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 Dáil Éireann under Standing Order 31 to debate a matter of national importance, namely, the omission of 15 applicants from counties Monaghan and Cavan from the list of approved grants totalling €17.2 million from the Dormant Accounts Fund Disbursements Board and whether the applicants in question will receive favourable treatment in the next tranche of grants from the fund.
I wish to seek the adjournment of the Dáil under Standing Order 31 to raise a matter of national importance, namely, the need for the Government to state categorically that Aer Lingus will be maintained in full public ownership; the need to source sufficient funds to develop the national airline service as a quality operation and the necessity to bring Aer Lingus workers to a central role in the management and development of the airline.
I wish to seek the adjournment of the Dáil under Standing Order 31 to raise a matter of national importance, namely, the publication of further reports citing high unemployment levels among graduates of teacher training colleges and the need for the Minister for Education and Science to tackle this problem, particularly in the context of ensuring that class sizes are reduced as originally promised by the Government, given that one in seven children leave primary school with literacy problems.
I wish to seek the adjournment of the Dáil under Standing Order 31 to raise a matter of national importance, namely, the revelations from by the National Roads Authority at a transport committee yesterday that the €807 million planned investment in the widening of the M50 will still result in that roadway being severely congested from the moment of the project's completion and whether our priority for investment should not therefore be in the construction of the €1.3 billion metro and other public transport projects in advance of the investment in the M50 upgrade.
I wish to seek the adjournment of the Dáil under Standing Order 31 to raise a matter of national importance, namely, the reason the budget of Development Co-operation Ireland is being reduced by €1 million in order that a payment be made to the Band Aid Foundation, in lieu of no VAT rebate being given for the activities of that organisation; and that such sharp practice is informed by the Government being unwilling to address why charities are asked to pay value added tax.
Having considered the matters raised, they are not in order under Standing Order 31.