Brendan Howlin (Wexford, 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 Margaret Conlon, Seymour Crawford, Rory O'Hanlon and Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin - the removal of acute medical services from Monaghan General Hospital on 22 July 2009; (2) Deputy Lucinda Creighton - the commitment of the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government to introduce legislation for a directly elected mayor of Dublin in 2010, the need to establish how far advanced is this proposal, what the implications will be for the role of the current position of Lord Mayor of Dublin and the type of budget and executive powers that are envisaged for the directly elected mayor, as distinct from the Lord Mayor; (3) Deputy John Perry - to ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government to outline the guidelines in place or planned for local government authorities in the matter of the cost-benefit analysis procedures and methods to be followed in assessing proposals for their larger capital expenditure projects, and if he will consider extending the remit of the Comptroller and Auditor General to include the larger local authority capital expenditure projects; (4) Deputy Joe Costello - the need for the Minister for Health and Children to resolve the bed crisis in the Mater and St. James's Hospital; (5) Deputy Bernard Allen - the situation where there are 3,700 persons awaiting optical services on the north side of Cork city and the explanation given that applications could not be processed because the clerical officer is on maternity leave, unlike the south side of Cork city where there is no waiting list and services are offered within one month of application; (6) Deputy Ciarán Lynch - to ask the Minister for Finance if it is his intention to provide sufficient finance to continue the provision of area co-ordinators in the family mediation service in the southern and western regions and if he will make a statement on the matter; (7) Deputy Simon Coveney - to ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government to outline in detail where stands the Cork docklands project now, what the Government is planning to do to incentivise investment though taxation and gateway funding for this project, where the report completed last summer by the docklands policy committee is and if he will outline its findings and his Department's plan to work with the local authority on its ambitious plans for the Cork docklands project; (8) Deputy Denis Naughten - the need for the Minister for Health and Children to ensure that elderly people in County Roscommon can avail of the enhanced nursing home subvention; and (9) Deputy Paul Connaughton - the non-eligibility of unemployed persons on jobseeker's benefit to participate on community employment schemes.

The matters raised by Deputies Margaret Conlon, Seymour Crawford, Rory O'Hanlon and Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin and Paul Connaughton have been selected for discussion.