I wish to advise the House of the following matters in respect of which notice has been given under Standing Order 21 and the name of the Member in each case: (1) Deputy Allen – the ever increasing incidence of violence in urban areas, with particular reference to a serious fatal incident involving the death of a person (details supplied); (2) Deputy Seán Ryan – the delay in providing adequate redress to taxi drivers arising from the decision of the Government to deregulate the industry in November 2000 without giving consideration to its impact on taxi drivers and their families at the time; (3) Deputy Morgan – the need for the Minister for Health and Children to carry out a full and thorough investigation into the symphysiotomies carried out on women in Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, Drogheda and elsewhere in the 1950s, 1960s, 1970s and 1980s, the reasons for the treatment and the provision to be made for the medical needs of affected women; (4) Deputy Stanton – to ask the Minister to debate the need for Killeagh national school, County Cork, roll No. 17297 U/09A to be provided with extra temporary accommodation next September in order to cater for a very large increase in enrolment; (5) Deputy Ring – the need for the Minister for Social and Family Affairs to reconsider her adjustments to the back to education allowance and allow payment to continue for the summer months; (6) Deputy Neville – the Pollock report on the facilities provision at Our Lady's Hospital for Sick Children, Crumlin; (7) Deputy Coveney – to ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if she is aware of the cost of the cleaning operation on the Irish ISPAT site in Cork harbour and if so whether she has considered attempting to freeze the assets of Irish ISPAT until a contribution has been made by ISPAT towards the cost of the cleaning up and the making safe of the steel works site before it leaves Ireland in the coming weeks; (8) Deputy Burton – the need for the Minister for Finance to explain media reports that an Irish registered company claims tax allowances to the value of €25 million on behalf of its Irish owners for the ownership and overhaul of a luxury yacht formerly owned by Aristotle Onasis and what measures he proposes to end this kind of tax loophole that offers such exceptional benefit to very wealthy taxpayers; (9) Deputy Ó Caoláin – the poor conditions for students and teachers in Castleblayney College in County Monaghan; (10) Deputy Rabbitte – the serious implications of the announcement by the Gallagher Group that it is to cease manufacturing at its Tallaght plant with the loss of 120 permanent jobs and 80 contract positions and the need for the Tánaiste to intervene; (11) Deputy Cuffe – given the need to protect the rights of children and the requirement for the State to protect and vindicate those rights, the need for the Government to state if and when it proposes to appoint an ombudsman for children as it is now two years since the Ombudsman for Children Act was passed and the office has not been established and the post remains unadvertised and vacant; (12) Deputy Crowe – the longstanding accommodation crisis facing Scoil Treasa, Ballycullen Avenue, Firhouse, Dublin 24; (13) Deputy O'Connor – the announcement of 121 job losses at the Gallagher plant in Tallaght Dublin 24 and the need for action by the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment; (14) Deputy Deenihan – the need to provide temporary accommodation at Dromclough national school, County Kerry in view of the unacceptable classroom space; and (15) Deputy Boyle – to debate the impediments to urban renewal and development in Passage West, Cork.
The matters raised by Deputies Rabbite, O'Connor, Ó Caoláin and Ring have been selected for discussion.