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…

3 things we’ll be keeping an eye on

• Dáil: Leaders’  Questions – Enda Kenny will be up and at ‘em at 12pm to answer any questions TDs might have.
• Committees: Public Accounts – Representatives from the Central Remedial Clinic have been called before the committee following recent salary top-up controversies. Chief Executive Brian Conlan has already stated that he won’t be in attendance. That’s at 10am in Room 3.
• Seanad: Critical Utilities Bill – Senator Feargal Quinn will table a Bill at 6pm that would make any disruption of essential utilities such as water and electricity illegal.

Everything else that’s happening in the Dáil

• Minister for Defence Alan Shatter will be taking questions on his portfolio at 9.30am. Recent incidents involving Irish troops in Syria are likely to be raised.
• We’ll have the final stages of two Bills involving health insurance and local government reform from 10.45am, followed by continued discussion of the Assisted Decision Making Bill, which aims to enable those with who “lack or may shortly lack capacity” to retain some level of legal autonomy.
• TDs can raise any issues which been bothering them during Topical Issues at  12.51pm.
• Sinn Féin’s Private Members Motion on Bethany Homes continues at 7.30pm.

Everything else that’s happening in the Seanad

• Order of Business begins at its usual time of 10.30am.
• The Credit Reporting Bill, which would establish a Central Credit Register,  will be discussed at 11.45am.
• Two Ministers will be in the chamber during the afternoon, Minister Alex White at 1.15pm for the committee stage of a Health Bill, and Minister Michael Noonan at 3pm for discussion of the Finance Bill.

Everything else that’s happening in the Committees

• The Ambassador of South Africa to Ireland will attend the Foreign Affairs committee for expressions of sympathy for Nelson Mandela at 2.30pm in Room 1. After, Marie-Claire McAleer from the National Youth Council of Ireland will be in to discuss a report on emigration.
• Have you noticed your energy bills creeping up? The Transport and Communication Committee want to know why this is happening, and will be questioning the Commission for Energy Regulation in Room 4 at 9.30am.
• A wide range of special needs, religious and cultural groups will be attending the Education committee in Room 4 at 1pm to discuss the a draft Education Bill.
• At 2.30pm in Room 2, the Transport sub-committee will be discussing the Road Traffic Bill, a Fianna Fáil proposal partly accepted by government.

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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