Plastic bags query ends in uproar

The Dail was adjourned three times following heated exchanges on information given to Mr John Gormley (Green Party, Dublin South East) about the introduction of a tax on plastic bags. Mr Gormley claimed, on the Order of Business, that the Taoiseach had told him no specific legislation was required for its introduction.

"That is not the case. The Department of the Environment and Local Government has told me that primary legislation is required." He challenged Mr Ahern to say why he had misinformed him and the House.

"When will the title of the Bill be introduced? Why is it not on the list of promised legislation when it has to be introduced?"

Mr Ahern replied: "As I told the deputy previously, this can be done either by regulation or through the Finance Bill. It does not require separate legislation."

Mr Gormley said that was not true. As he continued to speak, he was ordered to resume his seat by the Ceann Comhairle, Mr Seamus Pattison. When he persisted, Mr Pattison suspended him from the House.

As the exchanges continued, Mr Pattison suspended the House for 13 minutes. When the House resumed, there were sharp exchanges between the Ceann Comhairle and the Opposition leaders on whether the Order of Business had been completed.

Mr Pattison insisted that he had announced the end of the Order of Business, but the Fine Gael leader, Mr John Bruton, claimed he had done no more than suspend the House.

Mr Pattison again adjourned the House, from 11.17 a.m. to 11.30 a.m., but the row continued when it resumed, with Mr Bruton claiming he wanted to say, "in the most orderly fashion", he was concerned the Order of Business had not been completed. Mr Pattison said he had made the position quite clear.

The Labour leader, Mr Ruairi Quinn, said: "Sir, I have no doubt you believe you announced that the Order of Business was ended. However, I have to say to you that no one on this side heard you or understood what you said."

Mr Pattison said Mr Quinn's charge was serious. "The deputy should not hurl serious charges across the floor of the House. These charges should be handled by way of substantive motion."

Mr Trevor Sargent (Green Party, Dublin North) said he had given the Ceann Comhairle a motion requesting a meeting of the Committee on Procedure and Privileges later in the day to resolve the issue. He was later told his request had been rejected.

At 11.35 a.m., after some further exchanges, Mr Pattison said he was adjourning the House until Taoiseach's Question Time at 2.30 p.m..

Earlier, there were heated exchanges between Mr Ahern and Opposition deputies about establishing a single regulator for the financial services industry.

The issue was raised by the Fine Gael spokesman on finance, Mr Michael Noonan, who said the Taoiseach should indicate if the Tanaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Ms Harney, or the Minister for Finance, Mr McCreevy, would be responsible for the legislation. Mr Ahern replied that the decision had not been made.