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 Sheehan – the uncertain situation appertaining to the provision of surgical services at Bantry County Hospital; (2) Deputy Perry – the need to appoint a teacher to Achonry national school, County Sligo, due to the increase in the numbers in the school catchment area; (3) Deputy Durkan – the reply to Parliamentary Question No. 283 of 10 May 2000 regarding the application of the Disabled Drivers and Disabled Passengers (Tax Concessions) Regulations, 1994; (4) Deputy Stanton – the urgent need to provide resources to safeguard the beach at Youghal from further serious erosion, to further develop the harbour at Youghal and to repair and develop Ballycotton harbour in East Cork; (5) Deputy Seán Ryan – the death of an 85 year old woman in St. James Hospital, Dublin, who had been left waiting for 14 hours for treatment in the casualty unit; (6) Deputy Donal Moynihan – the possibility of decentralisation of Government offices to Macroom and other north west Cork towns; (7) Deputy Sargent – the need to ensure the use of unwanted animal manure and slurry, as well as human sewage, in anaerobic digesters to produce a useful gas and soil conditioner; (8) Deputy Howlin – the need for additional steps to protect elderly people from robbery and violent assault in view of the attack in County Meath which led to the death of an 81 year old man; (9) Deputy Enright – the need to reconsider the policy of closing Garda stations in small villages and towns in view of recent brutal attacks on elderly people in rural areas.
The matters raised by Deputies Sheehan, Durkan, Howlin and Enright have been selected for discussion.