I wish to advise the House of the following matters in respect of which notice has been given under Standing Order 21 and the name of the Member in each case: (1) Deputies Timmy Dooley and Joe Carey — the Government's position on Shannon Airport as provided for in the State Airports Act 2004; (2) Deputy Joe McHugh — the HSE west plans to introduce temporary staff reductions of 7,000 hours per week, equivalent to 180 jobs, the implications for services in the HSE west region and the seeming acceptance that, given the extent of the impending cutbacks, there is no longer an active requirement to cut waiting lists for elective surgeries; (3) Deputy Michael Ring — to ask the Minister for Environment, Heritage and Local Government if the national parks and wildlife service has met the Office of Public Works in regard to the proposed flood mitigation works in the Roundfort-Hollymount area of County Mayo and when the work will commence on said works; (4) Deputy Leo Varadkar — the need for the Minister for Health and Children to report to the Dáil on the emerging crisis in hospitals in north Dublin due to closure of more than 100 beds in the Mater, Beaumont and Connolly hospitals, to explain the reason for these closures and what measures she intends to take to ensure there is not a major trolley crisis over the winter leading to sub-optimal care and loss of life; (5) Deputy James Bannon — the need for the Minister for Transport to ensure County Longford is included in plans for a 2,000 km national network of cycle paths which will connect cities and towns throughout the State, and the need for the Minister to make a statement on why Longford, which is in the heart of Ireland and could be regarded as the central point where all routes cross and considering all it has to offer in terms of amenities, sporting facilities, natural resources and scenic landscapes, is the only county to be precluded from the Minister's vision of world class cycle routes; (6) Deputy Deirdre Clune — the need to review TB services following the recent outbreak of TB among primary school children in Cork; (7) Deputy Joe Costello — the need for the Minister for Health and Children to review the 50 cent per item levy on prescriptions for medical card holders; (8) Deputy David Stanton — the urgent need for the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government to explain and make a statement on the Government's position following reports in a national newspaper today that fines of between €20,000 and €100,000 per day could be imposed by the European Commission as a result of the failure of the Government to clean up toxic waste at the east tip at Haulbowline, County Cork; and (9) Deputy Andrew Doyle — the importance of investment in forestry.
The matters raised by Deputies Deirdre Clune, Joe Costello, Timmy Dooley, Joe Carey and Andrew Doyle have been selected for discussion.