Order of Business (Continued)
  Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) (Amendment) Bill 2013: Second Stage (Resumed) [Private Members]

Tuesday, 7 May 2013

Dáil Éireann Debate
Vol. 802 No. 1

  5 o’clock

(Speaker Continuing)

[The Taoiseach:  ] The hospital groups have not been discussed by the Cabinet yet but I expect the Minister will bring his report and recommendations to Cabinet next week. It will be published immediately afterwards.

Deputy Gerry Adams:   The Minister has had the report for some time.

The Taoiseach:   Yes, but he has not brought the report to Cabinet. I expect he will bring it next week. It will be discussed, decided upon and published immediately.

Deputy Micheál Martin:   Will there be a Cabinet sub-committee for that too?

Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett:   The Waterford Crystal workers, in their battle to get justice over the collapse of their pension fund, won an important ruling in the European Court of Justice that has major implications for them and the issue of pensions generally. Does the Government have legislative plans to respond to the implications of the landmark case? Is it the intention of the Government to meet the representatives of the Waterford Crystal workers to discuss wider implications for legislation arising from this?

The Taoiseach:   This case was referred by the High Court to Europe for clarification on a number of technical issues. These issues have been clarified by the European court so it returns to the High Court and we will await the court's decision, having received the clarification sought.

Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett:   The workers would rather meet the Government.

Deputy Michael Healy-Rae:   With regard to the great work of the Road Safety Authority over the past number of years, does the Government have proposals to make the same effort in the prevention of suicide as it makes for road safety? Are there proposals in this respect? It is very important. Is it contained in any promised legislation? Can the Taoiseach provide clarity? In other words, will the Government put the same effort into prevention of suicide as it put into road safety?

An Ceann Comhairle:   Is there promised legislation on the issue?

The Taoiseach:   No, but the Minister of State, Deputy Kathleen Lynch, is doing an enormous range of activities in suicide prevention, counselling, psychological care and the employment of personnel in the mental health area with the moneys allocated and ring-fenced for the purpose. It is a valid question. There is an enormous amount of information, help and assistance but it needs to be co-ordinated. When a tragic incident occurs in a parish or town, another group tends to be set up. The challenge is to co-ordinate the information, the symptoms, the signs and the counselling and assistance available. That is what the Minister of State, Deputy Kathleen Lynch, is trying to do.

Deputy Seamus Kirk:   Is there any progress to report on Narrow Water Bridge?

The Taoiseach:   The case has been made clearly. We had a meeting in the constituency of Deputy Kirk with members of different groups. The point has been made clearly by the Tánaiste at a meeting in Belfast with the First Minister and Deputy First Minister. We are following it through. All of the issues that must be dealt with by the administrative authorities here, such as the council and the Government, are in place. There is a process with the Minister, Sammy Wilson, in the Northern Ireland Executive in Stormont and I hope it can be brought to a conclusion successfully. The funding is in three parts, with Europe, the Northern Ireland Executive, and the Government and the local authority in the county Deputy Kirk represents. I hope we can make progress to a conclusion.

Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) (Amendment) Bill 2013: Second Stage (Resumed) [Private Members]

An Ceann Comhairle:   A division was challenged last Friday on the question that the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) (Amendment) Bill 2013 be read a Second Time. In accordance with Standing Order 117A(4), that division must be taken now.

Question put: "That the Bill be now read a Second Time."

The Dáil divided: Tá, 38; Níl, 80.

Tá	Níl
Adams, Gerry.	Boyd Barrett, Richard.
Broughan, Thomas P.	Breen, Pat.
Colreavy, Michael.	Bruton, Richard.
Cowen, Barry.	Burton, Joan.
Crowe, Seán.	Butler, Ray.
Doherty, Pearse.	Buttimer, Jerry.
Dooley, Timmy.	Byrne, Catherine.
Ellis, Dessie.	Byrne, Eric.
Ferris, Martin.	Carey, Joe.
Fleming, Sean.	Collins, Áine.
Fleming, Tom.	Collins, Joan.
Healy, Seamus.	Conaghan, Michael.
Healy-Rae, Michael.	Connaughton, Paul J.
Kelleher, Billy.	Conway, Ciara.
Kirk, Seamus.	Coonan, Noel.
Kitt, Michael P..	Corcoran Kennedy, Marcella.
Lowry, Michael.	Coveney, Simon.
Mac Lochlainn, Pádraig.	Creighton, Lucinda.
McConalogue, Charlie.	Daly, Clare.
McDonald, Mary Lou.	Daly, Jim.
McGrath, Finian.	Deasy, John.
McGrath, Mattie.	Deenihan, Jimmy.
McGrath, Michael.	Deering, Pat.
McLellan, Sandra.	Doherty, Regina.
Martin, Micheál.	Dowds, Robert.
Murphy, Catherine.	Doyle, Andrew.
Naughten, Denis.	English, Damien.
Ó Caoláin, Caoimhghín.	Farrell, Alan.
Ó Cuív, Éamon.	Fitzpatrick, Peter.
Ó Fearghaíl, Seán.	Flanagan, Luke 'Ming'.
Ó Snodaigh, Aengus.	Flanagan, Terence.
O'Brien, Jonathan.	Gilmore, Eamon.
O'Sullivan, Maureen.	Halligan, John.
Pringle, Thomas.	Harrington, Noel.
Shortall, Róisín.	Harris, Simon.
Smith, Brendan.	Hayes, Tom.
Stanley, Brian.	Hogan, Phil.
Troy, Robert.	Howlin, Brendan.
	Humphreys, Heather.
	Humphreys, Kevin.
	Keating, Derek.
	Kehoe, Paul.
	Kelly, Alan.
	Kenny, Enda.
	Kenny, Seán.
	Kyne, Seán.
	Lawlor, Anthony.
	Lynch, Kathleen.
	Lyons, John.
	McCarthy, Michael.
	McEntee, Helen.
	McGinley, Dinny.
	McHugh, Joe.
	McLoughlin, Tony.
	McNamara, Michael.
	Maloney, Eamonn.
	Mitchell O'Connor, Mary.
	Mulherin, Michelle.
	Murphy, Dara.
	Neville, Dan.
	Nolan, Derek.
	Noonan, Michael.
	Ó Ríordáin, Aodhán.
	O'Mahony, John.
	O'Reilly, Joe.
	O'Sullivan, Jan.
	Phelan, Ann.
	Phelan, John Paul.
	Quinn, Ruairí.
	Reilly, James.
	Ring, Michael.
	Ryan, Brendan.
	Shatter, Alan.
	Stagg, Emmet.
	Stanton, David.
	Timmins, Billy.
	Tuffy, Joanna.
	Wall, Jack.
	Wallace, Mick.
	White, Alex.

Tellers: Tá, Deputies Catherine Murphy and Thomas Pringle; Níl, Deputies Paul Kehoe and Emmet Stagg.

Question declared lost.