I have received notice from the following Senators that they propose to raise the following matters:
Senators Eugene Murphy and Aisling Dolan - The need for the Minister for Environment, Climate and Communications to make a statement on the proposed closure of Roscommon town post office.
Senator Fiona O'Loughlin - The need for the Minister for Transport to make a statement on the timeline for the implementation of the recently announced fares determination by the National Transport Authority.
Senator Tom Clonan - The need for the Minister for Health to make a statement on the status of the children on waiting lists for complex spinal surgery and limb reconstruction at Children's Health Ireland, and to outline the qualifications and training of the surgeons to whom the children on waiting lists have been assigned.
Senator Maria Byrne - The need for the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to make a statement on the processing of applications for the vacant property refurbishment grant nationally, and in Limerick City and County Council.
Senator Mary Seery Kearney - The need for the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to make a statement on the countrywide roll-out of a text alert initiative to report the misuse of disabled parking bays, as piloted by Gorey Municipal District Council.
Senator Malcolm Byrne - The need for the Minister for Justice to make a statement on plans to reform and expedite the Garda vetting process.
Senator Seán Kyne - The need for the Minister for Health to provide an update on plans for a new national positive ageing strategy.
Senator Lynn Boylan - The need for the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to make a statement on the rate of prosecution for wildlife crimes.
Senator Erin McGreehan - The need for the Minister for Rural and Community Development to make a statement on the allocation of funding to support the rural communities in north Louth that had their roads destroyed by flooding in October 2023.
Senator Gerard P. Craughwell - The need for the Minister for Health to make a statement on the funding allocation to support the treatment of head and neck cancer services.
Senator Garret Ahearn - The need for the Minister for Education to make a statement on the successful application by CBS High School, Clonmel, under the additional accommodation scheme; and to outline when a decision will be made on stage 2A of the project.
Of the matters raised by the Senators suitable for discussion, I have selected Senators Murphy and Dolan, O'Loughlin, Clonan, and Maria Byrne and they will be taken now. I regret that I have had to rule out of order the matter raised by Senator Seery Kearney on the ground that the Minister has no official responsibility in the matter. The other Senators may give notice on another day of the matters that they wish to raise.
I wish to inform Members that I received a request from a Department for a Member to withdraw a Commencement matter. I made a decision in the interest of Members and of the House that no Government Department, citing the unavailability of a Minister, should have a Commencement matter withdrawn. If that was the case, every Department could do that every day and we would have nobody coming in here. It was not a decision about the Member; it was about the Department and the need for us as Members to be able to have our Commencement matters heard by the appropriate Department.