Séamus Pattison (Carlow-Kilkenny, Labour)
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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) Deputies Burton and Costello — the need to discuss the plight of a young student, formerly here as a minor, deported from Ireland to Nigeria last week as he was preparing for his leaving certificate at Pobalscoil Iosolde, Palmerstown, Dublin 20 and whether the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform or the Department of Foreign Affairs have made inquiries as to his welfare in Lagos, Nigeria, the place to where he was deported; (2) Deputy Curran — the need to discuss the circumstances and manner in which a student (details supplied) living in Palmerstown, Dublin 20, was deported to Nigeria last week; (3) Deputies Joe Higgins and Cuffe — the concern surrounding the deportation of a leaving certificate student (details supplied) from Pobalscoil Iosolde in Palmerstown, Dublin 20; (4) Deputy Crawford — the need to examine the wholly unsatisfactory situation where a Nigerian mother and her three children were deported from Castleblaney having lived there and integrated with the population for the past five years, and the further urgent need for an amnesty for such people who wish to work and provide for themselves and who do not wish to be a burden to the State, especially at a time when so many companies are going abroad to seek workers; (5) Deputy Sargent — the need for the Minister for Education and Science to change Government policy which has resulted in so many special needs education teaching posts being filled by unrecognised and untrained personnel, as defined by the Department, and if she will look anew at recognising the specialist qualifications from the UK and elsewhere as well as experience in special needs education so that qualified teachers can take up special education posts without restrictions; (6) Deputy Gormley — the need for the Government to implement its commitment in the programme for Government to reduce class sizes; (7) Deputy Hogan — the need for the Minister to intervene with the Office of Public Works to acquire the old Garda barracks site on behalf of Castlecomer community school, County Kilkenny, in order to provide for additional recreational facilities for students; (8) Deputy Pat Breen — the need for the Minister for Education and Science to take steps in line with the Government manifesto to reduce class sizes in primary schools throughout County Clare as teachers are finding it difficult to teach children under the new curriculum because of large class numbers; (9) Deputy Neville — the need for the construction of a new national school at Kilfinane, County Limerick; (10) Deputy Allen — the situation following a decision the Irish Medicines Board made instructing the Mercy University Hospital, Cork, to suspend all clinical trial related activities for the treatment of leukaemia with effect from Tuesday, 15 March, the serious implications this will have for the treatment of sick children in the greater Cork area who will be forced to travel to Dublin several times a week in some cases, and the failure of the Department of Health and Children to advertise for a replacement consultant paediatrician for the children's leukaemia unit, Mercy Hospital, Cork to replace the present consultant paediatrician who retires in May 2005; (11) Deputy Keaveney — the need for the Minister to discuss the possibility of introducing the stingray system into the Republic for the detection of motor tax offences.

The matters raised by Deputies Burton and Costello, Curran, Joe Higgins and Cuffe, and Crawford have been selected for discussion.