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

Pat Rabbitte brings the Dáil back from its recess with Questions to the Minister for Communications at 2pm, following which Enda Kenny takes over for Leaders’ Questions at 3:15pm and Questions to the Taoiseach for an hour at around 3:40pm.

Once the rest of the day’s agenda has been agreed to, and four of the day’s topical issues have been discussed (5:10pm), the Dáil gets its teeth into the final debates on the Social Welfare Bill 2013, which gives permanent legal effect to the welfare changes included in last December’s Budget.

Debate on that legislation will pause at 7:30pm and continue for another hour at 9pm, until the close at 10pm. The time in between will be spent discussing legislation from Sinn Féin which would repeal the property tax and refund the payments made to date. The final vote on that, however, won’t be until tomorrow.

All of the day’s Dáil business can be viewed here.

SEANAD

Senators begin their day with the usual 75-minute plenary discussion on anything-and-everything in the order of business (2:30pm), before signing off on the Criminal Justice (Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing) (Amendment) Bill 2013, which has now been renamed the Criminal Justice Bill 2013, from 3:45pm.

That’s been assigned until 5:30pm, when James Reilly pops up for a discussion on hospital services, the final act of the day.

All of the day’s Seanad business can be viewed here.

COMMITTEES

No fewer than five committees meeting today:

• There are two hearings for the Health committee: at noon, senior HSE figures will discuss the current recruitment requirements for junior doctors; while at 5pm it’ll discuss one of the hot topics of the season: childcare standards. (Watch here.)
• The committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation also meets twice – first at 1:30pm when Richard Bruton seeks revised Budget allocations for his department, and again at 2:30pm when Sean Sherlock talks members through proposed amendments to the remit of Science Foundation Ireland. (Watch here.)
• The committee on the Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht meets at 2:15pm, to consider four plans for EU law dealing with copper and hazardous wastes, before meeting representatives from Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann to discuss the protection and enhancement of the Irish music industry. (Watch here.)
• The sub-committee on Fisheries continues its examination of inshore fisheries, aquaculture, and the role of fishing in tourism at 2pm. Attending today are representatives from Fáilte Ireland. (Watch here.)
• Finally, the Agriculture committee meets at 3:15pm to discuss the progress in various work programmes, including the eradication of bovine viral diarrhoea and Johne’s Disease, a bovine variety of tubercolosis. (Watch here.)

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