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 notice to my office. I call on Deputy Crawford to state his matter.
Request to move Adjournment of Dáil under Standing Order 31.
I have withdrawn the notice.
I call on Deputy Gogarty.
I would first like to wish the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform a speedy recovery from the case of foot and mouth disease that he displayed last night.
The Deputy is well aware that he is only entitled to read out the notice submitted to the Office of the Ceann Comhairle.
I seek the adjournment of the House under Standing Order 31 to debate the following issue of national importance, namely, the general treatment of deportees by the State and, specifically and most urgently, the case of my constituent, Olunkunle Eluhanla, a student at Palmerstown community school, who was last week forced onto a flight to Nigeria while still in his school uniform, with less than three months to his leaving certificate examination and without any documentation. The Minister is not present today.
I seek the adjournment of the Dáil under Standing Order 31 to discuss a matter of national importance, namely, the urgent need for the Government to introduce maximum class size guidelines, which will ensure that average class sizes for children under nine years of age will be below the international best practice guidelines of 1:20, as promised in the programme for Government, and to ask the Minister for Education and Science to make a statement on the matter.
I seek the adjournment of the Dáil under Standing Order 31 to discuss a decision made by the Irish Medicines Board instructing the Mercy University Hospital, Cork, to suspend all clinical trial related activities for the treatment of childhood leukemia with effect from last Tuesday because consultants at Our Lady's Hospital, Crumlin, are unwilling to sign a document outlining the hospital's responsibilities under a share care programme forwarded by the Mercy Hospital, Cork.
I seek the adjournment of the Dáil under Standing Order 31 to discuss the following matter of urgent concern, namely, the unacceptable fact that cutbacks in health services at Louth County Hospital, Dundalk, are forcing patients to travel to Newry in County Down to avail of basic services, such as accident and emergency treatment; the necessity to address this situation as a matter of urgency and the need for the Minister for Health and Children to explain how she proposes to do so. She is not having much success so far.
I seek the adjournment of the Dáil under Standing Order 31 to discuss a matter of local and national importance, namely, the unprecedented stand by consultants at Ennis General Hospital. Deeply frustrated over the lack of resources to provide a proper standard of treatment, the seven medical specialists insist that they cannot continue the unacceptable level of admissions of elective patients due to chronic overcrowding and poor working conditions. They are deeply disillusioned by the empty promises of this and the last Government and the former Minister during the general, European and local elections, when he committed €20.9 million for the upgrading of Ennis General Hospital. The abysmal failure of this Government to provide——
Deputy——
——a proper health service for the people of Clare can no longer be tolerated.
I call Deputy Ó Snodaigh.
On a point of order, a Cheann Chomhairle, why did you not let me finish my contribution?
You had concluded the statement submitted to my office.
It was wrong.
The statement approved by my office——
On a point of order, a Cheann Comhairle.
If the Deputy has a problem——
That is not what I submitted to your office.
——I suggest he call to my office and I will be glad to discuss it with him. I call Deputy Ó Snodaigh.
I will not resume my seat. That is not what I submitted to your office. I amended what I submitted to your office and I want to say what I submitted.
I ask the Deputy to resume his seat——
I will not resume my seat——
——while the Chair is on his feet.
——until you clarify what I submitted.
Deputy, it is only appropriate to read the statement that is submitted and approved by my office.
That is what I submitted to your office. Why did you not tell me earlier? That is what I submitted.
Sorry, Deputy.
A Cheann Comhairle, I will not resume my seat.
Deputy, we cannot have a special rule for you and another for other Members.
Let him finish.
A Cheann Comhairle, this is taking advantage of the minorities in this House. I amended what I submitted to your office.
All other Deputies accept the ruling of the Chair on this matter. Where the statement is too long, the Chair rules that it should be abbreviated——
I amended it.
——to comply with the Standing Order.
I did that.
If the Deputy does not like the Standing Order, he should find a way of having it amended.
A Cheann Comhairle, I did what you asked but you did not allow me to finish my statement.
It appears to the Chair that the Deputy wishes to leave the House.
No, a Cheann Comhairle.
Then I ask the Deputy to resume his seat.
I amended what you asked me to amend but you did not allow me to finish. I amended the statement.
I have the amendment.
I have it too, as it was submitted. Here it is and you can see what I took out of it.
Let him finish, a Cheann Comhairle.
A Cheann Comhairle, this is not right. What I wished to say is that the abysmal failure of this Government to provide a proper health service for the people of Clare can no longer be tolerated. You would not let me finish it, a Cheann Comhairle, but now I have done so.
I seek the adjournment of the Dáil under Standing Order 31 to discuss the following matter which requires urgent consideration, namely, the need for the Government to immediately cease its ruthless policy of forceful mass deportation, which violates the prohibition on collective expulsions in Article 4 of the European Convention on Human Rights——
You know a lot about that.
——and upon which the Government suppressed debate by refusing Sinn Féin's demands for a full debate on the policy in this House in November 2003.
I seek the adjournment of the Dáil under Standing Order 31 to discuss an issue of urgent public importance, namely, the impending decision of the Government to approve a contract between Dublin City Council and Elsim Ireland Ltd. to design, build and operate an incinerator in Ringsend and the need for the Minister, Deputy McDowell, to reject this proposal in line with his election promises.
I seek the adjournment of the Dáil under Standing Order 31 to ensure the Government clarifies reports that it has again sided with the genetically modified food industry to prevent Irish citizens and non-governmental organisations from exercising a legal right to invoke the Arhaus Convention regarding public participation in decision making on GMOs and to ascertain if the Government will instead support the European Environmental Bureau proposal of a new mandate to protect the rights of citizens in the face of pressure from the GMO food industry.
Having considered the matters raised, they are not in order under Standing Order 31.