Before coming to the Order of Business 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 debate the following urgent matter of national importance: the failure of the Minister for Health and Children, Deputy Martin, to address the disgraceful situation whereby Ireland's third largest county, Mayo, with 14,500 arthritics is left without a rheumatology unit or consultant rheumatologist while 1,000 Mayo people wait in pain for four years for their first appointment. Their joints suffer irreparable damage and they must undertake round trips of up to 300 miles when they eventually get an appointment to see the solitary consultant rheumatologist, based in Galway, who must look after the entire Western Health Board area, as well as other counties.
I seek the adjournment of the Dáil under Standing Order 31 to debate the following urgent matter of national importance: up to 160 patients were on trolleys in accident and emergency departments in Dublin hospitals last weekend. Patients are subjected to excessive waiting times for treatment, extended periods on trolleys and frequently unacceptable care environments where dignity and privacy are severely compromised. Over the past week, as many as 44 patients were on trolleys at Tallaght hospital, and people had to be treated in ambulances outside James Connolly Memorial Hospital, while a psychiatric patient was on a trolley for two days.
I seek the adjournment of the Dáil under Standing Order 31 to debate the following important matter of public interest requiring urgent consideration: the need for the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform to make a public apology both for his contemptuous treatment of the Human Rights Commission to date and for his repeated insistence on misleading the public that he engaged in a consultation process with the Opposition parties regarding the citizenship referendum proposal.
I seek the adjournment of the Dáil under Standing Order 31 to debate the following urgent matter of public importance: the use of departmental resources for Fianna Fáil Party purposes by the Minister for Education and Science, Deputy Noel Dempsey, who had his departmental staff prepare confidential briefing documents for Fianna Fáil election candidates. Now we have learnt that the Minister of State at the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Deputy Fahey, has used departmental headed paper for invitations to a party fundraiser.
Having given the matters full consideration, I do not consider them to be in order under Standing Order 31.