Legislative schedule focuses on disability, finance

A revised Disabilities Bill and the establishment of the National Development Finance Agency dominate the legislative programme for the new Dáil session, announced yesterday.

Earlier this year, the Government was forced into an embarrassing climb-down when its original proposals for the rights of the disabled included a clause that would have prevented the State being sued for inadequate services.

The clause, included at the insistence of the Department of Finance, was dropped under a storm of protest from disability groups, and the Government shelved the Bill pending further consultation.

The debacle was seen as a factor in the demotion of the junior minister responsible for the area, Ms Mary Wallace, after the general election.

Announcing the legislative programme, the Government Chief Whip, Ms Mary Hanafin, said the Bill would provide statutory guarantees for the education of those with special needs, as well as setting up the National Council for Special Education.

The National Development Finance Agency Bill is designed to establish the body that formed a central plank of Fianna Fáil's election platform.

The proposed agency, which is expected to be operating by January, is designed to raise €2 billion a year for major infrastructural projects, mainly through the private sector, and with at least half the money raised having no impact on Exchequer figures as monitored by the European Union.

Most recently, the agency was highlighted in the revised proposals for the proposed stadium at Abbotstown, Dublin.

With the Government abandoning plans to use public money on the project, the Taoiseach hopes that the stadium will now be built by a public-private partnership, with the new agency playing a central role in raising the €400 million required.

Other legislative highlights of the coming session include the Proceeds of Corruption Bill, which proposes to tackle white-collar crime and corruption, in both the public and private sectors, in the same way that drug dealing and other organised crimes have already been targeted.

Modelled on the proceeds of crime legislation, the Bill would allow for State seizure of assets deemed to have been acquired through corruption or white-collar crime.

Priority legislation for the new session also includes a Bill formally setting up the National Tourism Development Authority, the super-agency which will take over most of the responsibility for tourism from Bord Fáilte and CERT.

The legislation follows the establishment of Tourism Ireland, an all-island agency set up under the Belfast Agreement. The new body, complete with a €130,000 a year chief executive, is to be in place for the start of the 2003 tourist season.

Bord Fáilte retains a number of specialist functions in the change-over, including attracting major sports events, such as the 2006 Ryder Cup.

Other legislation to be introduced before Christmas includes the Criminal Justice (Terrorist Offences) Bill, which allows Ireland's ratification of the UN Convention for the Suppression of the Financing of Terrorism.