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.
Request to move Adjournment of Dáil under Standing Order 31.
I seek the adjournment of the Dáil under Standing Order 31 to discuss the matter of 40 redundancies at the Dubarry shoe factory in Ballinasloe, County Galway, last week and to ask the new Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if he is aware that no new industrial jobs have been created in Ballinasloe to replace the more than 1,000 jobs lost in that area over the past three or four years. That is the first request to the Minister and I hope he will do more in this regard than did the Tánaiste.
I seek the adjournment of the Dáil under Standing Order 31 on the following matter of urgent public concern, namely, the refusal of the Department of Education and Science to grant co-operation hours for practical subject teachers of an additional four hours and 45 minutes per day to St. Brighid's special secondary school in Dundalk and the crisis currently pertaining at the school where as a consequence of this refusal students with disabilities are only getting practical subject input on a week on week off basis.
In accordance with the terms of Standing Order 31, I seek the adjournment of the Dáil to discuss the following specific and important matter of public interest requiring urgent attention, the issue of the number and conditions of prisoners being held in Iraq, its relevance to the position of Ken Bigley who is being held as a hostage and the initiatives the Irish Government proposes to take.
I seek the adjournment of the Dáil to raise a matter of crucial national importance, namely, the proposals by Aer Lingus management to destroy 1,300 jobs in the national airline; the potential major conflict of interest involving the senior management of Aer Lingus, who while charged with protecting the interests of the taxpayer in a publicly owned company, are planning its privatisation; the decision by the company management to cease taking home human remains following the death of citizens abroad and to discuss the damaging consequences of the Government's neo-liberal economic policies responsible for the threatened destruction of the airline.
It is not appropriate to go beyond the statement submitted to my office.
I seek permission to suspend business under Standing Order 31 to discuss the Government's ongoing failure to commence work on the new Cork School of Music and to allow the new Minister — maybe it will be a case of third time lucky because three Ministers will have been dealing with this matter — an opportunity to present to the House all the details regarding the Government's dealings with Jarvis Development who were the proposed developers for that project.
I seek the adjournment of the Dáil under Standing Order 31 on the following important matter of public interest requiring urgent consideration, namely, the need for the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform to reverse his deportation policy and keep his promise made to the parties at the first briefing on the citizenship referendum, that he would move to regularise the situation of approximately 11,000 families with children who are Irish citizens who face either separation from their parents or effective exile as a result of Government policy. This would bring Irish policy into line with our European partners with respect to the obligation to uphold children's rights to the care and company of their parents, enshrined in the international convention on the rights of the child, as outlined by the Advocate General in the Chen case.
I seek the adjournment of the Dáil under Standing Order 31 to debate an issue of national importance, namely, the appalling condition of many of our primary and secondary schools, including those in areas of rapid expansion such as St. Mary's junior and senior schools in Rowlagh and St. Bernadette's junior and senior schools in Quarryvale. These schools were poorly designed in the 1970s and now suffer from ongoing vandalism and flooding due to the design and condition of their roofs. The schools are currently in a departmental limbo despite the recognised urgent need to replace the roofs in all four schools simultaneously. The situation is a sad reflection of the Government's lack of commitment to education, particularly in disadvantaged areas.
I seek the adjournment of the Dáil under Standing Order 31 to allow the Government to elaborate on the reported assurances which, it claims, were given that a flotilla of weapons-grade plutonium travelling from the USA to Cherbourg in France will not pass through Irish waters, and to clarify if this assurance is in writing and if it refers to the 12-mile, 50-mile or 200-mile limit off the coast; and to state what contingency plan is in place in the event of an accident or terrorist attack on this highly dangerous cargo.
Having considered the matters raised, I do not consider them to be in order in accordance with Standing Order 31.