Before coming to the Order of Business I propose to deal with a number of related notices under Standing Order 31 from Deputies Quinn and Shatter. I propose to call on the Deputies in the order in which they submitted their notices to me. I call first on Deputy Quinn to state the matter of which he has given notice to me.
Requests to move Adjournment of Dáil under Standing Order 31.
In accordance with the terms of Standing Order 31, I wish to seek leave to move the Adjournment of the Dáil to discuss the following specific and important matter of public interest requiring urgent attention, namely, the need for the Government to outline its proposals to provide emergency cover for hospital patients and others requiring medical care in view of the imminence of the national nursing strike and, particularly, having regard to the failure of the health services employers and the nursing unions to reach agreement on the level of emergency cover and having regard to the consequences for patients of the failure to agree emergency cover, the need for the Government to immediately re-open negotiations with the nurses unions with a view to concluding an agreement capable of averting the strike.
I now call on Deputy Shatter.
Sir, I wish to give notice of my intention to seek leave to move the Adjournment of the Dáil under Standing Order 31 to discuss the following specific and important matter requiring urgent consideration, to ask the Minister for Health and Children the contingency arrangements, if any, being put in place to provide health care and essential hospital services to those who require them should the nurses strike commence on 19 October next.
Having considered the matter fully, I do not consider it to be contemplated by Standing Order 31 and, therefore, I cannot grant leave to move the motion. However, the Chair will allow Private Notice Questions on the subject if the Members concerned submit them.
I wish to draw the Chair's attention to what was said in this House yesterday. In reply to my request yesterday of the Taoiseach for Government time to discuss this matter, he said there are provisions under Standing Orders if people wish to raise the matter tomorrow and that we will see what happens then. By this afternoon, Sir, many people will already have received notices from hospitals asking them to take their family members home. Handicapped patients are being asked to leave now. On the radio, as we speak, a manager of a hospital—
This is happening now.
There cannot be a matter of greater urgency than this.
The Chair has made its ruling.
This is a calamity waiting to happen, but the Government will not give the information I requested to the House. Members are refusing to come in here to do so.
The Deputy should resume his seat.
We have no guarantee, Sir—
I have clearly indicated that these matters can be raised today.
On a point of order, we need the information now.
There is no mechanism under Standing Orders by which we can do so.
I signalled this yesterday – it is not a surprise to the House. I am requesting a half an hour adjournment to deal with this matter of vital importance.
Private Notice Questions can be tabled on this matter.
This House has to demonstrate its relevance to the nation by adjourning—
The Chair has made its ruling.
The Chair is being unreasonable. I gave the Chair notice of this matter. I raised it here every day this week.
In the light of my ruling, the Deputy should resume his seat.
The Chair is being unreasonable.
I have clearly indicated that these matters can be raised during the course of the day.
The Chair's ruling is damaging to this House.
I call on the Taoiseach to read the Order of Business.
On a point of order—
What is the point of order?
There is hardly a more vital issue to be discussed. It would be a dereliction of duty—
That is not a point of order. The Deputy should resume his seat.
—if this House went on to other business—
The Deputy is being disorderly.
—without dealing with this issue, which is a matter of major importance to the nation.
That is not a point of order. I have called the Taoiseach to read the Order of Business.