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…

5 things we’ll be keeping an eye on

• Dáil: Leaders’ Questions – The Taoiseach begins the day by taking questions from the opposition on the pressing issues of the day, starting at 10.30am.
• Dáil: Foreign Affairs Questions – The Tánaiste Eamon Gilmore, who’s also the Minister for Foreign Affairs don’t forget, takes questions on his portfolio at 2.30pm which might be interesting in the context of what’s going on in Syria and his trip to the UN last week.
• Seanad: Upward Only Rents – Senator Feargal Quinn’s private members bill that proposes to scrap upward only rents will be interesting in the context of some government senators’ threats at the weekend to vote against the government in protest over the Seanad referendum. Something to watch out for from 5pm.
• Committees: Agriculture cuts – Simon Coveney will brief members of the Agriculture, Food and the Marine committee on what may lie ahead in Budget 2014 in Committee Room 1 from 10.30am.
• Committees: Gambling – The Justice Committee will hear a number of submissions on the government’s proposed gambling legislation in Committee Room 2 from 2pm. The Gaming and Leisure Association of Ireland; Betfair; Remote Gambling Association; the Association of Irish Showmen’s Guild; Paddy Power; and Irish Bookmakers Association are all due to give representations. – yep, a busy day with an eclectic bunch of people.

Everything else that’s happening in the Dáil

• After Leaders’ Questions, TDs get down to the Order of Business at 10.51am.
• Then an order for the Seanad stages of the Taxi Regulation Bill, which proposes to tighten the regulation of taxis and their drivers will be heard.
• This is followed by the second stage of the Freedom of Information Bill with the Public Expenditure and Reform Brendan Howlin putting forward the details of a bill which widens amends FOI laws.
• After lunch and questions to the Tánaiste, TDs hear some Topical Issues before the morning’s business is continued.
• At 7.30pm a bill from United Left TD Joan Collins on mortgage restructuring arrangements is debated before a vote is called and the Dáil adjourns at 9pm.

Everything else that’s happening in the Seanad

• Senators discuss the Order of Business from 10.30am.
• Then at 11.45am Richard Bruton is in to discuss a bill which dissolves the County Enterprise Boards and transfers their powers to Enterprise Ireland.
• At 3pm, Bruton is in again for discussion on the report stage of a bill which proposes to expand the remit of Science Foundation Ireland.
• After the debate on upward only rents Matters on the Adjournment are discussed at 7pm.

Everything else that’s happening in the Committees

• Before it considers the gambling bill the Justice, Defence and Equality Committee will discuss the achievements of Ireland’s EU presidency before it discuss the forthcoming Justice and Home Affairs EU Council meeting with Justice Minister Alan Shatter from 9.30am in Committee Room 2.
• The Transport and Communications Committee will scrutinise a bunch of EU directives in Committee Room 4 at 9.30am before it discusses ports (the ones where ships dock) and considers two, six-monthly EU reports on what the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport has been up to.
• At 1pm in Committee Room 3 the joint committee on education and social protection hears updates from Joan Burton on JobsPlus and Gateway initiatives as well as the Mortgage Interest Supplement Scheme.
• At 3pm in Committee Room 4 the Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform Committee will tell us what decision it took at a sub-committee on EU scrutiny before it does some scrutiny of its own on an EU directive regarding ‘enhanced cooperation’ on the financial transaction tax – which Ireland is not signed up to – with officials from the Department of Finance.
• Policy issues in relation to the revised eligibility criteria to the contributory State pension will be discussed by a busy Joan Burton with the Public Service Oversight and Petitions Committee in Committee Room 3 at 4pm.
• The Irish Farmers’ Association will be before the Foreign Affairs and Trade in Committee Room 1 at 4pm to discuss trade promotion and the role of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade in economic recovery.
• The Public Expenditure and Reform sub-committee will discuss the bill which proposes to make it easier to redeploy public sector workers with Public Expenditure and Reform Minister Brendan Howlin at 5pm in Committee Room 4.

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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