Denis O'Donovan (Fianna Fail)
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I have received notice from Senator Rónán Mullen that, on the motion for the Commencement of the House today, he proposes to raise the following matter:

The need for the Minister for Education and Skills to address the situation where the free fees scheme operated by the Department of Education and Skills to assist universities in financially subventing students is not available to returning Irish citizens who, owing to economic reasons, have resided outside the State for more than five years.

I have also received notice from Senator Paul Bradford of the following matter:

The need for the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to provide projections for the numbers of farming families who will continue in business in the next ten to 20 years and indicate if he has particular policy proposals to maximise these numbers.

I have also received notice from Senator Thomas Byrne of the following matter:

The need for the Minister for Justice and Equality to ensure the provision of more gardaí and resources at the Garda station in Duleek, County Meath.

I have also received notice from Senator John Whelan of the following matter:

The need for the Minister for Health to meet the narcolepsy support group, SOUND, to hear and address their ongoing concerns about the shortcomings in how victims of the Pandemrix swine flu vaccine are being treated by the HSE and the Department of Health.

I have also received notice from Senator Martin Conway of the following matter:

The need for the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to comment on the reason students who qualified from Mountbellew Agricultural College with a level 7 BSc in agriculture and environmental management are not now qualified to become GLAS planners and to identify options to facilitate these graduates to achieve the required standard of qualification.

I have also received notice from Senator Colm Burke of the following matter:

The need for the Minister for Health to implement in full section 9 of the Intoxicating Liquor Act 2008 which provides that mixed trading outlets are required to segregate the sale of alcohol from the sale of other goods.

I have also received notice from Senator Lorraine Higgins of the following matter:

The need for the Minister for Education and Skills to outline the further steps she will take to ensure fairness in promotion procedures at NUIG.

I have also received notice from Senator Jillian van Turnhout of the following matter:

The need for the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government to outline the Government's plan to ensure continued funding for national organisations which provide services for targeted disadvantaged groups in the light of the commitment to inform relevant health, disability and other organisations which are in receipt of temporary bridging funds of the outcome of the review of the support scheme for national organisations by 31 March 2015.

I regard the matters raised by Senators Rónán Mullen, Paul Bradford, Thomas Byrne, John Whelan, Martin Conway, Colm Burke and Lorraine Higgins as suitable for discussion. I have selected the matters raised by Senators Rónán Mullen, Paul Bradford, Thomas Byrne and John Whelan and they will be taken now. Senators Martin Conway, Colm Burke and Lorraine Higgins may give notice on another day of the matters they wish to raise. I regret that I have had to rule out of order the matter raised by Senator Jillian van Turnhout on the grounds that it involves a repeat of the reply given to a similar Commencement Matter yesterday, 1 April.