Haughey, Charles J.Wednesday, 27 January 1988 |
Dáil Eireann Debate
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Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Legislation on Archaeological Objects.
In consultation with the National Museum, the Office of Public Works and the Attorney General's Office, my Department are drawing up the heads of the legislation required to deal with this complex mat...
Yes.
I think that would be helpful.
It would be better if we could frame legislation which would fit in with the present constitutional requirements.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Derrynaflan Chalice.
The total legal costs incurred by the State in the Derrynaflan case have not yet been costed. I do not think it is in the public interest to give details regarding the negotiations for such awards. ...
As I said, I do not wish to disclose the ins and outs of the development. This matter went on over a long time with many comings and goings. However, the Deputy will appreciate that the Department's ...
I am inclined to go along with the Deputy and I think most Deputies in the House will be in agreement that the present situation is very unsatisfactory. We have all been disturbed about developments ...
Most of what the Deputy says is in accordance with the facts.
That is a fairly valid point of view. On the other hand, the Deputy will agree that in this whole area it is important to keep a balance. We would like to see the State's rights fully adhered to and...
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Museum of Modern Art.
I have recently established an advisory committee to advise on the permanent arrangements to be made for the establishment and running of the new National Gallery of Modern Art at the Royal Hospital, ...
The answer to the last part of the question is “certainly”. I emphasise that this is only an interim committee to look into this situation and decide what sort of arrangement should be made. A total...
It is really a technical committee with Pádraig Ó hUigínn, Secretary of the Department of the Taoiseach; Mr. Pat Murphy who, as the Deputy knows is a member of the Arts Council and Chairman of ROSC; M...
I will draw their attention to that matter.
It is very necessary that there should be cross-fertilisation.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Taoiseach's Official Visits Abroad.
I propose to take Questions Nos. 4 to 7, inclusive, together. As a visit by me to Australia for St. Patrick's Day was not definitely decided upon at any stage there is no question of its being postpo...
The most immediate area of benefit to us would be Australian investment here but there are other areas in which we could hope to develop mutually beneficial trading relations.
I am glad to be able to tell the Deputy that those arrangements are already in place. We have been working on that for some considerable time and it will now be possible for people to fly to European...
Arrangements were agreed between British Airways, Aer Lingus and Qantas and I think other arrangements are contemplated.
The Deputy should agree with me that we are all very glad the agreement is now in place and not be having any little carping criticisms. Perhaps there should be a vote of congratulations to the Govern...
The Deputy himself might be part of that problem.
I, other Ministers and, in particular, my colleague, the Minister for Tourism and Transport, are very much in touch with the situation and are endeavouring to try to get as wide a range of access air ...
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Offices and Responsibilities of Ministers of State.
The separate offices established for some Ministers of State are as follows: Department of Agriculture and Food, (i) Office of the Minister for Food, (ii) Office of the Minister for Horticulture; Depa...
It will be a combination of factors. First, much will depend on the calibre of the Ministers concerned and I am very happy about that. Secondly, establishing an office gives a clear indication of fo...
These offices have succeeded in pulling together in a concentrated way all the different functions relating to the different sectors. The Deputy knows for instance, that in the food sector, until thi...
We have initiated a system whereby from time to time we have Government meetings which are of an omnibus character to review the whole economic spectrum, particularly the development sectors of the ec...
No. In some cases, yes, but that is something that will evolve. At the moment in most cases a specific part of the Government Minister's budget is allocated to the junior Minister and he or she is g...
There is some substance in that.
Stridency will never be part of my behaviour.
Yes.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Discussions with SDLP Leader.
I have meetings with representatives of the SDLP from time to time as part of the normal process of consultation on Government policy in relation to Northern Ireland. I have the greatest respect for t...
I have complete confidence in the judgment of the leader of the SDLP and I am prepared to accept his assessment that such a meeting was beneficial.
Mr. John Hume, the leader of the SDLP has, I understand, briefed most of the political leaders in this House on the visit and has given an assessment——
No. I suggest that if the Deputy wishes to have a briefing from John Hume he should seek a meeting with him. As far as I am concerned the leader of the SDLP has given a fairly widespread account to ...
I could not specifically assure the Deputy at this stage, nor would the leader of the SDLP attempt to say that there will be a particular advantage from the meeting. John Hume has frequently said tha...
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - European Council Agenda.
I would refer the Deputy to my statement in this House on 8 December last when I reported on the European Council in Copenhagen on 4-5 December. In that statement, I mentioned that the main purpose of...
