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 Shortall – the circumstances surrounding the introduction of section 19 of the Finance Act, 1994; (2) Deputy Finucane – the need to review the decision relating to the means of widows and widowers who are in receipt of a UK pension; (3) Deputy McGrath – the closure of Oxford Health Plans in Mullingar, County Westmeath, with the loss of 125 jobs and the need to find a replacement company for this plant; (4) Deputy Penrose – the need to avert the closure of the Oxford Health Plans company in Mullingar and for targeted measures to find new employment for the north midlands; (5) Deputy Stanton – the need to provide more resources to enable the Health and Safety Authority to adequately supervise the construction industry; (6) Deputy Enright – the payment of higher education grants and scholarships to students resuming courses in third level institutions after a lapse of a number of years.
The matters raised by Deputies McGrath, Penrose, Finucane and Enright have been selected for discussion and will be taken now. The first two items relating to the closure of the Oxford Health Plans Company will be taken together. Each Deputy will have five minutes and the Minister ten minutes to reply.