Colette Kelleher (Independent)
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The next item is decisions of the joint committee on public petitions. Before we begin, I wish to read into the record that at our meeting of 3 May 2017, during our deliberations in public session on petition No.P00034/16 from Mr. Joseph O'Shea entitled, Lack of Appeals Opportunity for Pension Assessment, one of the recommendations read into the record was to ask the Department of Justice and Equality to correspond with the petitioner, outlining the policy element of the petition. However, the recommendation should have stated that the Department correspond with the committee. Is that agreed? Agreed.

The first petition for consideration is petition No. P00023/16fromMr. Norman Wilson, entitled, Acknowledgement of, and response to, correspondence by government ministers. We agree to the recommendation and to forward a copy of the responses from the Department of Justice and Equality and An Garda Síochána to the petitioner and close the petition. Is that agreed? Agreed.

The next petition for consideration is petition No. P00003/17 from Mr. Brian Houlihan, entitled, Public consultation on the feasibility of developing a hemp industry. It is agreed that we correspond with the Department and request a timeline for its examination of the issue of growing hemp commercially in Ireland as soon as it is available, that we request that the committee be updated on any progress and that we forward a copy of the response from the Department to the petitioner. The petition will remain open and the secretariat will request an update from the Department within three months. We also have the additional suggestion from Deputy Mitchell that we seek input from the Department of Health, An Garda Síochána and other relevant stakeholders on the matter. Is that agreed? Agreed.

The next petition for consideration is petition No. P00009/17 from Mr. Daniel Hutson, entitled, Assigning mandatory community service to people claiming job seeker's allowance at minimum wage rate or greater. It is proposed to forward a copy of the response from the Department to the petitioner and to close the petition. Is that agreed? Agreed.

The next petition for consideration is petition No. P00011/17, from Ms Pauline Bleach, entitled, To re-route the Leinster Orbital north of Navan away from the Tara and Brú Na Bóinne archaeological landscapes and to create a legally binding mechanism to allow early intervention in the case of large infrastructure affecting areas of national importance. The committee has considered the response from the Department of Transport, Sport and Tourism in relation to its position and it is proposed to forward a copy of the response from the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport to the petitioner and to close the petition.