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An invitation to the Pope, bugging and everything else happening in Leinster House today

What’s going on in Leinster House today? Well, since you asked…

WANT TO KNOW what’s going on in Leinster House today?

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…

Three things we’ll be keeping an eye on:

  • Enda Kenny faces another grilling from the Opposition from noon during Leaders’ Questions. We’ll be listening and watching intently for you.
  • The Seanad will debate a motion that Pope Francis should be invited to address the chamber from 1.30pm.
  • But the big one of the day will be in Committee Room 3 at 4pm when the Public Service Oversight and Petitions committee will hear from Minister Alan Shatter on the GSOC bugging controversy.

Everything else happening in the Dáil:

  • Tánaiste Eamon Gilmore kicks off a busy day in the Dáil at the respectable hour of 9.30am as he takes questions on his portfolio.
  • Following that, the Fines (Payment and Recovery) Bill 2013, will be discussed. The proposed laws will deal with how the courts impose fines on people convicted of offences.
  • TDs will also talk through the Second Stage of the HSE (Financial Matters) Bill 2013 before noon.
  • The Order of Business will get a run-through at 12.21pm before most topical issues of the day are heard at 12.51pm.
  • After an hour’s break, discussions on the two Bills above will continue.
  • From 5pm, it’ll be all about the weather again with statements on the recent flooding.
  • And, finally, Sinn Féin’s private members’ motion calling for an independent inquiry into the surveillance at the Garda Ombudsman Commission offices will be resumed from 7.30pm.
  • The Dáil adjourns at 9pm.

Everything else happening in the Seanad:

  • Let’s start the morning at 10.30am with the Order of Business, shall we?
  • At 11.45am, Minister Ruairí Quinn will come to the upper house for statements on the operation of the Teaching Council of Ireland.
  • The greyhound racing industry will be the focus of statements from 2.30pm with the Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and Marine Tom Hayes in attendance.
  • Fianna Fáil senators will bring up the mental health policy, A Vision for Change, during Private Members Business at 4pm. They have concerns about slow progress, staff shortages and a lack of transparency.
  • Finally, if the day has raised any worries for senators, they can raise them during Matters on the Adjournment at 6pm.

Everything else happening in the committees:

  • The Transport and Communications committee will meet in Room 4 at 9.30am to scrutinise EU legislative proposals, as well as the Sport Ireland Bill 2014 which will allow for a merger of the Irish Sports Council and the National Sports Campus Development Authority.
  • At 1pm, the Education and Social Protection Committee will hear from the Chief Inspector about the standards in both primary and secondary schools across the country. [Room 3]
  • Groups which work with and support victims of domestic and sexual violence will have their voices heard at 2pm in Room 2.
  • The work of Habitat for Humanity will be dissected in the Foreign Affairs and Trade committee meeting at 2.30pm in Room 1.
  • Minister Brendan Howlin will face the Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform committee in Room 3 at 4.30pm to give a progress report on the Public Service Reform Plan.

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

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