Dáil debates
Thursday, 18 February 2010
Requests to move Adjournment of Dáil under Standing Order 32
10:30 am
Séamus Kirk (Louth, Ceann Comhairle)
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Before coming to the Order of Business I propose to deal with a number of notices under Standing Order 32. I will call on the Deputies in the order in which they submitted their notices to my office.
James Bannon (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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Given that Fianna Fáil looped the Green Party members yesterday into a three card trick arrangement over the O'Dea affair and that those Members have trumpeted education reform, I seek the adjournment of the Dáil under Standing Order 32 to raise a matter of national importance, namely, the threat to the education of our second level students and to the future needs of the economy due to the findings of a recent report which highlights the fact that approximately half of mathematics teachers in secondary schools are unqualified-----
James Bannon (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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-----which goes a long way to explaining why only 20% of pupils opt to take higher level leaving certificate mathematics. This is a significant indictment of the Government, and the Green Party members in government who continually talk about the need for an increase in the number taking higher level mathematics but, on the other hand, turn a blind eye to the disgracefully substandard teaching that is being given to our secondary school pupils.
Arthur Morgan (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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I seek the adjournment of the Dáil under Standing Order 32 to discuss the following matter of urgent national importance, namely, the need for the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment to give an undertaking to the House that she will immediately underwrite the applications from former SR Technics employees for third level education courses, while they await confirmation from the European globalisation fund, to ensure that these people get access to courses before the close-off date for funding under the fund in October 2011, and to get an undertaking from the Minister that she will directly intervene in the decision by the Dublin Institute of Technology not to proceed with the proposed acceleration of the engineering systems maintenance course for the former SR Technics employees because of the failure by her Department to commit or underwrite funds - which would not cost her anything - for these courses. It is clear that these workers have been let down by the Government on many occasions and there is a serious onus on the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment on this occasion to underwrite these courses immediately in order that these workers can be up-skilled, which is part of Government policy. This is Tánaiste's chance to show that.
Finian McGrath (Dublin North Central, Independent)
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I seek leave to move a motion for the adjournment of the Dáil under Standing Order 32 to discuss an issue of national importance and concern, namely, the urgent need to resolve the crisis at Dublin Airport with regard to the potential of 300 jobs for former SR Technics staff and call on the Government, Ryanair and other interested parties to act in a sensible and common sense manner to ensure these jobs are created for the north side of Dublin.
Billy Kelleher (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail)
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We support that.
Frank Feighan (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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I seek the adjournment of the Dáil under Standing Order 32 to discuss an issue of national importance, namely, the fact that tens of thousands of workers, especially those in many local authorities, cannot avail of the cycle to work scheme introduced by the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government last year. The local authorities, although they are under the direction of the said Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, have no intention of introducing the scheme. I ask the Minister to investigate that anomaly immediately.
Séamus Kirk (Louth, Ceann Comhairle)
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Having considered the matters raised, they are not in order under Standing Order 32.
Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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On a point of order, Sir, I submitted to you a Standing Order 32 request arising out of the statement made yesterday evening in this House by the Minister for Defence, Deputy Willie O'Dea, in which he admitted confidential information furnished to him as Minister for Defence-----
Séamus Kirk (Louth, Ceann Comhairle)
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My office has written to the Department in regard to the Standing Order 32-----
Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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-----by members of the Garda Síochána had been improperly used for his own electoral gain.
Séamus Kirk (Louth, Ceann Comhairle)
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I ask the Deputy to resume his seat for a moment.
Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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Sir, this is an issue of enormous seriousness.
Séamus Kirk (Louth, Ceann Comhairle)
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I am not disputing that matter but there are ways and means of dealing with it.
Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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At the end of the debate yesterday the Minister, Deputy O'Dea, came into this House-----
Séamus Kirk (Louth, Ceann Comhairle)
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Deputy, resume your seat please.
Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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-----and, as Minister for Defence, admitted he made a statement-----
Séamus Kirk (Louth, Ceann Comhairle)
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Will the Deputy resume his seat until I explain the position to him as I did in the letter that was sent to him?
Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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------that was untrue based on confidential information given to him as a Minister.
Séamus Kirk (Louth, Ceann Comhairle)
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Will the Deputy resume his seat please?
Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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This man has responsibility for the security of this State.
Séamus Kirk (Louth, Ceann Comhairle)
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Deputy Shatter, resume your seat.
Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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That is outrageous and unacceptable and he should no longer be a member of Cabinet.
Séamus Kirk (Louth, Ceann Comhairle)
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Deputy, resume your seat. Under Standing Order 32, a matter was raised on the motion to adjourn the Dáil which is not a substantive motion. Charges of the kind raised in Deputy Shatter's notice can only be made against a Member by way of a substantive motion. We will move on to-----
Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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This man should not still be in Cabinet.
Séamus Kirk (Louth, Ceann Comhairle)
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-----the Order of Business.
Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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No member of the Garda Síochána-----