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 Ring — the need to stop the sale of, and to keep in public ownership, lands (details supplied) at Doolough, Geesala, Bangor Erris. County Mayo; (2) Deputy Martin — the need to clarify the situation regarding the threat posed to the scheduling of the 1996 leaving certificate, junior certificate and NCVA examinations as a result of the industrial relations dispute regarding pay and conditions for members of the Civil and Public Service Union and the plans, if any, the Minister for Education has to ensure that the examinations are organised smoothly; (3) Deputy Noel Ahern — the unsatisfactory nature of the reply given by the Minister for Justice to Parliamentary Question No. 48 of 2 April 1996 which dealt with the confiscation of cars which are idiomatically referred to as company cars; (4) Deputy Shortall — the need to tackle illegal drug dealers by establishing a special unit involving the Garda Síochána, the Revenue Commissioners and the Department of Social Welfare; (5) Deputy Quill — the hardship caused to asthma sufferers as a result of the recent decision by the Southern Health Board to withdraw benefits under the drugs cost subsidisation scheme to patients who did not avail of the scheme in 11 out of the preceding 12 months; (6) Deputy Joe Walsh — the need to confirm reports that the Minister for Social Welfare is preparing to close social welfare branch offices nationwide; (7) Deputy Séamus Brennan — the reason the Minister for Transport, Energy and Communications, gave allegedly misleading information to both Houses of the Oireachtas in relation to the Dublin light rail system and the reason the light rail system was announced subsequent to an EU investigation which could have wide-ranging consequences for the funding of the project; (8) Deputy O'Donnell — the present position on the provision of a light rail transit system for Dublin; (9) Deputy Molloy — whether the reason for the delay in signing the GSM licence for ESAT Digifone relates to concerns expressed by other applicants regarding the circumstances surrounding the awarding of this licence; (10) Deputy Costello — the need to expedite the transfer of Irish prisoners under the Transfer of Sentenced Persons Act, 1995; and (11) Deputies Mary O'Rourke and Charlie McCreevy — the need to take immediate steps to resolve the dispute in the Civil Service regarding the embargo and promotions which is causing massive disruption.
The matters raised by Deputies O'Rourke and McCreevy, Martin, Séamus Brennan and Molloy have been selected for discussion.