Before coming to the Order of Business, I propose to deal with a number of notices under Standing Order 31. I will call on the 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 public interest: the need for the Minister for Health and Children to address the submissions made by 107 GPs in the Mallow General Hospital area as requested by the Minister and to give approval for the appointment of a consultant radiologist and geriatrician, and the provision of a CT scanner for the hospital.
I wish to seek the adjournment of the Dáil under Standing Order 31 to discuss the following urgent matter: the situation where a planned extension to Knockanillo national school built in 1918 on the outskirts of Ballina, County Mayo, is being funded by the Minister for Education and Science to the value of €100,000 though this extension will fail to address the present and future needs of the school, although sanction was given to proceed with planning for a satisfactory and adequate development of the school in August, 2001. Sanction for this extension which would have cost in excess of €300,000 was withdrawn after the election although planning had proceeded to stage 3 to be replaced by a scaled down development with instructions that costs not exceed €100,000 which is a case of cent wise and euro foolish. The location of the post-election cutback extension is based on a decrepit and rat-infested terrapin which will have to be torn down in time and will interfere with existing permanent classrooms requiring further futile expenditure, while pupils and teachers continue to suffer lack of adequate accommodation in confined, draughty and unhealthy conditions.
I wish to seek the adjournment of the Dáil under Standing Order 31 to raise the following urgent matter: the one-parent family scheme, which is proving ineffectual in relieving what is now the highest rate of consistent poverty and disadvantage among social welfare recipients; the serious disincentive for lone parents to access employment caused by the removal of the transition payment in last January's "savage 16" cutbacks; the steady decline in the incomes of lone parents vis-à-vis the rest of the population; and to call for an independent review of the one-parent family payment scheme so those single parents who wish to stay working at home can be facilitated and adequately supported.
I wish to seek the adjournment of the Dáil under Standing Order 31 to raise a matter of national importance, namely, the ongoing scandal of people left waiting on hospital trolleys while beds lie available elsewhere, including, for example, in Peamount Hospital in my own constituency where there are currently 23 empty beds with full doctor, nursing, and medical cover at St. Theresa's ward, with only seven beds occupied, despite this ward being fully funded by the Eastern Regional Health Authority. This is a scandal that needs to be debated.
I wish to seek the adjournment of the Dáil under Standing Order 31 to raise a matter of national importance, namely, the refusal of the Minister for Health and Children to attend a meeting of the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Health and Children as agreed in March 2004 to discuss the following issues: the need for a national diabetes strategy; the recommendations contained in the report on the development of radiation oncology services in Ireland; the present and future needs of the neurological services; and the implementation of the recommendations contained in the report on the orthodontic service in Ireland by the former Joint Committee on Health and Children.
I seek the adjournment of the Dáil under Standing Order 31 to raise a matter of public interest requiring urgent attention, namely, the need for the Government to approve the planning brief for the Tuam Hospital so that a community hospital, ambulance base and ancillary accommodation can be provided on the Tuam health campus. This submission from the Western Health Board has been gathering dust on the desk of the Minister for Health and Children since 8 October 2002 and has not been approved to date, with the result that the locked up hospital is continuing to deteriorate, resulting in a waste of public funds which were invested to purchase the property.
I seek the adjournment of the Dáil to discuss the following matter of urgent national importance, namely, the continuing gross violation of Irish neutrality by this Government through facilitating the use of Shannon Airport by US troops; its placing of County Clare and its citizens under a state of virtual martial law in order to facilitate the visit of US President George Bush to which the vast majority of people in this country are opposed; and the admission by the Minister for Defence, Deputy Michael Smith, that for the past five years the Government has authorised members of the US marine corps to train on the Curragh of Kildare.
Having considered the matters raised, I do not consider them to be in order under Standing Order 31.