WHAT ARE OUR politicians doing in the halls of Leinster House?

TheJournal.ie lets you know with our guide to what’s coming up to the Dáil, Seanad and various Oireachtas committees today.

DÁIL

Eamon Gilmore hasn’t spoken in the Dáil since Labour were hammered in the Meath East by-election – so Labour’s continuing issues, and the collapse of the Croke Park 2 deal, will no doubt feature when the Tánaiste takes Leaders’ Questions at 10:30am.

There’s two proposed bills to deal with today – the Criminal Justice (Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing) Bill, which beefs up current law in the area and brings Ireland up to international standards, and the Credit Reporting Bill setting up a new bureau to record credit histories.

Four topical issues are considered at at 3:42pm, while Brendan Howlin himself takes Questions to the Minister for Public Expenditure & Reform at 4:30pm.

The day’s Dáil business can all be viewed here.

SEANAD

Only the one item on the Seanad agenda today, after the agenda is agreed (10:30am): members debate the Public Health (Tobacco) (Amendment) Bill 2013, which gives the Minister for Health new powers to curb tobacco promotion and advertising, at 11:45am.

The day’s Seanad business can all be viewed here.

COMMITTEES

Two planned committee meetings have been pulled, so we’re down to four today:

• The Agriculture committee kicks us off at 9:30am, discussing a package of seven different EU laws, before representatives from Aldi come in to discuss a possible code of conduct for the grocery sector. (Watch here.)
• Also at 9:30am, the Health and Children committee hosts a panel including Sunday Game pundit Joe Brolly and Shane Finnegan, the man to whom he donated a kidney. They’ll be part of a group of ten holding a discussion on some of the difficulties with Irish law on organ donations. (Watch here.)
• At 10am the Public Accounts Committee returns from its Easter break with an examination of accounts at the Department of Communications, and how the TV licence fee is distributed. (Watch here.)
• Finally, at 2pm, the Transport and Communications committee deals with some procedural business approving a sectoral plan for disability transport. (Watch here.)

Explainer: How does a Bill become a law?

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