I propose to deal with a number of notices under Standing Order 31. I will call on Deputies in the order in which they submitted their notices to my office.
Requests to move Adjournment of Dáil under Standing Order 31.
I seek the adjournment of the Dáil under Standing Order 31 to discuss a matter of urgent national importance: the economic impact on farmers and meat plant employees of the decision by the Minister for Agriculture and Food to reduce the level of veterinary inspections at meat plants in light of the fact that this will further promote the use of third country beef. There is a responsibility on the Minister to immediately rescind his decision.
I seek the adjournment of the Dáil to debate an issue of national importance: to ask the Government to explain why, at a time when the GDP of agriculture, forestry and fisheries fell by 15% from €650 million to €552 million in comparison with the same quarter the previous year, it cut the Teagasc budget by €14 million, resulting in proposed countrywide closures, why it doubled the disease levies and abolished roll-over tax relief, why it signalled the withdrawal of support for the rendering of meat and bonemeal and to date has brought forward no disposal policy, why it cut back on meat factory inspections, which would likely lead to a reduction in input, and to explain in what way it believes these measures will support the industry.
I seek the adjournment of the Dáil to raise the following matter of urgent public importance: the need for the Minister for Health and Children to take immediate and urgent action to avert a virtual meltdown in hospital services in the State following the decision of five Dublin teaching hospitals to close 250 beds as a result of Government cutbacks and mismanagement of the health services.
I seek the adjournment of the Dáil under Standing Order 31 to discuss an urgent matter: the continued lay-off, now extended to 30 October, of workers at John Ronan and Sons, Dudleys Mills, Clonmel, to ask the Tánaiste to intervene and to allow her to make a statement on the matter.
I seek the adjournment of the Dáil under Standing Order 31 to discuss an urgent matter, the ongoing dispute between the Department of Agriculture and Food and the CPSU at the Department's offices in Mayo, Galway, Kerry, Limerick and Cork and to highlight the enormous financial hardship caused to farmers who are unable to access their cattle identity cards to allow them to sell their cattle after long periods of sale restrictions due to TB and brucellosis; to highlight the loss of meat export opportunities and the subsequent financial hardships for farmers who are unable to get permits to sell young animals to such export outlets; and to highlight the ongoing risk of the spread of animal disease given that there are several reactor animals identified on farms but not collected by the Department of Agriculture and Food.
I seek leave to move the adjournment of the Dáil under Standing Order 31 on a specific and important matter of public interest requiring urgent consideration: regarding climate change, given that Ireland now has the worst record in Europe with our failure to comply with the targets set by the Kyoto Protocol and a 31% increase in climate change emissions since 1990, the need for the Government to immediately scrap the ineffective climate change strategy and undertake a root and branch reform of the programme for Government to ensure compliance with the Kyoto Protocol to avoid massive fines and to reduce the risk of future flooding and other extreme weather events.
In accordance with the terms of Standing Order 31 I seek the adjournment of the Dáil to discuss the following specific and important matter of public interest requiring urgent attention: the need for a comprehensive response from the Government, and in particular the northside Taoiseach and the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, to the escalating unemployment crisis in north Dublin which has seen thousands of redundancies over the past two years, the need to find alternative employment for the many people recently laid off by companies such as Celestica and the need for a Dáil debate on this urgent matter.
I seek the adjournment of the Dáil under Standing Order 31 to allow the Government to report on its plans, if any, to bring about a resolution to the long-standing dispute in the Department of Agriculture and Food and the related need to address the growing problem for farmers unable to sell their cattle and the related risk to consumers caused by the Department's suspension of slaughter permit regulations.
I seek the adjournment of the Dáil under Standing Order 31 to discuss the following matter of urgent national importance: the ongoing industrial dispute between the Minister for Health and Children and public health doctors and the need for the Minister to recognise his responsibility in bringing this dispute to an immediate end.
I seek the adjournment of the Dáil on the following specific and important matter of public interest requiring urgent consideration: in view of the failure of the Joint Declaration to do so, the urgent need for the Government to publish an implementation plan for the acts of completion by the Irish Government required under the Good Friday Agreement and promised in its programme for Government, including, but not limited to, the review of the Offences Against the State Act, the release of the remaining qualifying prisoners and the extension of full parity of equality and human rights protections between the North and the South.
Having considered all the matters carefully, they are not in order under Standing Order 31.