SEANAD REPORT:THERE WAS an angry response from Fine Gael and Labour when Seanad leader Donie Cassidy said he knew of only one party that was knocking on doors in the midlands to promote the Lisbon Treaty. Amid Opposition shouts, he asked rhetorically: "Where was the Taoiseach last Saturday?"
Fianna Fáil would be holding a Yes rally in Kilbeggan next Sunday and he would like the other pro-Lisbon parties to participate.
Frances Fitzgerald, Fine Gael leader in the House, said she would remind Mr Cowen that her party, which had been campaigning for a Yes vote since February, had been struck by the absence in a number of places of "other people campaigning".
Eugene Regan (FG) said Mr Cowen's claim that Fine Gael were not pulling their weight in the campaign had been most unfortunate. For several months past, both parties had been actively urging their supporters to vote for Lisbon and not to allow partisan issues to influence how they voted.
"I would urge Fine Gael voters to ignore Brian Cowen and to vote for Lisbon because I do think it's important that we deal with what appears to be now a holy alliance of Sinn Féin, the CIA and Opus Dei in the arguments that are being put forward regarding this treaty. It is important that the Government and the Opposition pull together on this one," added Mr Regan.
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There was still a firm commitment towards proposed civil partnership legislation becoming law with the agreement of both Houses, Dan Boyle (GP), Deputy Government leader, said. The heads of the Bill were being prepared and the delay in progressing the measure was due to the holding of further discussions on certain elements of the Bill and the need for the new Minister for Justice to "read" himself fully into aspects of his brief. It was likely that the heads would be published by the end of the summer session, which would shorten the consultation period. It was still hoped that the full Bill would be published by September or October. Frances Fitzgerald (FG) demanded to know why an impasse had been reached in terms of enacting this legislation. Joe O'Toole (Ind) said it had been whispered that perhaps all was not well within Fianna Fáil on this issue and that the Government was stepping back from the policy that had been enunciated.
Alex White (Lab) said the frustration displayed by Minister and Green Party leader John Gormley on the matter was cause for concern. David Norris (Ind) said that Minister Gormley's remarks were very worrying. "They do prove, at least, that I was right to remove my Bill as a mark of the distress I feel at the contempt with which this subject is being treated. I was clearly misled."
It was not good enough to say that they would have the Bill in September and that the hold-up was all to do with the change of government. That could not be the case, because they had been categorically assured that the heads would be available by March 31st. Some politicians could be called regressive on the issue of ensuring rights for homosexual people.
"I would like to say that there is not a single member here whose extended family is not touched by this, so let's show a bit of human decency in this regard."
Eugene Regan (FG) said the latest turn of events had raised the question as to whether members could trust what they were told by Ministers if they got an undertaking on the timing of legislation and that was not followed through.
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It was extraordinary that a council that had reportedly won a High Court action over an unauthorised development had decided that planning permission was now merited for the development, Deirdre de Burca (GP) said.
Calling for a debate on planning enforcement, she said it had been reported that an unauthorised development along the N11 was to be the subject of a material contravention procedure by Wicklow County Council. As a result of the High Court ruling the business owner had been ordered to close down the commercial activity.
Despite having got the ruling it had sought, the council had decided that the site merited planning permission and was recommending to its elected members that they support this, said Ms de Burca.