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 wish to seek the adjournment of the Dáil under Standing Order 31 to raise a matter of national importance, namely, the Government's failure to comply with a request from Dún Laoghaire Rathdown County Council not to sell a 6.33 acre site at Shanganagh Castle, including the unused open prison, thereby denying local people the land and the site's potential to reduce the housing waiting list and to provide much needed public amenities; and the fact that the people of Shankill are now being made to pay for the Government's easily avoidable overspend when it purchased the site at Thornton Hall.
I wish to seek the adjournment of the Dáil under Standing Order 31 to raise a matter of national importance, namely, to ask this Government to direct Shell to cease construction immediately of the Ballinaboy Shell Refinery, County Mayo pending local consent of a method of bringing the Corrib gas ashore which will bring significant benefit to County Mayo and to this country, and be safe and environmentally okay, and to ask whether it is a terrible waste of Garda resources to have had two gardaí employed solely to visually record a press conference held at Ballinaboy by Deputies Joe Higgins, Gregory, Healy and myself.
Deputy Cowley is a star.
I wish to seek the adjournment of the Dáil under Standing Order 31 to raise a matter of national importance, namely, to enable this House to direct the Minister for Health and Children to provide adequate facilities for children at Louth County Hospital, Dundalk where further paediatric services have been closed recently, thus denying children in the catchment area access to proper health care.
I wish to seek the adjournment of the Dáil under Standing Order 31 to raise a matter of national importance, namely, the urgent need for the Minister for Social and Family Affairs to significantly increase social welfare pensions to bring them into line with other OECD countries. Currently the contributory old age pension is 32% of the average industrial wage which compares badly with other OECD countries where the figure is 57% of the average industrial wage. The difference is a full 25% or a shortfall of €142.16. I ask the Minister to make a statement on the matter.
I wish to seek the adjournment of the Dáil under Standing Order 31 to raise a matter of national importance, namely, to allow time for the Dáil to hear from the Government the ways in which it proposes to ensure Aer Lingus can continue as an independent airline following the help it has, in effect, received from a billionaire investor who has reportedly purchased a 2.5% share in Aer Lingus yesterday.
Having considered the matters raised, they are not in order under Standing Order 31.