I have received notice from Senator Frank Feighan that, on the motion for the Commencement of the House today, he proposes to raise the following matter:
The need for the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade to explore associations and friendships with the Commonwealth of Nations to encourage political, trading, cultural, sporting, educational and foreign aid partnerships.
I have also received notice from Senator John Dolan of the following matter:
The need for the Minister for Justice and Equality to outline why it has been decided not to ratify the optional protocol to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities at this time and to outline when it is intended to do so.
I have also received notice from Senator Kieran O'Donnell of the following matter:
The need for the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment to outline his Department's plans for the regulation of heavy industries such as the Irish Cement site located in Mungret, Limerick.
I have also received notice from Senator Rose Conway-Walsh of the following matter:
The need for the Minister for Education and Skills to provide an update on the implementation of the report of the working group on developing a sustainable plan for the Mayo campus of Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology.
I have also received notice from Senator Lorraine Clifford-Lee of the following matter:
The need for the Minister for Education and Skills to provide additional special education classrooms for children with autism spectrum disorder, ASD, in Skerries, County Dublin.
I have also received notice from Senator Maria Byrne of the following matter:
The need for the Minister for Health to consider including physiotherapists on the list of referrers for X-rays.
I have also received notice from Senator Colm Burke of the following matter:
The need for the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection to undertake a review of the community employment scheme to allow people who have reached 66 years of age to continue to work under the scheme.
I have also received notice from Senator Victor Boyhan of the following matter:
The need for the Minister for Health to make a statement on the 6,000 children currently reported to be waiting to be seen by a primary care child psychologist and to outline the measures being taken to address this matter.
I have also received notice from Senator Michelle Mulherin of the following matter:
The need for the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation to make a statement on the implementation of the regional action plan for jobs west insofar as it applies to County Mayo.
I have also received notice from Senator Martin Conway of the following matter:
The need for the Minister for Education and Skills to outline the measures being planned to address the shortage of chefs in the hospitality industry.
Of the matters raised by the Senators suitable for discussion, I have selected Senators Feighan, Dolan, Kieran O'Donnell and Conway-Walsh and they will be taken now. I regret I had to rule out of order the matter submitted by Senator Clifford-Lee on the ground that it is a repeat of a Commencement matter raised on 26 April 2018. The other Senators may give notice on another day of the matters that they wish to raise.