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 and various Oireachtas committees today.

It’s the second day back post-Christmas for the Dáil, with a growing number of committees getting back into the swing of things for 2013.

DÁIL

Eamon Gilmore takes Leaders’ Questions at 10:30am while the day’s agenda is debated at 10:51am.

The first substantive issue of the day is Fianna Fáil’s motion calling for cuts to further education to be reversed, and for an impact assessment to be undertaken before any further cuts to the sector. After 90 minutes of debate, that’ll be put to a vote at 12:45pm or so.

When that’s done it’s back to the Public Health (Tobacco) (Amendment) Bill 2013, which brings Ireland into line with ECJ ruling on minimum prices for alcohol, and which also gives the Minister for Health the power to issue new guidelines on the sale and marketing of tobacco.

Backbenchers get to raise four topical issues at 3:42pm, while Michael Noonan rounds off the day with ministerial questions at 4:30pm.

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

SEANAD

The Seanad is adjourned until next week.

COMMITTEES

There’s five committee meetings today, but only three of them will be public:

• At 10am the Public Accounts Committee holds its first emeting of 2013, going over previous correspondence before examining the 2011 accounts for the various commissions responsible for regulating Aviation, Communications and Energy. The chairpersons of each body will be on hand. Watch here.
• Also at 10am, the Education sub-committee will greet Ruairí Quinn as he presents the Education and Training Boards Bill for discussion on proposed amendments. That Bill proposes to set up new training boards which will take over the rule of (and eventually, place of) VECs. Watch here.
• At 2pm, 29-year-old Paddy Cosgrave – the founder of the phenomenally successful Dublin Web Summit – attends the committee on EU Affairs to discuss Europe’s youth unemployment crisis and, presumably, the role that technology companies can play in ending it. Watch here.

TheJournal.ie‘s one to watch

Irrespective of what’s being discussed – though you can find the list of questions here – Michael Noonan’s batch of ministerial questions are always worth watching.

Because the minister only gets to take oral questions every five weeks, there’s always plenty to be brought up – and with a backlog of questions piling up over the winter break, there may be some progress on bankers’ salaries or the promissory note that Noonan needs to report.

Explainer: How does a Bill become a law?

Read: Governor of Central Bank to discuss state of economy with committee