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 Charles Flanagan — the issuing of firearms certificates; (2) Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh — the need for the Minister for Education and Science to make a statement detailing her Department's plans for the delivery of its obligations in regard to the national drugs strategy and particularly to address the absence of drug-specific supports for schools from newly reconfigured support systems; and whether she will reverse the 50% cut made last June to the number of SPHE support staff for secondary schools and overturn the decision to abolish the Walk Tall programme at primary level; (3) Deputy Bernard Allen — the proposal to transfer the acute orthopaedic unit from St. Mary's hospital, Gurranabraher, to the South Infirmary Victoria University Hospital with the consequence of downgrading St. Mary's hospital and the potential loss to that hospital of the long-promised regional rehabilitation unit; (4) Deputy Tom Hayes — the need for the Minister for Health and Children to consider the reconfiguration of health services affecting South Tipperary General Hospital, which matter urgently needs to be addressed as 12,000 people in south Tipperary attended a rally to support the hospital and advocate the retention of vital services there, bearing in mind that this is a source of great worry and concern for all the people in the constituency; (5) Deputy Pat Rabbitte — the special report of the Ombudsman relating to the lost at sea scheme; (6) Deputy Michael Ring — the proposed flood mitigation works in the Roundfort-Hollymount area of County Mayo; (7) Deputy Frank Feighan — turf cutting in designated bogs; (8) Deputy David Stanton — the need to make provision for an additional 1,863 second level students in the Midleton area of County Cork by 2020; (9) Deputy Pádraic McCormack — the HSE proposals for the future of St. Francis's nursing home, Newcastle, Galway; (10) Deputy Paul Kehoe — to ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs to immediately reverse her decision to withdraw the State contributory pensions from self-employed spouses who were granted entitlement to a state contributory pension under section 110(1) of the Social Welfare (Consolidation) Act 2005. The basis for this decision is that the people in question did not pay PRSI contributions before they reached the age of 66 but section 110(2) of the Act states, "Notwithstanding subsection (1), the Minister may, where he or she is satisfied that in all the circumstances of the case it would be appropriate to do so, direct that subsection (1) shall not be applied in that case.” The Minister is therefore within her rights to rescind her decision and prevent the hardship, worry and annoyance that she is causing, mainly to women, throughout the country; (11) Deputy Mary O’Rourke — the need to address the dangers posed by the proliferation of head shops; (12) Deputies John O’Mahony and Seymour Crawford — the need to have all overdue moneys, such as those payable under REPS 4, paid to farmers without delay; (13) Deputy Terence Flanagan — the need for the Minister for Finance to protect homeowners who signed contracts in the past few years and who are now being ordered by the courts to pay the full contracted price agreed several years ago plus interest and costs; and the need to consider that it will cause financial ruin for these home owners if the contracts have to be honoured; (14) Deputy Timmy Dooley — the need to review sentencing policy on aggravated burglary in the retail sector; (15) Deputy Deirdre Clune — the need to prevent the excessive loss of teaching posts at Togher girls’ national school and Togher boys’ national school in Cork; (16) Deputy Róisín Shortall — the negative implications for schoolchildren in disadvantaged areas of the proposed abolition of the supply panel; (17) Deputy Michael D’Arcy — the establishment of a methadone clinic by the HSE in a very inappropriate site at Civic Square, The Avenue, Gorey, County Wexford; (18) Deputy Thomas P. Broughan — the urgent need for the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government to establish a commission of investigation to examine all aspects of the planning and building of the new north fringe urban district in Dublin North-East given the very serious fire safety concerns and appalling housing construction deficiencies which have arisen for new households there since 2007, and if he will make a statement on the matter; and (19) Deputy Joe Costello — the need for the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government to transpose and implement EU directives within the timeframe provided by the EU.
The matters raised by Deputies Charles Flanagan, Mary O'Rourke, Michael Ring, and John O'Mahony and Seymour Crawford have been selected for discussion.