I wish to advise the House of the following matters in respect of which notice has been given to me under Standing Order 20 (3) (a) and the name of the Member in each case: (1) Deputy Gerry Reynolds, the progress that has been made through the Anglo-Irish Agreement for the opening of cross-Border roads between Leitrim and Northern Ireland; (2) Deputy David Andrews, the case of the Birmingham Six particularly in view of the failure of the British DPP to make a recommendation on their innocence in the referral of the case to the Court of Appeal; (3) Deputy John Browne (Carlow-Kilkenny), the failure of the Minister for Agriculture and Food to implement the regulations covering the Abattoirs Act, as promised in reply to Parliamentary Question No. 29 of 17 May 1990 thus depriving county councils of the legal powers to collect fees for the work of veterinary inspectors; (4) Deputy Bill Cotter, the question of married women who are housewives and their entitlement to contributory retirement/old age pensions under the Social Welfare Act; (5) Deputy Nuala Fennell, the need for action in providing information for the medical profession on the likely consequences for daughters whose mothers were prescribed DES, stilboestrol, in line with the European Resolution of May 1989; (6) Deputy Jim Mitchell, the question of the withdrawal from the market by companies providing solid fuel heaters to residents of the smoke control zones in Ballyfermot which meet smoke control requirements, thus leaving many applicants approved for a conversion grant without the work completed before the closing date of 31 October 1990; (7) Deputy Madeleine Taylor-Quinn, the closure last Friday of the herring fishery in the Celtic Sea; and (8) Deputy Jim O'Keeffe and Deputy P.J. Sheehan, the concern expressed by the people of Beara concerning jurisdiction in the waters off their coastline and their anxiety to extend the jurisdiction of the Harbour Master in Castletownbere over those waters.
I have selected for discussion the matters raised by the following Deputies: Deputy David Andrews, Deputy P.J. Sheehan and Deputy Madeleine Taylor-Quinn.