I have received notice from Senator Neale Richmond that, on the motion for the Commencement of the House today, he proposes to raise the following matter:
The need for the Minister for Justice and Equality to urgently review the system for processing applications to the national vetting bureau as the current system is clearly overwhelmed, leading to inordinate delays in processing.
I have also received notice from Senator John Dolan of the following matter:
The need for the Minister of State with special responsibility for disability issues to confirm that work is under way across all Departments and public bodies to ensure implementation of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and its optional protocol will commence immediately on their ratification, to confirm that ratification will take place before the end of December 2016 and that budget 2017 will include resources to progress implementation.
I have also received notice from Senator Victor Boyhan of the following matter:
The need for the Minister for Health to update the House on the expected timeframe for the roll-out of the new National Rehabilitation Hospital, Dún Laoghaire, County Dublin.
I have also received notice from Senator Terry Leyden of the following matter:
The need for the Minister for Health to give assurances to the people of Roscommon that the primary care centre in Monksland will remain under the control of HSE West and will not be moved under any circumstance to the control of the HSE community health organisation CHO8 which serves counties Laois, Offaly, Longford, Westmeath, Louth and Meath and that this is not another attack on the integrity of County Roscommon.
I have also received notice from Senator Colm Burke of the following matter:
The need for the Minister for Health to introduce an independent appeals process under the fair deal scheme to allow a right of appeal to nursing home providers who are unhappy with the fee proposed by the National Treatment Purchase Fund.
I have also received notice from Senator Máire Devine of the following matter:
The need for the Minister for Health to respond to the grave concerns about the proposed cut of 50% in the number of night nursing staff at Cloverhill Prison.
I have also received notice from Senator Kieran O’Donnell of the following matter:
The need for the Minister for Social Protection to outline the plans and timeframe for the introduction of a jobseeker's benefit scheme for the self-employed.
I have also received notice from Senator Kevin Humphreys of the following matter:
The need for the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government to inform the Seanad of the progress made in the delivery of 500 modular housing units to alleviate the housing crisis.
I have also received notice from Senator Paul Coghlan of the following matter:
The need for the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs to outline her intentions and plans for Killarney House and when it will open to the public; what it is intended it will interpret, contain and display; if it will commemorate the previous owners, namely, the Browne family, Earls of Kenmare, who were so involved in the development of Killarney town through the ages and the McShain family, and if it will function as the main visitor centre for Killarney National Park.
I regard the matters raised by the Senators as suitable for discussion. I have selected the matters raised by Senators Neale Richmond, John Dolan, Victor Boyhan and Terry Leyden and they will be taken now. Senators Colm Burke, Máire Devine, Kieran O'Donnell, Kevin Humphreys and Paul Coghlan may give notice on another day of the matters they wish to raise.