Before coming to the Order of Business I propose to deal with a number of notices under Standing Order 31.
Requests to move Adjournment of Dáil under Standing Order 31.
I seek the adjournment of the Dáil under Standing Order 31 to debate the following urgent matter: the need for the Government to resist the request from the board of the Great Southern Hotel Group to sell the hotel group, including the Killarney Great Southern and Parknasilla, given the potential loss of jobs arising from the sale and the threat this will pose for tourism in Kerry. Given the importance of this issue, I hope the Ceann Comhairle will agree to this request.
I seek the adjournment of the Dáil under Standing Order 31 to debate the following urgent matter: in light of the disclosure last night on "Prime Time" that the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government and the Government ignored the advice given to him by Teagasc on the implementation of the nitrates directive, the need for the Minister to clarify his role in this debacle, to publish the advice presented by Teagasc and to have the complete regulation withdrawn pending compliance with Teagasc scientific advice.
I seek the adjournment of the Dáil under Standing Order 31 to debate the following urgent matter: why Mayo patients must still wait for up to eight years for urgent urology hospital services in Galway and why an 80-year old man who, clinically, has cancer of the prostate has already been waiting for 16 months to see the consultant urologist in Galway for urgent treatment; why this situation must continue when the solution is a urology consultant unit at Mayo General Hospital; and why it should be tolerated that people waiting for urgent urology treatment will more than likely have a shorter lifespan due to the negligence of Government in dealing with our health services. It is a disgrace.
I seek the adjournment of the Dáil under Standing Order 31 to debate the following urgent matter: the disturbing findings of the National Economic and Social Forum, including that Ireland has one of the highest levels of inequality among OECD countries; 14% of households in poverty are headed by a person with a job; we are ranked 51 out of 56 countries in terms of equality of opportunity for women; 13% of Irish young people leave school early; 23% of the working population lack functional literacy skills; and we have significant unemployment blackspots like Carrick-on-Suir with 25% unemployment. Arising from this I call on the Government to prioritise spending on services like health, education, housing, social welfare and job creation by using the large budget surplus that stood at more than €6.3 billion in 2005 and is projected at €4.4 billion in 2006 for these services.
In accordance with the terms of Standing Order 31, I wish to give notice of my intention to raise the following matter of public interest requiring urgent attention, the need for the Government to clarify its policy position on the future of the Great Southern Hotel Group in view of the fears that have been created among the staff, the tourism industry and the public as to what the Government has decided, its time-scale and the implications of the sale of this State asset.
Having considered the matters raised, they are not in order under Standing Order 31.