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 Michael D. Higgins – the steps the Government is taking to provide financial or technical assistance to the Indian authorities in the aftermath of the earthquake on 26 January 2001 which is now reported to have cost up to 100,000 lives; if his Department has any information about the safety of Irish citizens who may have been in the area worst affected; and if he will make a statement on the matter; (2) Deputy Seán Ryan – the crisis on the rail network in Dublin, particularly on the northern suburban line, which cannot cope with the demands of the travelling public; (3) Deputy Stanton – the need to provide funding for the Christian Brothers' secondary school, Midleton, County Cork, for urgent refurbishment and further development works; (4) Deputy Ring – the action being taken in relation to health boards which received nursing home subvention payments from patients; and the plans there are to return this money to the families involved; (5) Deputy Gay Mitchell – the need for the Minister for Arts Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands to enter into discussions with Dublin Corporation regarding the possible acquisition of the old Rowntree-Mackintosh site in Dublin 8; (6) Deputy Howlin – the issues arising from the Carty report into allegations of serious irregularities involving members of the Garda Síochána in County Donegal; (7) Deputy Gilmore – the impact of the work being carried out by Iarnród Éireann at Killiney Beach, County Dublin; (8) Deputy Perry – the need for a feasibility study on the possible re-opening of the Collooney to Claremorris railway line as part of the Sligo to Limerick route; (9) Deputy Farrelly – the reason the Minister for Health and Children has omitted orthopaedic nurses from the initiative announced by him on 29 November 2000 concerning certain specialist nursing courses; (10) Deputy Breeda Moynihan-Cronin – the need for the Minister to clarify the status of the ewe cull scheme payments to a number of farmers in Kerry; and (11) Deputy Michael Moynihan – the refurbishment works proposed for Kiskeam national school in County Cork.
The matters raised by the following Deputies have been selected for discussion: Deputies Michael D. Higgins, Ring, Farrelly and Gilmore.