Before coming to the Order of Business I propose to deal with a number of notices under Standing Order 31 dealing with two different topics. I propose to deal with these topics separately and I will call on the Deputies in the order in which they submitted their notices to my office. In regard to the first topic, I received notice from Deputy Ó Caoláin and I now call on him to state the matter.
Request to move Adjournment of Dáil under Standing Order 31.
I seek the adjournment of the Dáil under Standing Order 31 to address the following matter of urgent national importance: the escalating crisis in the accident and emergency units of our hospitals. This has led to strike action by the Irish Nurses' Organisation and a balloting for industrial action by SIPTU which has described the working conditions in the accident and emergency departments as war zones.
Having considered the matter fully, I do not consider it to be contemplated by Standing Order 31.
In regard to the second topic, I have received notice from Deputies Howlin, Shatter and Gormley. I call firstly on Deputy Howlin.
In accordance with the terms of Standing Order 31 I seek the adjournment of the Dáil to discuss the following specific and important matter of public interest requiring urgent attention: the implications for the authenticity of official Garda crime figures of documents published in today's edition of The Star suggesting conviction rates in one Garda division had been falsified and the need for the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform to make an immediate statement to the House on the measures being taken to investigate these claims.
I wish to seek the adjournment of the Dáil under Standing Order 31 to raise a matter of national importance, namely, today's revelations in The Star in regard to the distortion of crime detection rates, the implications for public confidence in the Garda Síochána and the manner in which the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform is failing to discharge his public duties in regard to the gardaí under the Ministers and Secretaries Act, 1924, for which he is accountable to this House.
I wish to have the business of the House suspended under Standing Order 31 to discuss a matter of urgent public importance, namely, the revelation that gardaí may have deliberately doctored records to increase the number of crimes recorded as solved and the need for the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform to make an immediate statement on the matter in order to restore confidence in the Garda Síochána.
Having considered the matter fully, I do not consider it to be contemplated by Standing Order 31.