I have received notice from Senator Tim Lombard that, on the motion for the Commencement of the House today, he proposes to raise the following matter:
The need for the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to outline the plans he has, if any, to amend the targeted agricultural modernisation scheme, TAMS II, to include funding for generators for agricultural use.
I have also received notice from Senator Robbie Gallagher of the following matter:
The need for the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government to confirm whether the Milltown sewerage scheme will receive the funding necessary to commence in 2018.
I have also received notice from Senator Rose Conway-Walsh that she proposes to raise the following matter:
The need for the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government to provide an update on how he intends to implement recommendation 6.1 of the report of the Joint Committee on the Future Funding of Domestic Water Services that equality be afforded to those on private and group schemes.
I have also received notice from Senator Colm Burke that he proposes to raise the following matter:
The need for the Minister for Health to outline the action proposed to make the nine respite beds at Fermoy Community Hospital fully operational.
I have also received notice from Senator Aidan Davitt that he proposes to raise the following matter:
The need for the Tánaiste and Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation to address the direct threats to Irish foreign direct investment and jobs growth due to domestic policy decisions, the housing crisis and the current planning process system that are making Ireland an uncompetitive jurisdiction for retaining our current foreign direct investment footprint and attracting new investment.
I have also received notice from Senator Maria Byrne that she proposes to raise the following matter:
The need for the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport to provide emergency funding for the repair of the Olympic Swimming Pool in the University of Limerick.
I have also received notice from Senator Brian Ó Domhnaill that he proposes to raise the following matter:
The need for the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government to legislate in order to provide for timely responses, consistency across local authorities and substance in answers given to representations made by local elected representatives to their respective local authorities.
I have also received notice from Senator Máire Devine that she proposes to raise the following matter:
The need for the Minister of State at the Department of Health with special responsibility for Mental Health and Older People to give an outline of his plans for a national telephone helpline for mental health.
I have also received notice from Senator Paul Gavan that he proposes to raise the following matter:
The need for the Minister of State with special responsibility for Defence to address the amount of money being spent on the purchase of new ships for the Irish Naval Service.
I have also received notice from Senator Frank Feighan that he proposes to raise the following matter:
The need for the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection to outline the number of former miners who worked in Arigna and in other mines who have availed of disablement benefit due to work-related illness; and whether there are enough resources currently available to expedite existing applications from former miners seeking disablement benefit.
I regard the matters raised by the Senators as suitable for discussion. I have selected the matters raised by Senators Lombard, Conway-Walsh and Burke and they will be taken now. I regret that I have had to rule out of order the matters raised by Senator Ó Domhnaill, on the grounds that the matter is an operational issue and the Minister has no official responsibility on the matter. The other Senators may give notice on another day of the matters they wish to raise.