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 Emmet Stagg — the site on which the Waterways housing estate in Sallins, County Kildare, was developed; (2) Deputy Pat Breen — the future of special needs assistants employed in schools in County Clare; (3) Deputy Michael Ring — flood mitigation works in the Roundfort-Hollymount area of County Mayo; (4) Deputy Joe Costello — proposals for the metering of water in family homes; (5) Deputy Deirdre Clune — the need to implement the recommendations of the Lee catchment flood risk assessment and management study; (6) Deputy Leo Varadkar — the construction and completion of the N2-N3 link road; (7) Deputy Joe McHugh — employment initiatives in respect of County Donegal; (8) Deputy Seán Sherlock — the need to review the FÁS work placement programme; (9) Deputy Liz McManus — the need to hold a public inquiry into the granting of a waste licence at Ballybeg, County Wicklow; (10) Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin — the need for the Minister of State with responsibility for children as a matter of urgency to reform the regulations regarding age qualification for the free pre-school year in early childhood care and education since the regulations as currently framed create an "age gap" which discriminates against some children who will not be able to avail of this scheme in advance of commencing primary school education; (11) Deputy Chris Andrews — according to recent CSO statistics there were 26,783 burglaries and related offences recorded last year, an increase of 8.5%. The annual increase in aggravated burglary offences was 11.7% compared with 2008. In cases where the elderly are victims of these crimes, particular consideration should be given to the implementation of mandatory sentencing; (12) Deputy Máire Hoctor — to ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources, Deputy Eamon Ryan, to investigate the significant shortfall of payments to former shareholders of the AES waste management company by Bord na Mona; (13) Deputy Thomas P. Broughan — the urgent need for the Minister to fully report to Dáil Éireann on why cutbacks of up to 30% in funding have been sanctioned in 2010 for Sphere 17 and RASP programmes in Dublin 17 which provide essential community programmes including educational, health, art, drug outreach and counselling programmes and support for the local travelling community and given the appalling effect these cutbacks will have on the local north Coolock communities; if the Minister would also indicate if the Government is planning to end completely funding for these vital programmes in 2011; and if he will make a statement on the matter; (14) Deputy Alan Shatter — to raise on the Adjournment that immediate action be taken by the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, in accordance with the Children First: Child Protection Guidelines and arising out of the Minister's reply to Parliamentary Question No. 46388/09 on 10 December 2009, to facilitate the return to this State of the mother of Faruq Adetokunbo Sanusitoyin who is presently in his fourth temporary foster care placement, pursuant to a care order granted to the HSE, arising out of the deportation of his mother so as to facilitate his being reunited with his mother and that the Minister exercise his discretion to permit the mother to remain in the State to take care of him; and (15) Deputy Andrew Doyle — the future of the horticulture industry in Ireland.

The Matters raised by Deputies Joe McHugh, Seán Sherlock, Deirdre Clune and Michael Ring have been selected for discussion.

See this speech in context