I wish to advise the House of the following matters in respect of which notice has been given under Standing Order 21 and the name of the Member in each case: (1) Deputy Perry – the need for urgent funding for stage two development at St. John's Community Hospital, Sligo; (2) Deputy Allen – the need to avert the closure of RTÉ Cork by granting permission to extend the hours of broadcasting; (3) Deputy Jim Higgins – the ongoing sequence of armed raids on banks and other financial institutions and, in particular, on the AIB branch in Ballyfermot; (4) Deputy Timmins – Ireland's position with respect to the proposed new EU defence force; (5) Deputy Sheehan – the imminent closure of the Molalycke factory in Dunmanway in County Cork resulting in the loss of 113 jobs; (6) Deputy Michael D. Higgins – the ineligibility of over half the total number of VTOS students in Galway city for the new training bonus of £25 per week; (7) Deputy McGennis – the need to investigate the abolition of fees for repeat students and, in particular, the case of a person, details supplied; (8) Deputy Cecilia Keaveney – the need for adequate resources to deal with both embankments on the links from the Blanket Nook and Magherabeg to Inch Island; (9) Deputy Ellis – the possibility of the power supply to Sligo-Leitrim being improved by the connection of the region to the Northern Ireland electricity grid; (10) Deputy Deenihan – the problem in a number of special schools with the operation and implementation of the recently introduced escort scheme; (11) Deputy Wall – the implications of the withdrawal from service of a number of Naval Service vessels as a result of problems with asbestos; (12) Deputy Moynihan-Cronin – the need for funding to ensure the survival of Killarney counselling centre and the continuation of expert professional counselling services to schools in Kerry; (13) Deputy Stanton – the collection of post-primary children attending Coláiste Eoghan and CBS secondary school in Youghal, County Cork; (14) Deputy Seán Ryan – the anomalies in the new drugs payments scheme which is causing hardship for people on long-term medication.
The matters raised by Deputies Timmins, Perry, Jim Higgins and Moynihan-Cronin have been selected for discussion.