Before coming to the Order of Business I propose to deal with a number of notices under Standing Order 32 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 local and national importance, namely, the determination by the Minister for Health and Children to close Loughloe House, Athlone, County Westmeath, with the initial reason being the findings of the Health Information and Quality Authority report which was interpreted to justify closure. Despite these findings being negatived by a positive follow-up report, the home which at the time of the first announcement of its closure accommodated 26 patients, three of whom have died since the announcement, still faces closure which is a blow to the residents. It overlooks the improved standards which include significant increases in the level of hygiene, timely and unrushed care and a homely atmosphere. It leads one to the assumption that once the HSE decides for what are blatant cost cutting motives to cut a facility, nothing will change.
The Deputy might be utilising the embellished version——
Other care centres around the country will suffer the same fate.
Deputy Bannon——
I represent the constituency of Longford-Westmeath and not the Ceann Comhairle or anybody in his office.
I draw the Deputy's attention to the fact we have an agreed formula for these matters.
This is a shortened version of what I submitted. I will not stand for it and I will——
We must have order in the House. I ask Deputy Bannon to resume his seat. I call Deputy Feighan.
There is enough going on in this House without this carry on.
I seek the Adjournment of the Dáil under Standing Order 32 to discuss a matter of national importance, namely, the current interpretation and implementation by the Government of the EU water directive which is undermining the success of applications for planning permissions for one-off sites in certain parts of the country, especially in County Leitrim where 90% of applications will fail to get planning due to the Government's absurd interpretation of this directive. Given the lack of flexibility on behalf of the Department, I went to Brussels with county councillors from County Leitrim and Mr. Jim Higgins, MEP, where we met the Commissioner who believes the Department's interpretation is causing this problem. We would want to put our own house in order before we blame Brussels.
Having considered the matters raised, they are not in order under Standing Order 32.