Before coming to the Order of Business, I propose to deal with several notices under Standing Order 31. I will call on the 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: the overcharging by AIB of foreign exchange customers in breach of its obligations; the fact there is no sanction against that action in the Central Bank and Financial Services Authority of Ireland Act 2003 and no monitoring of the compliance of financial institutions by IFSRA or the Director of Consumer Affairs — the current and previous competent authorities in this regard; and to seek a debate on the need to create an obligation on directors of financial institutions to sign off on compliance in respect of consumer law.
In accordance with the terms of Standing Order 31 I wish to give notice of my attention, on today's Order of Business, to seek to move the adjournment of the Dáil to discuss the following specific and important matter of public interest requiring urgent attention: the need for Government to seek an independent international inquiry into reports of the systematic torture and degradation of prisoners in Iraq by United States and other coalition forces, and to adjudicate on non-compliance with the Geneva Convention; and for the Government to urgently make a statement on its own behalf and on behalf of the European Presidency.
I wish to seek the adjournment of the Dáil under Standing Order 31 to raise a matter of national importance, namely, the need for the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform to address the spiralling misuse of drugs throughout the country and the many violent scenes in our towns late at night. The drugs problem has reached epidemic levels and immediate and radical steps need to be taken to safeguard our youth, who are getting caught up in this scourge, and the public who are being subjected to muggings and other violent attacks by addicts. The Garda authorities need to be given far greater assistance in tackling this problem and in particular in tracking down and bringing to justice those trafficking in drugs.
I seek leave to move a motion for the adjournment of the Dáil under Standing Order 31 on the following specific and important matter of public interest, namely, the startling news that affordable housing is apparently a priority for Fianna Fáil. The fact that the Government has stood idly by as those on low and middle incomes were priced out of the housing market when, since it came to office in 1997, the price of a new house rose from an average of €102,000 to €224,500 and the price of a second hand house rose from an average of €102,700 to €264,900, where there was no comparable increase in incomes.
Under the terms of Standing Order 31 I seek to move the adjournment of the Dáil to discuss the following specific and important matter of public interest requiring urgent attention, namely, the need for the Government to state what action it intends to take arising from the disclosure that Allied Irish Banks may have overcharged foreign exchange customers by as much as €25 million; and the need to outline the steps it intends to take to protect customers against such abuses.
I seek leave to move a motion for the adjournment of the Dáil under Standing Order 31 for the following specific and important matter of public interest requiring urgent consideration, namely, the findings of the National Consultative Committee on Racism and Interculturalism that the Government proposal to remove the rights of citizenship by birth has fuelled a sharp increase in racist incidents in the State; that, as opponents of this plan predicted, large numbers of pregnant non-national women have experienced racial abuse as a result; and that according to the NCCRI, local politicians and election candidates have also been making racist comments in the course of their election campaign, contrary to the anti-racist protocol for political parties.
Having considered the matters raised, I find they are not in order under Standing Order 31.