Irish Water and City of Culture on new Dáil agenda
After a near month-long Christmas break, TDs kick off the new session with a probe by the environment committee into Irish Water’s spend of €50m on outside consultants, and this will be followed by an investigation by the Public Accounts Committee into the chaos surrounding the launch of Limerick’s City of Culture year.
With the elections approaching in May, the Dáil will spend much of the next few weeks on details of the Local Government Bill, which brings in major changes ahead of the summer polls.
Justice Minister Alan Shatter will also bring in the long-delayed legal services legislation, part of which will include reforms urged by the troika.
The hangover from the financial crisis is set to remain to the fore, as Enda Kenny hopes to use a visit to Ireland by German chancellor Angela Merkel in the spring to leverage some movement on legacy bank debt.
The coalition is keen to get some good news on the health service and will be moving to bring in its budget commitment to provide free at point of access GP care for under-6s. Health Minister James Reilly is also set to bring in tougher, anti-smoking measures.
New rules governing media ownership and mergers are also expected to be brought forward in the long-delayed Consumer Protection and Competition Bill.
A reform of employment law is also in offing as legislation on industrial relations, rights in the workplace and employment permits are on the agenda.
The PAC will also make headlines when it questions Brian Conlan, who quit as Central Remedial Clinic chief last year in the row over top-up pay.
Longer-range political interest is likely to focus on an expected Cabinet reshuffle, but this will not take place until after the local and Euro polls and is unlikely before the autumn.
The European Parliament elections will see Ireland split into three, super-constituencies, and increased speculation on Tánaiste Eamon Gilmore’s grip on Labour would be sparked by setbacks at the Brussels poll and in the local contests.
High-profile Fine Gael minister Brian Hayes is thought likely to stand for the party in the Dublin Euro constituency where he has a good chance of taking a seat.
Europe is also likely to claim a cabinet minister when Ireland’s commissionership becomes vacant later this year. Fine Gael’s often embattled Environment Minister Phil Hogan is believed to be a front-runner for the post along with Labour Education Minister Ruairi Quinn.
A 500-seat, one-day conference to be held at the RDS by the Reform Alliance of Fine Gael rebels is set to be one of the major political focal points of January.
Despite an insistence from leading rebel Lucinda Creighton that the event on Saturday week will not be the spring-board for a new centre-right party, many of her erstwhile colleagues in Fine Gael do not belive her.
- Reform of legal services and employment law.
- Shake-up up of local government ahead of May elections.
- Bringing-in free GP care for under-6s.
- Visit by Angela Merkel.
- Reform Alliance conference sparks talk of new party.
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