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 Cowley – the need to introduce a new category for CEP which will allow people with disabilities, those over 55 years of age, and those in long-term unemployment to remain on the scheme; (2) Deputy Crowe – the atrocious overcrowding in accident and emergency units across Dublin city yesterday, most especially in Tallaght, hardest hit by a surge in people needing hospital beds and the need for the Government to invest in front line medical provision and facilitate long-term care; (3) Deputies Coveney and Stanton – that the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform should outline how he plans to accommodate the prison population of Spike Island Prison should Spike Island close; (4) Deputies Crawford and Brendan Smith – the proposed transfer to another agency of the running of Loughan House in County Cavan and Shelton Abbey in County Wicklow; (5) Deputy Costello – the need to take urgent action to redress the allegations of harassment of a person (details supplied) who has been on hunger strike since 10 September 2003; (6) Deputy Michael Moynihan – to ask the Minister for Transport when the NRA will make a decision on the proposed route for the N20 bypass of Charleville, County Cork; and (7) Deputy Gormley – to discuss the continuing problem with noxious smells from the new Ringsend sewage treatment plant, which are adversely affecting the quality of life of residents in Ringsend and Sandymount and the need for the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government to intervene personally to ensure that technical difficulties in the plant are dealt with immediately.
The matters raised by Deputies Cowley, Coveney and Stanton, Crawford and Smith, and Costello have been selected for discussion.