I wish to advise the House of the following matters in respect of which notice has been given under Standing Order 21 and the name of the Member in each case: (1) Deputy Hayes — the need for an annual subvention to the Dublin Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in light of the present financial crisis they are undergoing; (2) Deputy Stanton — the need to review the law on the powers available to the Electricity Supply Board when expanding the national grid infrastructure; (3) Deputy Durkan — the reasons for the difference in support between applicants for mortgage and rent supplement whereby the former are given little support while the latter receives up to 80 per cent support despite the fact that the former represents the best value for money; (4) Deputy Brendan Smith — the subject matter of Parliamentary Question No. 91 of Thursday, 20 November 1997; (5) Deputy Fitzgerald — the urgent need for measures to deal with the serious problems of homelessness in Dublin; (6) Deputy Gerard Reynolds — the proposals, if any, the Minister for the Environment and Local Government has to reduce the acreage of land for which planning permission is required when planting trees; (7) Deputy Rabbitte — the need for an increase in the adult literacy and community education budget, especially in the light of the recent Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development adult literacy survey which showed that one in four Irish adults have very low literacy levels; (8) Deputy Clune — the urgent need for the Government to introduce a sex offenders register; (9) Deputy Neville — the need for a plan of action for homeless children in the Eastern Health Board area; (10) Deputy Gormley — the need to introduce legislation to regulate the opening hours of large retail outlets in the light of the decision of a major stores chain to introduce 24 hour shopping in the Christmas shopping period; (11) Deputy Deasy — the necessity to protect wildlife habitats in accordance with European Union directives; (12) Deputy Browne (Wexford) — the ongoing problems for meat exporters and the effect on Irish farmers of the blockades at Welsh ports by Welsh farmers.
The matters raised by Deputies Stanton, Fitzgerald, Clune and Rabbitte have been selected for discussion.