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 Neville – the Pollock report on the facilities provided at Our Lady's Hospital for Sick Children, Crumlin; (2) Deputy Crawford – the steps being taken to regulate the staff shortages in the Department of Agriculture and Food offices in Cavan-Monaghan and other areas; (3) Deputy Gogarty – the need for the Minister to police non-compliance with the Universities Act or to amend the Act so that non-compliance can be monitored and policed by an independent body; (4) Deputy O'Dowd – the need for the Government to reverse immediately its pro-incineration policy given the disturbing and alarming report published today in the British Medical Journal that living near an incinerator increases the risks of a baby being born with spina bifida by 17% and being born with congenital heart defects by 12%; (5) Deputy Finian McGrath – the urgent need for more investment in our health services to reduce waiting lists and ward closures; and (6) Deputy Upton – the need for the Minister for Agriculture and Food to take a new initiative to secure a settlement to the dispute involving the CPSU and his Department.
The matters raised by Deputies Crawford, Upton, Neville and Finian McGrath have been selected for discussion.