Before coming to the Order of Business I propose to deal with a number of notices under Standing Order 32. I propose to deal with these topics separately and 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 32.
I seek the adjournment of the Dáil under Standing Order 32 to raise a matter of national importance, namely, the urgent need for the Taoiseach to appoint a new senior counsel to investigate the Stardust tragedy in Artane as there is a conflict of interest in the current appointment. Some of the families of the victims have contacted me. They are very unhappy and angry with the Government that a junior counsel on the Garda legal team in 1981 was selected to head up a new inquiry into the Stardust tragedy. The families of the victims are now withdrawing all co-operation with the inquiry and seek the urgent appointment of a new independent senior counsel who has no connection with the original inquiry.
I seek the adjournment of the Dáil under Standing Order 32 to raise a matter of national importance, namely, the mismanagement of our national environmental commitments, which, according to the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, will lead to EU fines impacting on every taxpayer in the country who once again will be forced to make up for such incompetence.
I seek the adjournment of the Dáil under Standing Order 32 to raise a matter of national importance, namely, the failure of the Minister for Health and Children, Deputy Mary Harney, to advise last night in this Chamber how a 99 year old County Cavan patient and others are to have their increased nursing home charges paid for and further to explain how the €110 million earmarked for delivery of her Fair Deal policy is now being used and why some of this funding cannot be used to pay the nursing home increases, thus removing the pressure and anxiety from our oldest citizens.
I seek the adjournment of the Dáil under Standing Order 32 to raise a matter of national importance, namely, the survey by the Irish Primary Principals Network published to coincide with world autism day, yesterday, and showing that nine out of ten children with autism are not getting access to the specialist services they need, including speech and language therapists, psychologists and occupational therapists, and the need for Government action to address this totally unacceptable situation.
Having considered the matters raised, they are not in order under Standing Order 32.