Before coming to the Order of Business I propose to deal with several notices under Standing Order 32 and I will call on deputies in the order in which they submitted their notices to my office. First, I call Deputy Padraig McCormack.
Requests to move Adjournment of Dáil under Standing Order 32
Under Standing Order 32 I wish to raise a matter of local and national importance, that is, the cutback of €2.5 million in HSE funding for the Galway city and county Brothers of Charity services and the further proposed cutbacks of €2 million which will make it impossible for the Brothers of Charity to continue its excellent and cost effective service to more than 1,000 recipients in Galway city and county. I refer to the extra burden this will place on families providing home care who will have respite services discontinued or greatly reduced. I call on the Minister to provide the necessary funds to enable the Brothers of Charity and other service providers continue their excellent services to the most vulnerable in our society. The Minister should note that the Brothers of Charity service has already achieved a 4% saving in expenditure this year and is now being penalised for its efficiency. I call on the Minister to ensure the funding restored to enable the Brothers of Charity to continue its services.
I seek the adjournment of the Dáil under Standing Order 32 to raise a matter of national importance, namely, the need for clarification by the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Innovation regarding the measures he is putting in place to prevent the closure of B3 Cables and secure the 100 plus jobs at the plant which are under threat, as the company is now in receivership, with a mere six days to find a buyer, and the retention of this company is of the utmost importance to the economic viability of County Longford and to the highly skilled workers concerned. The loss of 100 jobs in Longford is the equivalent of the loss of more than 1,000 jobs in Dublin. We need to do all we can to support the workers and, more important, to ensure the Government has done all it can to prevent job losses. Fianna Fáil has allowed Longford to become an unemployment blackspot.
I seek the adjournment of the Dáil under Standing Order 32 to raise a matter of national importance, namely, the need for the Taoiseach and the Minister for Health and Children to intervene immediately to reverse the savage cuts being imposed by the Health Service Executive on services for people with disabilities, including severely intellectually disabled children, which are resulting in the termination or drastic curtailment of already limited respite and day care, the laying off of staff, which will lead to the re-institutionalisation of disabled people, and great distress to people with disabilities and their carers and families.
Hear, hear.
I seek the adjournment of the Dáil under Standing Order 32 to raise a matter of national importance, namely, cancelled roads projects across the country, including three sections of the N24 in south Tipperary — the Carrick-on-Suir bypass, the Clonmel bypass and the stretch from Cahir to Bansha. These projects are vital for the infrastructure of south Tipperary and are needed badly to create jobs in the construction sector. If the Government is serious about economic recovery, the key to achieving it is investment in infrastructure to develop our country while meaning that we can get some of the 450,000 people currently unemployed back to work.
I seek the adjournment of the Dáil under Standing Order 32 to raise a matter of national importance, namely the urgent need, first, to reverse the proposed cuts for people with a disability; second, to deplore the cuts to respite services in Dublin and around the country; and, third, to demand the implementation of the disability strategy and call on the Government to make all people with a disability and their families a priority matter.
Having consider the matters raised, they are not in order under Standing Order 32.
What will it take to have a matter prioritised?
On a point of order, this is only the second time in my 21 years in the House that I have tabled a matter under Standing Order 32.. The last matter I tabled was in 1993 during the Digital crisis and my request was granted.
Well done.
This is an important matter and, to celebrate my 21 years here, the Ceann Comhairle might have allowed it.
The Deputy should try again tomorrow.
Will the Deputy consider an Adjournment debate?
I have tabled the matter for the Adjournment and the Ceann Comhairle has refused that as well.
The Deputy can resubmit the matter.
I have tabled several requests seeking matters to be taken on the Adjournment and none has been taken. I am gently reminding the Chair.
I will bear the Deputy in mind.