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 Ring – the lack of physiotherapy services in Ballina, County Mayo; (2) Deputy Jim Higgins – the directive by the Garda Síochána outlining new security arrangements for the holders of licensed firearms; (3) Deputy Deenihan – the need to prevent the loss of a teacher at St. Teresa's national school, Killflynn, Tralee, County Kerry; (4) Deputy Keaveney – the steady decline of IDA-supported companies from 1995 in the north-west Donegal region as outlined in the IDA annual report, 1999; (5) Deputy Gregory – the threatened loss of teachers in two national schools (details supplied) which serve the drugs task force area of Inchicore, Dublin 8; (6) Deputy Sargent – that the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands, noting the evidence that decisions to amend proposed SAC designated areas have been based on economic rather than scientific considerations, investigate fully the complaints being made against Dúchas by several environmental NGOs and ensure that scientific criteria only are considered in SAC designations and appeals; (7) Deputy Donal Moynihan – the possibility of decentralisation of Government offices to Macroom and other north-west Cork towns; (8) Deputy Shatter – the need for a proper epidural service for Sligo Regional Hospital; (9) Deputy Perry – the need for financial assistance to be made available for the refurbishment of Riverstown Garda station, County Sligo; (10) Deputy McGinley – the unemployment crisis in the Donegal north-west region where, according to the IDA annual report, 1,200 jobs were lost during 1999.
The matters raised by Deputies McGinley, Gregory, Shatter and Perry have been selected for discussion.