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The consequences of a British exit from the EU will be among the matters discussed by journalists at the EU Affairs committee today. Tim Ireland/PA Archive

Oireachtas agenda: Dáil boundaries, foot and mouth, and a British EU exit

The Dáil will today hold a final vote on whether to reduce its membership to 158 at the next election.

WHAT ARE OUR politicians doing in the halls of Leinster House?

TheJournal.ie lets you know with our guide to what’s coming up to the Dáil, Seanad and various Oireachtas committees today.

DÁIL

Eamon Gilmore takes the morning’s Leaders’ Questions at 10:30am, before TDs agree to the day’s agenda at 10:51am.

The legislative agenda will see TDs finalise their consideration of two Bills:

  • The Public Health (Tobacco) (Amendment) Bill 2013, which gives the Minister for Health new powers to limit the sale and marketing of tobacco; and
  • The Electoral (Amendment) (Dail Constituencies) Bill 2012, which gives legal effect to the proposed changes to Dáil boundaries.

If there’s time after those two Bills are disposed of – and if they weren’t already finished up yesterday – there’ll be more discussion on legislation to rationalise the number of VECs, and on abolishing FÁS.

Four topical issues will be discussed at 3:42pm, before Michael Noonan ends the day with Questions to the Minister for Finance at 4:30pm.

The day’s Dáil business can all be viewed here.

SEANAD

The Seanad’s day is a pretty short one: there’s 75  minutes of discussion and debate on the matters of the day in the Order of Business (10:30am), before Emer Costello MEP continues a series of speeches from MEPs to mark 40 years of Irish membership of the European Union.

Her speech deals with the quest for social inclusion in Europe, and the problem of unemployment.

The day’s Seanad business can all be viewed here.

COMMITTEES

The fairly straightforward days in either chamber are made up for by the presence of five committee meetings. Here they are, in order of when they start:

  • The Committee on Health and Children meets at 9:30am to discuss the establishment of the Child and Family Support Agency. Among the speakers are UNESCO professor Pat Dolan, and the HSE’s Gordon Jeyes. (Watch here.)
  • At 10am the Public Accounts Committee casts its eyes over the Department of Education and Skills budget for 2011, and also discusses salary overpayments to teachers in the last few years. (Watch here.)
  • Also at 10am, the Public Expenditure and Reform sub-committee discusses a procedural motion from Brendan Howlin. Irish financial law means cash authorised for spending in one year, but which isn’t actually spent that year, can’t be cleared for spending unless the Oireachtas says so. This motion would allow some of the cash assigned for spending in 2012 to be carried over and be used this year. (Watch here.)
  • At 10:30am the Agriculture committee discusses a proposal from Simon Coveney to extend special provisions which allow him to appoint special investigators for agricultural matters. The laws stem from the foot and mouth saga, but could (in theory) also apply to the horse meat scandal. (Watch here.)
  • Finally, at 2pm, the EU Affairs committee discusses the future of Ireland’s membership of the EU – and three specific topics: financial integration, democratic accountability, and the possible impact for Ireland if the UK leaves. The participants will include the Irish Times’ economics editor Dan O’Brien, the Irish Examiner’s Brussels correspondent Ann Cahill, and RTÉ’s economics editor Seán Whelan. (Watch here.)

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6 Comments
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    Mute Alan Hayes
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    Aug 22nd 2016, 3:13 PM

    It was savage craic. People travelled from all over Ireland, several from US and many from UK & rest of Europe. Donations to Irish Cancer Society, the only group providing Night Nurse service to terminal cancer patients at home. Proud to have been involved.

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    Mute Crístóir Ó Duinn
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    Aug 22nd 2016, 3:02 PM

    Perfect weather for a ginger convention too, overcast.

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    Mute Tony Skillington
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    Aug 22nd 2016, 9:13 PM

    Lot of copper tops

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    Mute Darren Doyle
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    Aug 22nd 2016, 3:51 PM

    Nothing sexier than a woman with red hair

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    Mute Eyepopper
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    Aug 22nd 2016, 3:59 PM

    I dunno…. dat sheep!

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    Mute Donal O Neil
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    Aug 23rd 2016, 8:50 PM

    Oh she’s lovely !!!

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    Mute Rumpelstiltskin
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    Aug 22nd 2016, 3:50 PM

    First they meet up….then they plot the take over

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    Mute The Girl
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    Aug 22nd 2016, 2:59 PM

    The only pure Irish…Ginger, Porcelain skin, Freckle face :-). Gingers Rule.

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    Mute kieran fitzgerald
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    Aug 22nd 2016, 3:04 PM

    Sure they are, let’s just ignore that the original inhabitants of this Little rock came up from Iberia shall we and go with some Victorian notion of racial purity.

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    Mute The Girl
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    Aug 22nd 2016, 3:15 PM

    Relax @Kieran…life’s too short.

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    Mute Ted Murray
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    Aug 22nd 2016, 3:20 PM

    We should have an annual begrudgery festival :p

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    Mute An_Beal_Bocht
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    Aug 23rd 2016, 10:38 AM

    It’s thought red heads were of Norman royalty origin, Henry VIII was a flaming ginger. The native Gaelic were most likely dark haired

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    Mute Tomás Ó Briain
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    Aug 22nd 2016, 4:13 PM

    Bloody redheads! They think that they’re smarter just because they’ve got higher IQs!

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    Mute Gary Heslin
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    Aug 22nd 2016, 3:29 PM

    Have to agree with “The Girl” kieran relax life is way way too short..give someone a hug.

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    Mute dublinlad
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    Aug 22nd 2016, 2:45 PM

    The king looks bald to me?

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    Mute BERTIE
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    Aug 22nd 2016, 3:59 PM

    Slap head gathering

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    Mute voice of raisin
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    Aug 22nd 2016, 5:32 PM

    Funny, I was told that not one soul turned up…

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    Mute Chris Nolan
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    Mar 24th 2017, 3:50 PM

    @voice of raisin: Nice dad joke, go back to watching two and half men.

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    Mute Tomás Ó Briain
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    Aug 22nd 2016, 4:12 PM

    Bloody redheads! Think that they’re smarter than everyone else just because they’ve got higher IQs.

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    Mute Ailbhe Gator
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    Aug 22nd 2016, 5:05 PM

    The redheaded queen looks quite brunette in that picture

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    Mute manbearpig
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    Aug 22nd 2016, 3:54 PM

    Day walkers

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    Mute Chris Nolan
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    Mar 24th 2017, 3:58 PM

    @manbearpig: South park called they want their shit jokes back.

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    Mute John Judd
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    Aug 22nd 2016, 8:27 PM

    Gingers are hot ;)

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    Mute Mindfulirish
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    Aug 22nd 2016, 4:29 PM

    God help them — mutant be able to afford blonde dye.

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    Mute Chris Nolan
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    Mar 24th 2017, 3:53 PM

    @Mindfulirish: I hope you dye.

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    Mute JJ O Riordan
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    Aug 22nd 2016, 9:55 PM

    They don’t like being singled out, yet they have a convention

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    Mute Stuart Kelly
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    Aug 22nd 2016, 8:33 PM

    New research concludes that gingers have no souls.

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    Mute Chris Nolan
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    Mar 24th 2017, 4:07 PM

    @Stuart Kelly: I’ve got two soles, hows about i shove one of them up your smelly old arse.

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