I wish to advise the House of the following matters in respect of which notice has been given to me under Standing Order 20 (3) (a) and the name of the Member in each case: (1) Deputy G. Reynolds, the progress that has been made through the Anglo-Irish Agreement for the opening of crossborder roads between Leitrim and Northern Ireland which have been closed since the mid-seventies; (2) Deputy Lowry, the failure of the Government to include the Tipperary Rural and Business Development Institute in the programme submitted for European Structural Funds for educational infrastructure; (3) Deputy G. Mitchell, reports that the sale of Aer Lingus holdings will cost Aer Lingus plc £24 million; and the response of the Minister for Tourism and Transport to this; (4) Deputy McCartan, the report of the visiting committee for Mountjoy Prison for 1989 and the details it discloses regarding conditions in the prison; (5) Deputy Byrne, the decision of the Minister for Tourism and Transport to sanction substantial increases in bus and rail fares from Monday next; (6) Deputy Gilmore, the matter of a constituent who is doing a one year full-time computer course and who is being forced to give up his studies because the Department of Social Welfare are withdrawing his unemployment benefits; (7) Deputy Garland, the investigation into the case of the Tallaght Two; (8) Deputy McGahon, the reason permission was refused to a prisoner in Port Laoise prison to attend his mother's funeral; (9) Deputy Sheehan, if the Minister for Justice will consider raising the retirement age of gardaí from the present retirement age of 57 years to 62 years; (10) Deputy Flaherty, the lack of any laws or regulations governing the operation of tattoo parlours and the consequent danger to public health; (11) Deputy G. O'Sullivan, the serious local authority housing situation in Cork city; (12) Deputy Noonan (Limerick East), subject matter of Question No. 60 to the Minister for Finance yesterday regarding the proposed location of a regional office of the Ordnance Survey in Ennis, County Clare and (13) Deputy Cullimore, if the Minister for Industry and Commerce will inform the House of the findings of the Director of Consumer Affairs following his investigation of how the leading supermarket stores funded the recent vouchers schemes.
I have selected for discussion the matters raised by the following Deputies: Deputy MacGahon, Deputy McCartan and Deputy Lowry.