Before coming to the Order of Business, I propose to deal with a number of notices under Standing Order 31.
Requests to move Adjournment of Dáil under Standing Order 31.
I seek the adjournment of the Dáil under Standing Order 31 to raise a matter of major national and local importance, namely, the fact that while drift net fishermen in north-east England were given £70,000 a number of years ago as part of a buy-out agreed in the interests of salmon conservation, and £110,000 is being offered to the remaining drift net fishermen there as part of a further buy-out, just €2,000 is being offered to Ireland's 850 drift net fishermen as part of a similar buy-out. They are being offered €23 for each salmon caught in the last five years. A quota reduction of 75% is already operating. No provision has been made for the drift net crew and no other option is being considered for them. We need to consider whether this is equitable, considering the devastating effect it will have on the fishermen and their families in rural areas for the rest of their lives.
I seek the adjournment of the Dáil under Standing Order 31 to raise a specific and important matter of public interest requiring urgent attention, namely, the serious implications for the Irish poultry industry and human health of the discovery in England of an outbreak of the H5N1 strain of avian flu which has led to the slaughter of almost 160,000 turkeys at a farm in Suffolk, and the need for the Minister for Agriculture and Food to outline the steps she has taken or plans to take to prevent the spread of the virus to this country.
I seek the adjournment of the Dáil under Standing Order 31 to address the urgent need for the Minister for Agriculture and Food to undertake additional measures, including banning the import of all poultry and poultry products into Ireland, in conjunction with the British Government to combat the threat to human health and the Irish poultry industry from the H5N1 virus outbreak in England.
I seek the adjournment of the Dáil under Standing Order 31 to discuss the following important matter, the Government's ostrich-like stance and failure to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions in line with our Kyoto Protocol commitments which have resulted in the reported 2% rise in Ireland's greenhouse gas emissions, the largest rise in our emissions since 2001, giving this country one of the highest rates of emissions per head of population in the world.
Having given the matters raised full consideration, I do not consider them to be in order under Standing Order 31.