As the Deputy knows, it is always very difficult in Community affairs to forecast what the outcome may be, but there is a widespread determination to make this February summit meeting succeed.
No decision on that has been taken yet.
As the Deputy knows, such meetings, if they are to take place, are never heard of in advance.
The Deputy will be informed in due course.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Census of Population.
Perhaps I should explain that I was trying to ascertain the depth of Deputy O'Malley's anxiety about this matter.
Order of Business.
It is proposed to take items Nos. 9 and 10. It is also proposed that the Dáil shall sit later than 9 p.m. today and shall adjourn not later than 12 midnight to enable the Financial Resolutions, with ...
I am aware of the widespread feeling there is in the House about these issues and I can assure you, Sir, and Deputy Dukes, that it would be my wish to facilitate Deputies to the greatest extent possib...
Financial Resolutions, 1988. - Financial Statement, Budget, 1988.
You will not.
You will support nothing.
You said you were going to vote against the PRSI.
You have not the guts to vote for the closing of one hospital throughout the country. You are a crowd of frauds.
You know that is rubbish.
You are a most mischievous, irresponsible person.
Are you recommending any?
You did not do it at all, you were afraid to do it.
You set it up, my eye.
You were there for four years and you were afraid to take it on.
You ran away from practically everything.
You are only an old begrudger on the ditch.
But you did not do anything.
That is all the Deputy ever got, estimates, but we have brought in the scheme. The Deputy was in Government for four years and he did nothing about this.
I should like to ask the Chair to try to dissuade the Deputy from uttering untruths.
What is wrong with the Deputy is that we brought in this scheme and he failed to do it. The great social reformer ran away from this and that is what is wrong with him.
Practically everything.
Could we get back to the brief statement by the Deputy?
The Deputy is now referring to something that is not in the budget.
You will find some reason for voting against it.
That is what they say.
No, I will be here.
The Deputy is stirring it up.
Financial Resolutions, 1988. - Financial Resolution No. 1: Excise — Tobacco Products
I move: (1) THAT in this Resolution— “the Act of 1977” means the Finance (Excise Duty on Tobacco Products) Act, 1977 (No. 32 of 1977); “cigarettes”, “cigars”, “hard pressed tobacco”, “other pipe toba...
I have a lot of useless information here and I will give it to the Leader of the main Opposition party for what it is worth. First, cigarettes account for approximately 93.5 per cent of total excise ...
He is only a recent convert.
I have some more information for the Deputy on the question he asked about the EC situation. The duty structure on cigarettes is laid down by EC directive and applies in all EC states. It combines bo...
Marginal.
They will keep puffing away.
We have always said year after year that we are getting to the point of diminishing returns——
——but it has never yet emerged in the case of tobacco. I would think that from now on the general campaign against cigarette smoking on medical grounds will have an effect. I would like to be able ...
The Deputy could accept that all Ministers for Finance in recent years have had regard to the health aspects involved. I do not think any Minister for Finance could be accused of protecting the reven...
Financial Resolutions, 1988. - Financial Resolution No. 2: Excise — Hydrocarbons
I move Financial Resolution No. 2: (1) THAT in this Resolution—
I could always go to Swatragh.
I might give some pieces of information Deputies have been seeking. First, many Deputies who spoke about this matter are ignoring the very important, significant difference between now and 1986, that...
——an objective difference apart from a subjective one is of course, that the price of petrol is now on the way down. By this we are not really putting up the price of petrol at all as was the case in...
On this occasion all the Minister for Finance is doing is taking the benefit into the Exchequer of a major reduction in the price of petrol. My information is that another decrease in the price is on...
I am somewhat disappointed at the two Border Deputies. Both of them should know that this Government acted very positively, efficiently and decisively as soon as coming into office to help traders alo...
Not a lot. Let me come to the question of fact posed by Deputy Dukes. First of all, we calculate that one third of motor vehicles can use unleaded petrol and, of the remainder, some would need a sli...
It is a bit nauseating for me to listen to Deputy Mac Giolla weeping for the PAYE taxpayer, going on at great length about the vicissitudes borne by the PAYE taxpayer, the hardships imposed on the PAY...
This is the traditional way of doing it.
It has been done in this way in almost every budget I can remember.
In regard to CIE and their exemption, it is important to state that all the private bus operators can get this exemption also.
No, 25 to 30 private companies can also benefit.
The only thing I can say at this stage is that our time is up and I will be speaking on the budget and I will try to deal with all these various points and questions which have been raised.
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