WANT TO KNOW what’s going on in Leinster House today?

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…

3 things we’ll be keeping an eye on:

Dáil: Joan Burton takes questions: The Minister for Social Protection is on her feet in the Dáil chamber at 2pm — expect questions on current issues facing her department, like the controversial welfare checks on widows and widowers, and recent criticisms of the JobBridge programme.
Dáil: Leader’s Questions: Issues surrounding the establishment of Irish Water and the treatment of garda whistleblowers are likely to feature as Enda Kenny fields queries (and criticism) this afternoon from 3.15pm.
Committee Room 2: The Government’s much trumpeted ‘Action Plan for Jobs‘ is on the agenda for the Oireachtas committee on enterprise at 1.30pm. Secretary General at the Department of Jobs John Murphy will be giving an update on progress and outlining priorities for the rest of the year.

Everything else that’s happening in the Dáil

It’s Topical Issues time at 4.36pm, when TDs have the opportunity to raise issues of concern to them.
Directly after that, members get down to the business of debating the the standing orders needed to establish the committee that will carry out the long-awaited Banking Inquiry.
Later this evening, the legislation paving the way for constituency changes ahead of the European elections on 23 May continues its progress through the Oireachtas: [European Parliament Elections (Amendment) Bill 2013 (Seanad) - Second Stage]
The Government will come under pressure from Fianna Fáil from 7.30pm as Michéal Martin’s party introduces a motion in Private Members time, that Dáil Éireann “agrees that the 2014 National Service Plan of the Health Service Executive is inadequate” and that this “is already evident in accident and emergency departments”.

Everything happening in the Seanad:

The Order of Business in the upper chamber gets under way at 2.30pm, followed at 3.45pm by an update on Youth Justice Policy from the Minister for Children Frances Fitzgerald.
Business in the Seanad concludes with ‘Matters on the Adjournment‘ when senators raise issues of concern.

Everything else happening in the committees:

The agriculture committee will hear views on the Forestry Bill from the Irish Farmer’s Association and the Irish Timber Growers’ Association at 2pm. The IFA have warned that the Bill, if enacted as is, could inhibit the expansion of the sector.
‘Sludge and what we should do with it’ — that’s one of the topics under discussion at the Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht. The panel meets at 2.15pm, and will be hearing from Percy Foster of the Composting Association of Ireland on the management of sewage sludge and biofertiliser.
And Minister for Health James Reilly will be at the Sub-Committee on Health to discuss estimates for his department from 5.15pm.

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

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