Before coming to the Order of Business I propose to deal with a number of notices under Standing Order 32. I will call on the Deputies in the order in which they submitted their notices to my office.
Requests to move Adjournment of Dáil under Standing Order 32.
I seek the adjournment of the Dáil once again under Standing Order 32 to discuss a matter of national importance, namely, the continued embargo on recruitment in the HSE which is putting lives at risk. I have raised this before on the Adjournment. It is a matter for the Government to intervene and address this increasingly dangerous situation. Elderly people are losing day care services all around the country because of this embargo excuse. This is happening in my own town, in the Plunkett Home in Boyle. I ask the Minister to address this problem. The people who built up this country must be remembered. Day care services must be retained all over the country.
I seek the adjournment of the Dáil under Standing Order 32 to discuss an important matter, namely, the ongoing fear and anxiety now shared by many members of staff and thousands of families in its catchment area that Portiuncula Hospital in Ballinasloe is being allowed to run down by the HSE. I call on the Minister for Health and Children, and the HSE, to organise urgently a promised meeting with the unions involved so that the exact situation of this vital general hospital will be made known to the thousands of people who are expected to march in Ballinasloe next Sunday, 28 March, to show their solidarity with an institution that has proved its worth a thousandfold to countless families down through the years.
Having considered the matters raised, they are not in order under Standing Order 32.
On a point of order, did the Ceann Comhairle receive a request under Standing Order 32 from my office?
I have not been advised of it.
It was sent yesterday.
I will have to check. I simply do not have it.
I submitted it.
I am sure that if the Deputy resubmits the matter we can deal with it tomorrow.
It was really a matter for today, which was submitted well in advance.
If we get into that we will set a precedent and we are going to have a problem. The Deputy should resubmit it tomorrow and we can deal with it at that stage.
There is a problem.
Alternatively, the Deputy can raise it on the Adjournment tonight.
The Adjournment is not the greatest place in the world to raise an issue of vital national importance. This relates to the adjournment of the House to deal with certain vital issues.
We are not on a point of order now.
I do not want to be disruptive, but I do want to make the situation clear. This matter under Standing Order 32 was submitted to the Ceann Comhairle's office at 10 a.m. yesterday. It was received and acknowledged in the office, yet the Ceann Comhairle now says he has no knowledge of it.
Yesterday, not today.
Yesterday morning.
Yesterday is yesterday.
I am sorry, a Cheann Comhairle, but the matter was referred on to today when it was brought to my attention that there would be no matters raised under Standing Order 32 yesterday morning.
On a point of information, I agree with the Deputy. My matter under Standing Order 32 was sent in yesterday morning and accepted. I support my colleague.
I will have to check, Deputy, but that is the position. The Deputy can take it there has been no attempt to deprive him of his rights in the House.
The Ceann Comhairle should let the Deputy read out his matter.
If he submits it tomorrow for consideration it can be dealt with at that stage.
May I read it out, a Cheann Comhairle, since it was submitted on time?
I cannot allow a precedent to be established on this matter. I would like to accommodate the Deputy, but tomorrow will be the day to do so.
In order to protect Members of the House, can the Ceann Comhairle give me some indication of how a similar situation might be dealt with in the future? For example, if some Member of the House——
No, Deputy.
If some Member submits a similar request under Standing Order 32 tomorrow and it is not acknowledged, who has responsibility? To whom do we then make representations? This is our right under Standing Orders.
Inquiries can be made to my office or whoever is in the Chair at the time.
I am sorry, a Cheann Comhairle, but I am not here to make inquiries. I am here to ensure my rights as a Deputy are observed under Standing Orders.
I apologise profusely to the Deputy if his rights have been in any way compromised or neglected. I do not know what happened to the matter the Deputy submitted yesterday, but I will check and get back to him.
The Ceann Comhairle should bring the Deputy to his office for coffee.
I will consider that. In the meantime, we will move on with the Order of Business.
With respect, a Cheann Comhairle, I did not come to the House for coffee. I came for a different purpose altogether.
Even with a biscuit?
It is relevant to the issues that have been raised by my colleagues already.
I have explained the position to the Deputy. He may submit his matter again and call to the office and we can discuss the matter. I will check to see what the difficulty was.
Will the Ceann Comhairle accept a private notice question on the issue?
If the Deputy submits one it will certainly be considered, although I cannot give any guarantees.