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 Joe Higgins – the collapse and liquidation of a Dublin based charter airline with a loss of 298 jobs in Ireland, 136 in Britain, 55 in Greece and Germany and an additional 56 contract staff at various locations; (2) Deputy Gay Mitchell – the delays of up to three years in hav ing the occupational therapy unit of the Eastern Regional Health Authority assess the needs of disabled and elderly people; (3) Deputy Connaughton – the problems concerning the back to education allowance scheme for mature students; (4) Deputy McGennis – the problems caused for school crossing attendants who are being denied unemployment benefit during the summer period; (5) Deputy Seán Ryan – the urgent need for additional gardaí and resources for Swords, Balbriggan and Malahide Garda stations; (6) Deputy McGuinness – the need to prevent the proposed reduction of gynaecological beds in St. Luke's Hospital, Kilkenny to commence on 1 November 2000; (7) Deputy Gerry Reynolds – the need to immediately increase the free fuel allowance payment due to the increase in fuel costs; (8) Deputy Finucane – the need for a speech and language therapist for a school (details supplied) in County Limerick which has 30 children with a wide range of disabilities; (9) Deputy Browne (Carlow-Kilkenny)– the unsatisfactory reply to parliamentary Question No. 116 of 19 October 2000 on the treatment of adults who suffer from attention deficit disorder and ADHD; (10) Deputy McGrath – the water supply difficulties at Moate, County Westmeath and the need for grant aid to improve this water supply; (11) Deputy Flanagan – the matter of the proposed job losses affecting almost 100 people at the Boora Bord Na Móna works in west Offaly and consequent hardship for hundreds of families in the run up to Christmas; (12) Deputy Allen – the need for the Tánaiste to carry out an investigation into the circumstances behind leaks to the media which had a negative impact on relations between the IDA and Cisco Electronics and put in jeopardy the future development of Cisco plants in Dublin and Cork; (13) Deputy Enright – the concern of Dáil Éireann at the imminent job losses in Boora Works, Bord na Móna, following the closure of Ferbane ESB generating station and the recent closure of one of the units at Shannonbridge station, County Offaly; (14) Deputy Boylan – the future use of the mammography equipment in Cavan General Hospital, which has lain idle since 1997; (15) Deputy O'Sullivan – the need for the implementation of the recommendation of the Commission on the Newspaper Industry regarding the appointment of an ombudsman; (16) Deputy Kenny – the recommended phasing out and closure of the breast cancer unit at Mayo General Hospital, Castlebar; (17) Deputy Gilmore – the threatened strike by Dublin fire-fighters due to commence on 31 October and the need for steps to settle the dispute, especially having regard to the dangers posed by bonfires and fireworks at Hallowe'en; (18) Deputy Upton – the urgent need for a review of legislation governing the sale and control of the use of fireworks in light of the large number of fireworks which appear to be getting into the hands of young people; (19) Deputy Sargent – the measures needed to be taken in order to avoid EU fines because of the failure to tackle the waste issue; (20) Deputy Gregory – the need to bring forward proposals arising from the report of the commission on the residential/private rental sector; and (21) Deputy Neville – the report of the Social Services Inspectorate on children's residential centres.
The matters raised by Deputies McGuinness, Kenny, McGrath and Upton have been selected for discussion.