WHAT’S GOING ON in Leinster House?

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…

4 things we’ll be keeping an eye on

• Seanad: Statements on Seanad Reform – These will be heard by Taoiseach Enda Kenny at 2pm, who will speak in the chamber for only the third time since the government took office. Last time was June 26th.
• Dáil: Leaders’ Questions – The issues of the day will be tackled at 10.30am.
• Committees: The case for nuclear energy in Ireland – Better Environment with Nuclear Energy will be in to give their input, bright and early at 9.30am in Room 4. This comes just days after An Taisce announced that it would challenge the building a new nuclear power plant in Britain.
• Committees: Ombudsman appointment – The Public Service Oversight and Petitions committee will meet with Peter Tydnall, the government’s nominee to replace Emily O’Reilly as Ombudsman. That’s at 4pm in Room 3.

Everything else that’s happening in the Dáil

• Everything kicks off at 10.30am with Leaders’ Questions.
• At 10.51am, it’s time for Order of Business, which includes a report on the European Public Prosecutors Office being heard without debate, statements ahead of the European Council meeting, before discussion of Environment Minister Phil Hogan‘s Local Government Bill resumes. TDs will also get to have their say on Transport Minister Leo Varadkar‘s latest Road Traffic Bill.
• It’s time for a break at 1.30pm.
• Questions for Phil Hogan will be heard at 2.3opm, and will more than likely follow on from the discussion of the Local Government Bill.
• At 3.45pm it’s time for Topical Issues.
• Fianna Fáil’s motion regarding Older Citizens will be heard again at 7.30pm during Private Members Business. This time amendments will be included from People Before Profit TD Richard Boyd Barrett, who is calling for medical cards for all pensioners over 65 and safeguards for the Free Travel Pass.

Everything else that’s happening in the Seanad

• It all begins at 10.30am with Order of Business.
• At 4pm, Minister for Agriculture Simon Coveney will be in for statements on the Common Agricultural Policy.
• A number of amendments to Direct Provision will be proposed in Private Members Business at 5.30pm. These include an examination of whether or not alternative support would be more suited, and the establishment of a independent complaints mechanism.
• After that, it’s Matters on the Adjournment at 7.30pm.

Everything else that’s happening in the Committees

• Nuclear energy and roaming charges are up for discussion at 9.30am in Room 4 by the Transport and Communications committee. Proposed EU legislation, which aims for a “Connected Continent”, would provide access to electronic communications across Europe “without cross-border restrictions or unjustified additional costs“.
• Minister of State Brian Hayes will attend the Finance Sub-Committee to discuss the Credit Reporting Bill 2012, which would see a Central Credit Register established to house information on credit scores, applications, and agreements, something which has been labelled as “anti-democratic“. That’s at 2pm in Room 4.
• The Gender Recognition Bill, which would “provide a process enabling transgender people to achieve full legal recognition of their self-identified gender”, will be discussed in Room 3 at 1pm by the Education and Social Protection committee. Among those in attendance will be the Transgender Equality Network Ireland and LGBT Noise.

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

• Dáil Éireann
• Seanad Éireann
• Committee Room 1
• Committee Room 2
• Committee Room 3
• Committee Room 4
• To access streams on iOS, click here

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