Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)

I wish to advise the House of the following matters in respect of which notice has been given under Standing Order 21 and the name of the Member in each case: (1) Deputy John O'Mahony — the withdrawal of the visiting teacher in respect of children in County Mayo who are visually impaired; (2) Deputy Deirdre Clune — the provision of school accommodation in respect of children in Ballygarvan, County Cork; (3) Deputy Frank Feighan — the closure of Harristown House addiction and counselling centre, Castlerea, County Roscommon; (4) Deputy Michael McGrath — the provision of a dedicated cystic fibrosis unit at Cork University Hospital; (5) Deputies Brian Hayes and Charlie O'Connor — the provision of sports centres at Firhouse, Killinarden, Collinstown and Palmerstown community colleges, County Dublin; (6) Deputy James Bannon — the need for the Minister for Education and Science to provide an update on the commencement date for the new school building at Forgney national school, County Longford, which is urgently required to replace the 40-year-old prefab structure and which was approved two years ago in November 2006, in an announcement of a new building programme by the then Minister for Education, under which 72 primary schools nationwide were allocated funding; (7) Deputy Fergus O'Dowd — I wish to raise a matter of urgent national importance, namely, the need for the Government to give greater financial assistance and advice and support to mortgage holders who fall into arrears as a result of loss of employment or serious illness; and to examine in particular the very aggressive practices which some sub-prime lenders, such as Start Mortgages, use to deal with such mortgage holders; and (8) Deputy Michael Creed — delays in An Bord Pleanála and the consequential impact of these delays on employment.

The matters raised by Deputies Michael McGrath, John O'Mahony, Deirdre Clune, and Brian Hayes and Charlie O'Connor have been selected for discussion.

See this speech in context