Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 14 May 1991

Vol. 408 No. 4

Adjournment Debate Matters.

An Ceann Comhairle

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 Nora Owen — the most recent disturbance on 10 May 1991 at Trinity House, Lusk, where youths climbed onto the roof and fired debris at the staff; (2) Deputy Philip Hogan — the need for the Minister for Agriculture and Food to take immediate action to resolve the problems of illegal dumping of animal carcases throughout the country; (3) Deputy Dick Spring — if the Minister for the Environment will make an immediate allocation of a grant for beach improvement to Kerry County Council to enable the work to be carried out on the beach at Ballyheigue before the summer tourist season; (4) Deputy Jimmy Deenihan — the crisis faced by many national youth organisations because of the decrease in funding by the Government resulting in the loss of 50 jobs in the youth service; (5) Deputy Eric Byrne — the crisis facing the Dublin Bus Company; (6) Deputy Pat Rabbitte — The allegations made on the "World In Action" television programme last night of systematic irregular practices in the Goodman Group of companies; the fact that allegations were made by former employees of the group and the potential serious damage to the reputation of our beef industry and to this country's trading image, the need for a full investigation of the allegations made in the programme and for measures to be taken to ensure that such irregular practices are halted; (7) Deputy Jim O'Keeffe — the breakdown of the cancer machine at the Regional Hospital in Cork leaving the whole south of the country without any cancer treatment facilities and the action now proposed by the Minister for Health to deal with the emergency; (8) Deputy Therese Ahearn — the failure of the Minister for Education to provide funds for the purchase of a playing field adjacent to Scoil Ruain, Killenaule, County Tipperary.

I have selected for discussion the matters raised by the following Deputies: Deputy Dick Spring, Deputy Jim O'Keeffe, and Deputy Eric Byrne.

Mr. J. Bruton

On a point of order, I submitted five questions to various members of the Government with regard to the "World in Action" television programme concerning the Goodman Group which require urgent answers in view of the damage the allegations made in that programme are doing to this country. May I inquire why my questions were not accepted on the grounds of urgency?

An Ceann Comhairle

I am not obliged to reply to that question. I have already conveyed my decision to the Deputy and it may not be challenged in the House. I may point out that the Deputy——

Mr. J. Bruton

On a point of order, you did not convey any decisions to me. Those decisions were not conveyed to me.

An Ceann Comhairle

My office usually do. I will certainly inquire into that.

Mr. Rabbitte

May I draw your attention to the fact that I also submitted two questions on the same matter and respectfully suggest that yourself and the Minister for Agriculture and Food must be the only two persons in the State at the moment who do not regard these matters to be of sufficient importance to be taken by way of Private Notice Question?

An Ceann Comhairle

There are many ways of raising such matters in the House.

Mr. McCartan

We tried to raise it on the Adjournment.

Mr. Rabbitte

I asked that the matter be raised on the Adjournment but that was not permitted either.

An Ceann Comhairle

I am coming to that point Deputy, the request to move the Adjournment of the Dáil under Standing Order 30, if I will be permitted. Before coming to the Order of Business proper, I propose to deal with a number of motions under Standing Order 30 from Deputies John Bruton and Mervyn Taylor. I observe that the notices relate to the same subject matter and I propose to call the Deputies in the order in which they submitted their notices to my office. I now call on Deputy Mervyn Taylor.