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 – As ever the questioning of Enda Kenny by opposition leaders will be the potentially agenda-setting event of the day at 10.30am.
• Committees: Banks – All eyes will be on the Finance Committee at 2pm in Committee Room 4 as it discusses all matters banking with Patrick Honohan, the governor of the Central Bank. Expect mortgage arrears and the Anglo Tapes to top the agenda.
• Committees: Taxis – Expect plenty of stories, good and bad, about taxis as some members of the Transport Committee debate amendments to the Taxi Regulation Bill from 9.30am with Public Transport Alan Kelly due to address members at 4pm in Committee Room 4.

Everything else that’s happening in the Dáil

• After Leaders’ Questions, TDs get down to the Order of Business at 10.51am or a little after that.
• Then there is debate on the Public Services Management Recruitment and Appointments Amendment Bill which is aimed at reducing barriers to redeployment of public sector workers.
• After that the second stage of the Fines Payment and Recovery Bill is debated. This law aims to reduce the number of people who are imprisoned for the non-payment of fines by getting attachment orders to their earnings instead.
• After lunch the Minister for Justice Alan Shatter will answer questions on his portfolio at 2.30pm.
• Topical Issues get under way at 3.45pm before Sinn Féin’s motion on education gets further discussion at 7.30pm and is voted on before the Dáil adjourns at 9pm.

Everything else that’s happening in the Seanad

• At 10.30am the Order of Business begins where Senators have their say on anything and everything.
• Then the general secretary of ICTU, David Begg, will address the chamber’s Committee on Procedures and Provileges on ‘The 1913 Lockout and its relevance to modern Ireland’
• At 2pm the second stage of the Protected Disclosures Bill is debated with Public Expenditure and Reform Minister Brendan Howlin in attendance on legislation aimed at protecting whistleblowers.
• Social Protection Minister Joan Burton will listen to statements on the Pathways to Work scheme at 5pm.
• Fianna Fáil senators will bring forward their as yet undecided Private Members Business at 7pm before Matters on Adjournment are discussed.

Everything else that’s happening in the Committees

• The Justice Committee has a busy day. Starting at 9.30am it will scrutinise a number of EU legislative proposals in Committee Room 2 before it hears from UCD law lecturer Dr Gavin Barrett on the implications for Ireland of the UK opt-out on EU Justice and Home Affairs measures. There is also a motion on the fourth programme of law reform put forward by the Law Reform Commission.
• The Education Committee will hear pre-Budget submissions from St Vincent de Paul and the Union of Students in Ireland in Committee Room 3 at 1pm.
• The EU Affairs Committee will have an ‘exchange of views’ with Turkish parliamentarians at 2pm in Committee Room 1 before they elect their new vice-chairman.
• The Foreign Affairs Committee will hold what looks like an interesting discussion about the Bahá’í Faith in Iran at 3.30pm in Committee Room 1.

Here’s how to watch what’s going on 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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