I have received notice from Senator Trevor Ó Clochartaigh that, on the motion for the Commencement of the House today, he proposes to raise the following matter:
The need for the Minister for Education and Skills to discuss whether she thinks it is acceptable that a 13 year old boy (details supplied) with Asperger's syndrome had his application for school transport turned down by a special educational needs organiser on the grounds that there was a school with fewer resources closer to his home and whether it is acceptable for a special educational needs organiser to base such decisions purely on distance to the nearest school and to ignore the quality of education or resources available at schools and the overall long-term interests of the young person concerned.
I have also received notice from Senator Marie Moloney of the following matter:
The need for the Minister for Health to clarify why a person in County Kerry (details supplied) has had her discretionary medical card application disallowed despite being the holder of a discretionary medical card for a number of years, during which time there has been no change in circumstances, and if he will confirm that all those who had discretionary medical cards removed in the past few years have had same reinstated.
I have also received notice from Senator Tom Sheahan of the following matter:
The need for the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to request the European Fisheries Commissioner to put into law a legal requirement that any member state's fishing vessels entering or operating in another member state’s waters be required to inform that member state’s authority by telephone, fax or ERS of a vessel's quota, its list of quota species and its area of operation prior to beginning fishing operations.
I regard the matters raised by the Senators as suitable for discussion and they will be taken now.