I seek the adjournment of the Dáil under Standing Order 31 to discuss the following matter of urgent concern, namely, the deprivation of entertainment and media workers of the right to be represented by a trade union as a result of their being targeted by the Competition Authority, which regards each individual artist as a separate company and the fact that SIPTU has been forced to withdraw from representing these workers in negotiations as a result.
Requests to move Adjournment of Dáil under Standing Order 31.
In accordance with the terms of Standing Order 31, I wish to seek to move the adjournment of the Dáil to discuss the following specific and important matter of public interest, namely, the need for the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment to outline the steps heintends to take arising from the rejection by Irish Ferries of the Labour Court decision on its plans to replace more than 500 employees with cheaper labour from abroad, having regard not just to the implications for labour relations in the maritime sector, but also to the wider threat the decision poses to the future of social partnership.
I seek the adjournment of the Dáil under Standing Order 31 to debate the following urgent matter: the need for the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children to amend the nursing home subvention scheme under section 22(3) of the nursing homes regulations of 1993 to increase this subvention in light of the large number of families forced to avail of private nursing homes for their elderly parents owing to the lack of public nursing home beds.
I seek the adjournment of the Dáil under Standing Order 31 to debate the following urgent matter: the need to discuss the crisis in Kerry General Hospital due to lack of resources which is leading to patients spending long hours on trolleys and a shortage of domestic service which operates for only five hours a day.
I seek the adjournment of the Dáil under Standing Order 31 to debate the following urgent matter: the necessity for the Taoiseach to make a statement denouncing the rejection by Irish Ferries of the Labour Court recommendation which found that the company should honour the employment agreement reached with SIPTU and the Seamens' Union of Ireland last year and which rejected the company's claims that its future viability is dependent on proceeding with these measures and, in light of this rejection, the necessity for the Government to accept that there is an increased onus on it to work for the introduction of a ferries directive to protect workers on board ferries from exploitation by unscrupulous employers such as Irish Ferries.
I seek the adjournment of the Dáil under Standing Order 31 to debate the following urgent matter: the need for the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources to outline what steps he proposes to take to safeguard the jobs of 543 Irish Ferries workers following the rejection of the Labour Court recommendation by Irish Ferries management yesterday.
I seek the adjournment of the Dáil under Standing Order 31 to debate the following urgent matter: the lack of medical personnel and facilities at Kerry General Hospital, especially in its accident and emergency and cardiac units, resulting in the unprecedented protest by 40 Kerry general practitioners on the grounds of the hospital yesterday in Tralee.
Having considered the matters raised, they are not in order under Standing Order 31.
On a point of order, has the Chair abolished Standing Order 31? Is there no system whereby the collected brains of the Opposition cannot think of a matter which qualifies under Standing Order 31? Has the Chair personally abolished the Standing Order?
It would not be a matter for the Chair. It is a matter for the House under Standing Orders.
It is a matter for the Chair's interpretation.
If the Deputy examines a number of these——
The Chair has abolished the Standing Order. While he tells Members that it is the House's prerogative to abolish it, in practice, he has done so.
The Chair's ruling is in accordance with precedence and if the Deputy requests an opportunity——
It is not in accordance with precedent. In other precedents——
If the Deputy will listen——
——Standing Order 31 was used on special occasions.
We will not discuss this on the floor of the House.
The Ceann Comhairle is wrong, again.
If the Deputy considers what has been raised under Standing Orders, most issues have already been raised in Leaders' Questions.
The Ceann Comhairle has made a personal decision not to allow anything under Standing Order 31.
More have been raised on the Adjournment.
The Chair made a personal decision.
No, Deputy——
Yes you did.
——the Chair made no personal decisions.
You practise it every day in the House.
When the Deputy submits a matter in accordance with Standing Order 31, I will allow it.
The Chair might tell the Opposition what that might be some time.