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Oireachtas agenda

Are we STILL talking about Garth Brooks?

Yes, the GAA and Aiken Promotions will appear before the Transport Oireachtas Committee today.

WHAT’S GOING ON in Leinster House?

Every day the Dáil and Seanad are sitting, TheJournal.ie brings you the most comprehensive guide to what our lawmakers are getting up to in the Houses of the Oireachtas.

So, here is what we can expect to be happening in the Dáil, Seanad and Committee rooms today…

4 things we’ll be keeping an eye on

  • 9.30am, Dáil: Heather Humphries makes her debut as a Minister, taking questions on her new Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht portfolio. 
  • 9.30am, Committee Room 4: Páraic Duffy from the GAA and Peter Aiken from Aiken Promotions are in front of the Transport Committee to face the music (sorry) over the Garth Brooks Debacle™.
  • noon, Dáil: Enda Kenny will face a shellacking from his Opposition leaders for the last time of this term during Leaders’ Questions.
  • 2pm, Committee Room 4: Irish Rural Link; Social Justice Ireland; Home and Community Care Ireland; European Anti-Poverty Network; Saint Vincent de Paul; and FLAC; Institute of Professional Auctioneers and Valuers; Simon Communities in Ireland; Focus Ireland; and Threshold are all up in front of the Finance Committee to talk Budget 2015.

Everything else happening in the Dáil

  • 10.45am: The Freedom of Information Bill is at its final stages, a new piece of legislation which will see the €15 fee for the service scrapped.
  • 10.45am: The Court of Appeal will also get a mention in the chambers today, following talks yesterday on the establishment of the ‘middle man’ court. 
  • 12.21pm: The Order of Business will be read out, as normal.
  • 1.51pm: A mixed bag next with TDs asking their ministers about certain Topical Issues
  • 7.30pm: During Private Members Business, there will be a motion tabled by the Technical Group about people with disabilities.
  • 9pm: If it wasn’t finished earlier, there will be more discussion on the Court of Appeal. 
  • Midnight: They really are squeezing it all in before the holidays with the Dáil not adjourning until midnight.

Everything happening in the Seanad

  • 10.30: Kicking off with the Order of Business.
  • Four Bills are up for discussion today:
  1. Employment Permits (Amendment) Bill 2014
  2. Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2014
  3. Health (General Practitioner Service) Bill 2014
  4. Court of Appeal Bill 2014
  • There will also be Private Members Business at 4pm to discuss the WHO’s plan to eliminate avoidable blindness in the next six years.

Everything else that’s happening in the Committees

Education and Social Protection

  • 1pm, Room 3: The National Council for Special Education and the HSE will be in to discuss the provision of therapy services for children with special needs

Justice, Defence and Equality

  • 2pm Room 2: A motion about the proposed Commission of Investigation into the fatal shooting of Ronan MacLochlainn, a Real IRA member who was shot by gardaí during an attempted armed robbery in Co Wicklow in 1998 was referred to the Committee by the Dáil yesterday. 

Public Service Oversight and Petitions

  • 4pm, Room 3: The committee will discuss the Office of the Ombudsman end of life care report, entitled A Good Death, with Peter Tyndall. 

Transport and Communications

  • 9.30am, Room 4: There will be scrutiny of some EU legislative proposals and the North Atlantic Salmon Conservation Organisation.

Here’s how to watch what’s going on in Leinster House today:

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