Before coming to the Order of Business, I propose to deal with a number of notices under Standing Order 31. I will call on Deputies 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 to discuss the following matter of urgent national importance requiring immediate intervention by the Government, namely, the failure to deliver proper care to people with Alzheimer's disease, the lack of support for carers of people with dementia, as highlighted by 75% of doctors surveyed, and the warning resulting from the poll commissioned by the Alzheimer's Society of Ireland of a mounting crisis in care for these patients due to acute bed shortages, a lack of public health nurses and an absence of a range of specialists in the community.
I wish to seek the adjournment of the Dáil under Standing Order 31 to discuss the following matter of urgent public and national concern, namely, a forest fire at the weekend that commenced on Sunday last and continues to burn this morning on Bragan-Slieve Beagh Mountain and which has destroyed hundreds of acres of forestry and wildlife in a very scenic area of outstanding natural beauty that is a natural breeding ground for the ring-tailed hen harrier among other wildlife species and to ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government to provide emergency funding in this catastrophic situation for forestry and wildlife in County Monaghan.
I request the adjournment of the Dáil under Standing Order 31 to discuss a matter of urgent importance, namely, the failure of the Minister for Health and Children to provide funding for the opening of the new state-of-the-art hospital wards, operating theatres and day facilities at South Tipperary General Hospital, Clonmel, which cost approximately €25 million and have been lying idle for the past 15 months while patients are forced to go elsewhere for treatment or lie on trolleys in corridors awaiting treatment, and to allow the Minister to make a statement on the matter.
I seek the adjournment of the Dáil under Standing Order 31 to raise a matter of national importance, namely, the failure to allow the go-ahead for ancillary staff who have been interviewed but who need to be taken on board now to ensure that the vacant Mayo orthopaedic unit can open as planned on 1 July for elective orthopaedic services and to discuss the scandal of 1,500 plus Mayo patients who have been waiting, some since 2000, for elective orthopaedic services, which services have been stopped since January 2004, unless one is a private patient, even though the services to replace them will not come on-line until 1 July 2004, and to discuss the fact that these 1,500 plus Mayo patients, although some have been waiting for four years, cannot qualify for the treatment purchase fund because they have not been seen by consultants.
I seek the adjournment of the Dáil under Standing Order 31 on a matter of local and national importance, namely, to give the Minister for Health and Children the opportunity to put on the record of the House his proposals of last Friday for Monaghan General Hospital which forced two Fianna Fáil councillors from the elections and appear to be a further withdrawal of services from the people of Monaghan. As yet there is no sign of the €14 million necessary, as stated in the report to the Minister provided by Kevin Bonner after his discussions with all concerned, including the Department of Finance. This is what the Hanly report will do elsewhere.
Under Standing Order 31, I seek the adjournment of the House to discuss the unresolved circumstances surrounding the closure of Tralee Beef and Lamb in October 2001, the delay in issuing the liquidator's report and the outstanding moneys owed to farmer creditors to the tune of €3.5 million, despite the sale of the premises for €1.7 million, and the hardship placed on suppliers in contrast to the substantial payment of €776,000 made to bank charge holders.
I seek leave to move a motion to adjourn the Dáil under Standing Order 31 to discuss a matter of urgent national importance, namely, the exorbitant penalties and interest of up to 380% imposed on owners of non-resident accounts and the extreme hardship experienced by these individuals who, in some instances, had to sell their family farms and homes and, in most cases, were directed to banks in Northern Ireland by institutions in the Republic.
Having considered the matters raised, I have decided that they are not in order under Standing Order 31.
Is anything ever in order?