I have received notice from Senator Kathryn Reilly that, on the motion for the Commencement of the House today, she proposes to raise the following matter:
The need for the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation to discuss the recently launched Action Plan for Jobs - Regional, with a specific focus on the Border region and how investment and jobs can be created there.
I have also received notice from Senator David Cullinane of the following matter:
The need for the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation to outline how many IDA Ireland and Enterprise Ireland jobs have been created and lost in Waterford since 2008, the number of IDA Ireland client site visits to Waterford between 2008 and 2014 and the plans he has to support job creation and retention in Waterford.
I have also received notice from Senator Fidelma Healy Eames of the following matter:
The need for the Minister for Education and Skills to recognise that it makes good educational, financial and domestic sense to provide resource support hours for children with Down's syndrome with a mild learning difficulty and the need to change policy to reflect this.
I have also received notice from Senator Averil Power of the following matter:
The need for the Minister for Education and Skills to provide extra funding for the student assistance fund in the light of the fact that many colleges have exhausted their entire allocations for the 2014-15 college year.
I have also received notice from Senator James Heffernan of the following matter:
The need for the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport to discuss the provision of special rail services to accommodate commuters from areas where there is an existing, although unused, train station and platform to be utilised on special occasions.
I have also received notice from Senator Trevor Ó Clochartaigh of the following matter:
The need for the Minister for Health to outline the number of people on the waiting list for orthodontic treatment in the public health service in counties Galway and Mayo, to detail the length of time people are waiting, by year, for the past five years and the age range in deciles and to clarify what plan the HSE has in place to address the backlog.
I regard the matters raised by Senators Kathryn Reilly, David Cullinane, Fidelma Healy Eames, Averil Power and Trevor Ó Clochartaigh as suitable for discussion. I have selected the matters raised by Senators Kathryn Reilly, David Cullinane, Fidelma Healy Eames and Averil Power and they will be taken now. Senator Trevor Ó Clochartaigh may give notice on another day of the matter he wishes to raise. I regret that I have had to rule out of order the matter raised by Senator James Heffernan as the Minister has no official responsibility in the matter.
Would the Senators mind if we changed the sequence and took Senator David Cullinane's matter before Senator Kathryn Reilly's? Is that agreed? Agreed.