I wish to advise the House of the following matters in respect of which notice has been given under Standing Order 20 and the name of the Member in each case: (1) Deputy Molloy — The failure to provide funding to commence work on the home of a person (details supplied) in County Galway, despite a recommendation in July 1992 by the Western Health Board chief medical officer that a disabled person's house improvement grant be approved in this case; and whether the 1994 allocation under this scheme will be improved to enable Galway County Council to proceed with new works under this scheme; (2) Deputy Harney — Public concern arising from reports that a revised National Development Plan is to be submitted to Brussels; persistent indications that the EU Commission is unhappy with a number of the proposals contained in the plan; and the need to clarify the current status of the plan submitted to the Commission in October 1993; (3) Deputy Deasy — The future of the early potato industry on the south coast, particularly in County Waterford; (4) Deputy Quill — Whether the consultants' report on Irish Steel will be made available to the workforce; if so, when it will be made available; and the action it is intended to take arising from the recommendations contained in the report; (5) Deputy Dan Wallace — The urgent need to replace the windows in St. Patrick's national school, Gardiner's Hill, Cork, which are in a very dangerous condition; (6) Deputy Sheehan — The urgent necessity to grant postal voting rights to fishermen; (7) Deputy Dukes — The anomalies in the assessment of farm income for the purpose of determining eligibility for higher education grants; and reported proposals to the effect that assets such as land should in future be taken into account in carrying out such assessments; (8) Deputy Dermot Ahern — Two incidents which occurred in the Silverbridge area of County Armagh on Thursday, 24 February and Saturday, 26 February 1994, involving civilians and British Army personnel; (9) Deputy Allen — The problems at Irish Steel in view of recent disclosures that there may be substantial job losses at the plant; and the need to publish the consultants' report on the company; (10) Deputy Gilmore — The inadequate housing allocation for 1994 communicated to Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council; (11) Deputy Theresa Ahearn — The closure of St. Joseph's College secondary school, Cahir, County Tipperary, leaving 120 students without secondary education from July 1994; and the proposals for the continuation of secondary education for the students involved and for the future employment of the present staff; (12) Deputy Michael Ahern — The need to clarify the situation pertaining to Irish Steel Limited following the recent consultants' report, as reported in the media, which is causing great anxiety among the workforce; (13) Deputy Sargent — The testing of ferries which has taken place since the passing of the Merchant Shipping Act, 1992; the level of progress in this area; and the plans to ensure maximum safety on ferries; (14) Deputy Jim Higgins — The impact the shortfall of £800 million in Structural Funds will have on projects and the operational programme for the western region as contained in the National Development Plan.
The matters raised by Deputies Allen, Michael Ahern, Molloy and Deasy have been selected for discussion.
