John O'Donoghue (Kerry South, Ceann Comhairle)
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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) Deputy Jimmy Deenihan — the delay in sending a technical team by the Department of Education and Science to commence planning for an eight-classroom school to replace existing defective building (details supplied), which was approved in January 2006 and highlighted by the commission on school accommodation in November 2006; (2) Deputy Leo Varadkar — that the Minister for Education and Science report to the Dáil on her Department's response to the recent announcement by Fingal County Council that 13 sites for new schools will be acquired in Fingal for the provision of new schools under the accelerated school building programme to allow these schools to be up and running by September 2008; (3) Deputy Mary O'Rourke — the up-to-date situation regarding the mid-Shannon corridor tourism infrastructure investment scheme; (4) Deputy James Bannon — to outline what, if any, plans are in place for a cohesive policy to expedite the development of slurry generated electricity; (5) Deputy Joe Costello — to raise the issue of EU standards for toy safety at the next Council of Ministers; (6) Deputy Kathleen Lynch — if the Minister for Health and Children is aware that the number of children attending for care at the paediatric diabetes unit in Cork University Hospital has risen to 270, more than twice as many as were attending four years ago. Will she outline what extra resources have being given to the unit to cope with this extra demand, will she explain why the clinical nurse specialist who was to take up her post on 23 September has not been appointed and will she make a statement on the matter?; (7) Deputy Ciarán Lynch — if the Minister for Health and Children is aware that the number of children attending for care at the paediatric diabetes unit in Cork University Hospital has risen to 270 and that resources in regard to this service are still below recommended guidelines. Will she outline what extra resources have been given to the unit to cope with this extra demand and will she make a statement on the matter?; (8) Deputy Joe McHugh — the Department's position on major scheme funding with respect to the Rathmullan water scheme, replacement of pipes and to indicate whether funding will be released under the water conservation programme; (9) Deputy Terence Flanagan — the need for the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government to appoint an inspector from his Department to assess the health and safety concerns of residents of Carndonagh Road, Donaghmede, and all local residents with regard to the operations carried out by Barnmore demolition in the Baldoyle industrial estate. Previous communications from me and local residents with Fingal County Council and Dublin City Council have been ignored. I ask the Minister to intervene, take charge and appoint an independent official from his Department to deal with this urgent health issue; (10) Deputy Jack Wall — the design lay-out of a school campus, details supplied, in regard to the safety of the students, recreational area for the students, general traffic control of the campus and the future of the campus; (11) Deputy Bernard Allen — the totally inadequate services for children with diabetes in the Cork and south Munster area; (12) Deputy Simon Coveney — the need for the Minister to outline how he plans to resolve the Cork Airport debt issue with the Cork Airport Authority and the Dublin Airport Authority and to give a time scale for a resolution of the matter; (13) Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh — to extend the deadline of 2 November for submission of applications for the community child care subvention scheme and for a thorough review of the scheme in full consultation with the community and voluntary child care sector and the suspension of its introduction pending essential changes to ensure equity, accessibility and affordability for all users of these facilities; (14) Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin — to suspend the introduction of the community child care subvention scheme pending full consultation with the community and voluntary child care sector, given the widespread concern at the impact of this scheme in its present form, including the creation of a two-tier child care system, increased costs for many families and the closure of facilities; (15) Deputy Dan Neville — the discharge from Tallaght hospital of a suicidal person where a recruitment ban has prevented the hospital from appointing a suicide prevention nurse; and (16) Deputy Chris Andrews — in light of recent difficulties, that the Minister for Health and Children encourage meaningful dialogue and consultation between the HSE and the IPU, the Irish Pharmarceutical Union, on the new policy on the pricing of drugs due to come into effect on 1 December 2007.

The matters raised by Deputies Kathleen Lynch, Ciarán Lynch, Bernard Allen, Dan Neville and Jack Wall have been selected for discussion.