I have received notice from Senator Rose Conway-Walsh that, on the motion for the Commencement of the House today, she proposes to raise the following matter:
The need for the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport to discuss the recent report which incorporates a passenger count and survey of the Ennis to Athenry section of the western rail corridor and to state whether the expansion and upgrade of this rail line are congruent with Government policy to develop the Wild Atlantic Way and the Atlantic economic corridor.
I have also received notice from Senator Brian Ó Domhnaill of the following matter:
The need for the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to give approval to increase the herring quota under the Celtic Sea herring management plan for the Dunmore Box in order to compensate for the loss of herring quota in the fishery sector in 2015.
I have also received notice from Senator Maria Byrne of the following matter:
The need for the Minister for Social Protection to examine the status of women whose contributions are insufficient to qualify for a full contributory State pension because they were compelled to leave employment on marriage or voluntarily stayed at home to raise their families and to consider granting such women extra entitlements to make up the loss.
I have also received notice from Senator Kevin Humphreys of the following matter:
The need for the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government to outline his position on a directly elected mayor for Dublin and, in particular, whether he would introduce or support a Bill to allow a plebiscite to take place in Dublin in 2018 and, depending on the outcome, allow an election of a mayor for the Dublin region to coincide with the local and European elections in 2019.
I have also received notice from Senator Robbie Gallagher of the following matter:
The need for the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment to recognise the value of angling in Ireland and make the relevant funding available to the hatcheries at Mullingar and Roscrea.
I have also received notice from Senator Maura Hopkins of the following matter:
The need for the Minister of State with responsibility for mental health services to provide an update on when the external review of mental health services in County Roscommon will be completed and made available.
I have also received notice from Senator Gerald Nash of the following matter:
The need for the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government to explain the reasons for the delays in the Drogheda boundary review process.
I have also received notice from Senator Paul Gavan of the following matter:
The need for the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade to comment on reports that munitions being used by Saudi Arabia in the indiscriminate bombing of civilians in Yemen may have been transported by US military aircraft through Shannon Airport and that US military mid-air refuelling planes that passed through Shannon Airport in June 2016 may have been used to refuel the Saudi Arabian aircraft involved.
I have also received notice from Senator Frank Feighan of the following matter:
The need for the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs to establish the number of applicants who have received compensation under the turf cutting compensation scheme, the number of applicants who have yet to receive compensation, the county by county breakdown of compensation paid to date, the number of applicants who have been relocated to other bogs and the number who have applied to be relocated.
I regard the matters raised by the Senators as suitable for discussion. I have selected the matters raised by Senators Rose Conway-Walsh, Brian Ó Domhnaill, Maria Byrne and Kevin Humphreys and they will be taken now. Senators Robbie Gallagher, Maura Hopkins, Gerald Nash, Paul Gavan and Frank Feighan may give notice on another day of the matters they wish to raise. Senator Rose Conway-Walsh has withdrawn her Commencement matter which I had selected for discussion in view of the fact that the Minister has suffered a bereavement.