current Democratic leader of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi, was welcomed to Leinster House on 14 March. The delegation discussed the world recession, Europe, the Irish economy, renewable energy, Northern Ireland and the undocumented Irish in America, with the Ceann Comhairle.

The Government embarrassingly lost a vote in the Finance Committee. The vote arose from Fine Gael TD Peter Matthews’ letter calling for the Governor of the Central Bank, Patrick Honohan to address the committee within 10 days on the promissory note discussions. However, a whip was applied and Matthews had to vote against his own proposal.

Meanwhile, a Fine Gael parliamentary party meeting was taking place, meaning that not enough TDs made it to the committee room to vote. In addition, the doors were locked, which is protocol when a vote is taking place. The vote was private but Fianna Fáil Senator Thomas Byrne tweeted that the result was 11 to nine in favour of the motion.

Bills before the Oireachtas

Date	Private members’ motion	Outcome
6-7 March	Submit a national raised bog restoration plan to the European Commission and work with the Commission to resolve the problems faced by the owners of the 57 raised bogs designated as special areas of conservation (Technical Group)	Agreed
13-14 March	Tackle the escalating mortgage arrears crisis by using all means possible to reduce the standard variable interest rate being charged by Permanent TSB on its residential customers (Fianna Fáil)	Defeated: 79-42
21-22 March	Do not bring forward the proposed European Communities Act (Amendment) Bill 2012 and the proposed European Stability Mechanism Bill 2012 until after the Fiscal Compact Treaty referendum (Sinn Féin)	Defeated: 85-37

House	Bill	Stage
Dáil	Scrap and Precious Metal Dealers Bill 2011: to implement stricter controls on the purchasing, selling, trading, and transferring for value more than three times per year of second-hand precious or scrap metal (Mattie McGrath, Independent)	Defeated: 92-43
Dáil	Entrepreneur Visa Bill 2012: to establish an employment based immigrant visa for entrepreneurs from outside the European economic area who have received significant capital from investors to establish a business in the Republic of Ireland (Willie O’Dea, Fianna Fáil)	Order for second stage
Dáil	Freedom of Information (Amendment) Bill 2012: to bring NAMA under the Act (Pearse Doherty, Sinn Féin)	Order for second stage
Dáil	Local Government (Superannuation) (Consolidation) Scheme 1998 (Amendment) Bill 2012: to end added years and special severance gratuity payments for city and county managers of local authorities (Mary Lou McDonald, Sinn Féin)	Order for second stage
Dáil	Comptroller and Auditor General (Amendment) Bill 2012: To outline the remit of the Comptroller and Auditor General and introduce various timeframes for response to the Committee of Public Accounts (John McGuinness, Fianna Fáil)	Order for second stage
Dáil	Local Government (Household Charge) (Repeal) Bill 2012 (Brian Stanley, Sinn Féin)	Presented
Seanad	Employment Equality (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2012: to prohibit the compulsory retirement at the age of 65 years of age except in limited circumstances (Senator Mary White, Fianna Fáil)	Introduced
Seanad	Privacy Bill 2012:  to provide for a tort of violation of privacy (Senators Sean D Barrett, David Norris and Feargal Quinn)	Introduced

Seanad motions

Date	Seanad motions	Outcomes
6 March	To approve the option of discretion by the State in relation to the European Union’s adoption and application of the Justice Programme (2014-2020) and the Asylum and Migration Fund (Senator Maurice Cummins, Fine Gael)	Agreed
7 March	To call on the Health Minister to introduce a clinical care programme specifically for patients with rare diseases and examine the development of a registry for rare diseases (Senator Colm Burke, Fine Gael)	Agreed
21 March	To criticise the Government for reversing its position on a number of election pledges and for failing to implement commitments contained in the Programme for Government and to call on it to: deal with mortgage arrears; create jobs; stop upward only rent reviews; stop social welfare cuts; reverse the third level fee increase; protect education services for vulnerable people; set a date for the children’s referendum; reverse the closure of four army barracks; and implement a complete ban on corporate donations. (Senator Darragh O’Brien,Fianna Fáil)	Passed: 29-12