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

• Transport Minister Leo Varadkar will be up for questioning at 9.30 am.
• Taoiseach Enda Kenny will be answering queries from the Opposition during Leaders’ Questions at 12 pm. With many facts still unclear, GardaGate is likely to feature heavily on the agenda once again.
• The motion of no confidence in Justice Minister Alan Shatter will be  voted on today, following further debate on the issue at 7.30 pm.

Everything else that’s happening in the Dáil

• Debate on the Companies Bill 2012 will be held at 10.45 am and again at 2.39 pm.
• The Order of Business will be read at 12.21 pm.
• At 1.51 pm a range of subjects will be discussed during Topical Issues.
• Following the second round of exchanges on the Companies Bill, the Oireachtas (Ministerial and Parliamentary Offices) (Amendment) Bill 2013 will be debated.
• The Dáil will adjourn at 9 pm.

Everything happening in the Seanad

• The Order of Business will be read at 10.30 am.
• Health Minister James Reilly will brief the Seanad on the Protection of Children’s Health from Tobacco Smoke Bill 2012 at 11.45 am. The Bill proposes banning smoking in cars where children are present.
• Jobs Minister Richard Bruton will present the Friendly Societies and Industrial and Provident Societies (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2013 at 1 pm. The current legislation in this area dates from 1893. The new Bill is looking to make it easier for people to set up and run co-operatives.
• The Higher Education and Research (Consolidation and Improvement) Bill 2014 will be debated during Private Members Business at 3 pm.
• The Seanad will look at the importance of sport in Ireland and discuss what we can do to attract the Rugby and Golf World Cups at 5 pm.
• Following this, Matters on the Adjournment will round out the day’s events at the Seanad.

Everything else that’s happening in the Committees

• Members of the Irish Road Haulage Association and the Freight Transport Association will discuss the implications of a proposed road user levy on heavy goods vehicles driving in Northern Ireland with the Transport Committee in Room 4 at 11 am.
• Representatives from the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, the Medical Council and the National University of Ireland will make statements to the Education Committee on the accreditation of the RCSI in Bahrain in Room 3 at 1 pm.
• The mortgage arrears crisis will be discussed by the Finance Committee in Room 4 at 2 pm. Representatives from the Irish Mortgage Holders Organisation and MABS will be among those in attendance.
• Transition Year students from Scoil Phobail Bhéara in Cork will present their report on human trafficking, Life Leeches – Trafficking Changes Lives, to the Justice Committee in Room 2 at 2 pm.
• Ireland’s participation in an EDA project on the neutralisation of counter improvised explosive devices will be examined by the Justice Committee in Room 2 at 3.15 pm. Afterwards, Justice Minister Alan Shatter will brief the committee on the service of the Defence Forces with the United Nations in 2013.
• The Public Oversight Committee will discuss the introduction of equality budgeting in Ireland in Room 3 at 4 pm.

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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