Before proceeding to the Order of Business, I propose to deal with a number of notices under Standing Order 31. I will call on the Deputies to raise the matters in the order in which they submitted their notices to my office.
Requests to move Adjournment of Dáil under Standing Order 31.
I seek the adjournment of the Dáil under Standing Order 31 on the following matter, namely, the need for the Ministers for Defence and Justice, Equality and Law Reform to explain the failure of the Garda or the Defence Forces to arrest a group of foreign soldiers who, contrary to the law, appeared on the streets in uniform without Government authorisation while on a Shannon Airport pitstop on the way back from their Iraqi occupation. There is also a need for the Minister for Foreign Affairs to explain why this was allowed to happen and the steps he will take to ensure this violation is not repeated.
I seek the adjournment of Dáil Éireann under Standing Order 31 to discuss an issue of urgent national importance and concern, namely, the need for targeted funding in the health service for the winter bed initiative scheme as a means of taking pressure off hospital wards where in excess of 100% bed occupancy is commonplace and accident and emergency departments are continually overcrowded, and the further need to have the scheme applied equally to all hospitals in the North Eastern Health Board area.
Having considered the matters raised, I do not consider them to be in order under Standing Order 31.