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 F. McGrath – the flooding crisis in the Tolka River, the need for dredging and the construction of flood prevention walls along the river; (2) Deputy Connaughton – the subject matter of the closure of the Square D factory at Ballinasloe, County Galway, with the loss of 385 jobs and to ascertain what efforts are being made by Government and the IDA to replace these jobs in the town; (3) Deputy Callanan – to discuss the closure of Square D, Ballinasloe, and the loss of 385 jobs and the Minister's response to future employment in Ballinasloe; (4) Deputy Cowley – to ask the Minister for Health and Children if he is aware of the continuing hardship for Mayo people due to the cessation of X-ray services at the Ballina District Hospital; (5) Deputy Ó Caoláin – the need for the Minister for Health and Children to act as a matter of urgency to address the severe staffing shortage at St Mary's residential care facility at Drumcar, County Louth, and to ensure that the residents at the centre have all the personnel and other resources they need to live with dignity and safety; (6) Deputy Ring – to ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs what progress, if any, she has made in reaching a resolution of the dispute with the Irish Dental Association and if she will make a full statement on the matter; (7) Deputy Neville – to ask the Minister about conditions at St. Mary's Institution, Drumcar, County Louth; (8) Deputy Morgan – the need for the Minister for Transport to act as a matter of urgency to address the revelations of the retention by Ryanair of €27 million in tax and landing fees from unused passenger tickets; (9) Deputy Boyle – that the Government indicate the extent to which it is willing to help progress major infrastructure projects in the Cork city area, in anticipation of that city being European City of Culture 2005; (10) Deputy P. Breen – if the Minister for the Environment and Local Government is happy with the resources deployed by Clare County Council and the EPA in tracking down the odour that is currently affecting the Shannon region of County Clare and if the Minister could update the House on the current position and if he could assure people that there is no health hazard; and (11) Deputy Sargent – that the Minister for Agriculture and Food outline the integral role being played by Mellows Agricultural College in enabling the recommendations of the organic development committee to be implemented and that the threat of closure to the college be lifted through ensuring adequate funding and a serious Government commitment to the growth in conversion to organise methods in Ireland.
The matters raised by Deputies Connaughton, Callanan, Ó Caoláin and Neville have been selected for discussion.