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 Finian McGrath – the imprisonment of Mr. Fintan Lane, the anti-war protester, and the need for his release this Christmas; (2) Deputy Upton – the need for the Minister for Education and Science to immediately review the Scrúdú Cáilíochta sa Ghaeilge; (3) Deputy Morgan – the necessity for the Minister to ensure that Mr. Fintan Lane is released from prison and to accept that Mr. Lane should not have been imprisoned in the first place for what was a legitimate political protest. Mr. Lane should be released immediately and allowed to re-join his family for Christmas; (4) Deputy Seán Ryan – the urgent need for an extension to the Loreto secondary school in Balbriggan, County Fingal; (5) Deputy Cowley – the reason for the delay in funding for Scoil Mhuire agus Padraig, Swinford, County Mayo; (6) Deputy Gogarty – the need to amend legislation to eradicate abuses of the planning system at local level by individuals and businesses.
The matters raised by Deputies Upton, Seán Ryan, Cowley and Gogarty have been selected for discussion.