It is proposed to take Nos. 13 and 14 Votes 27 to 30 and 44 and 45. It is also proposed that the Dáil shall sit later than 5.30 p.m. today and business shall be interrupted not later than 7 p.m. It is further proposed that the proceedings on the Second Stage of No. 13 shall be brought to a conclusion, if not previously concluded, at 1.30 p.m. and that the speech of any Member called on shall not exceed 20 minutes and the Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture and Food shall be called on to conclude not later than 1.20 p.m. It is further proposed that the debate on Votes 27 to 30 shall not exceed two and a quarter hours and the debate on Votes 44 and 45 shall not exceed two hours provided that the proceedings thereon shall be brought to a conclusion, if not previously concluded, at 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. respectively by one question, in each case, which shall be put from the Chair and the following arrangements shall apply: (1) The opening speech of the Ministers moving the Votes shall not exceed 20 minutes; (2) The speech of any other Member shall not exceed 15 minutes and (3) The Ministers moving the Votes shall be called on to conclude not later than ten minutes before the stated times. It is further proposed that if a division is challenged on any Estimate today, the taking of such division shall be postponed until 8.30 p.m. on Wednesday, 22 June 1988. It is further proposed that the Dáil shall meet tomorrow at 10.30 a.m. and shall adjourn not later than 4.30 p.m. and that the business shall be confined to Estimates for the Public Services.

Is the proposal for the late sitting today agreed? Agreed. Is the proposal for dealing with item No. 13 agreed? Agreed. Are the proposals in relation to item No. 14, the debate on the Estimates — Votes 27 to 30 and 44 and 45 — agreed? Agreed. Is the proposal for tomorrow's sitting of the House agreed? Agreed.

Ba mhaith liom a iarraidh arís ar an Taoiseach an mbeidh am curtha ar fáil an tseachtain seo chugainn agus, b'fhéidir, leathnú ama curtha ar fáil, chun Meastachán Roinn na Gaeltachta a chíorú agus ionas go mbeidh seans againn na cúrsaí atá ag tarlú san Ghaeltacht a phlé taobh istigh den díospóireacht ar an Mheastachán sin.

Gheobhaidh tú freagra uaim ar ball.

Would the Taoiseach, today, tomorrow or early next week, allow time or arrange for statements to be made in the House in relation to——

It is an aspiration.

I was asking if the Taoiseach would make time available for statements in the House in relation to the appalling multiple killings and murders by the Provisional IRA yesterday in Northern Ireland, in view of the serious implications this has for relations between our two countries?

The Deputy should find another way of raising that matter.

I am asking if the Taoiseach will make time available as soon as possible so that this House can put on record its attitude to the Provisional IRA activities yesterday——

Please, Deputy, it is inappropriate to raise that matter now. There are other ways and means open to the Deputy and he should pursue them.

I thought perhaps the Taoiseach——

Deputy De Rossa, please desist.

——would put on record in this House that he——

Deputy John Bruton, please.

Will the Taoiseach say if the promised legislation with regard to the ratification of the European Patent Convention has progressed any further, and if it is the case, as was reported in the newspapers recently, that because of the inability to draft legislation that would comply with the provisions of the Constitution as interpreted by the Government legal adviser, Ireland will not be participating in the convention and will be allowing other member states to go ahead to put the convention into operation with Ireland being left outside, and if the Taoiseach regards that as satisfactory, and if not if he would indicate——

This is a very long question.

——the actions he proposes to take?

I will arrange to give the Deputy an up-to-date review of the position.

While I appreciate the courtesy the Taoiseach is extending to me, would he not agree that this is a matter of public interest?

I will make it available to the Deputies.

Over three weeks ago in this House the Minister for Agriculture and Food indicated to me that the pollution control measures of the revived western package would be put in place inside weeks at most. Nothing has happened in the meantime and farmers still cannot begin grant-aided work to cope with pollution——

Deputy O'Keeffe, please——

I would ask the Taoiseach to discuss the situation with his Minister and to ensure——

The Deputy knows full well that what he is raising now is not in order.

It deals with a promised measure by the Minister. It is a very reasonable request.

I must be convinced of that.

I am merely asking the Taoiseach if he would discuss with his Minister the need to put this urgent and central measure in place now.

The Deputy must desist. I am calling Deputy Pat McCartan.

There is no reason at all for the delay.

I seek permission to raise on the Adjournment the failure of the Government——

——the failure of the Department of Education to provide for Gael Scoil Míde in the forthcoming year. This is a matter I raised on a number of occasions, as did Deputy Cosgrave. If the Chair allows the matter to be debated we are agreeable to share time.

I am aware of Deputies' interest in this matter and I will communicate with the Deputy.

Three weeks ago in a written reply the Minister for Justice informed me that I would get a reply within two weeks from the Garda Commissioner about a matter of alleged fraud which I have been raising for the past two years. I have not got the reply and I would like to raise the matter on the Adjournment.

I will communicate with Deputy Gay Mitchell in respect of that matter.

I would like to raise on the Adjournment the failure of the Minister for Education to honour the commitment to provide a second level school at Ashbourne.

I will communicate with the Deputy.

I wish to raise on the Adjournment the situation in which a number of my constituents find themselves, in that despite the submission of supportive medical evidence that they are scheduled for admission to hospital for major surgery, disability benefits have been discontinued or have not been sanctioned.

I will communicate with Deputy Griffin.

Has the Taoiseach turned his mind to preparing Ireland for Europe in 1992?

The European Championships.

My concern was that there would be lottery funds made available for the conversion and preparation of Richmond Park in Inchicore for the European championships in Dublin.

I would like to raise on the Adjournment the serious implications that are becoming increasingly apparent from the Government decision to close down the national software centre.

I will communicate with the Deputy.

I would like to raise on the Adjournment the matter of the administration of the alien's section of the Department of Justice and the extraordinary difficulties that applicants are experiencing and the total absence of any clear guidelines as to how and where they should apply, and what they can expect.

I will be in touch with the Deputy about that matter.

I would like, on the Adjournment, to ask the Minister for Health if he proposes to hold an investigation into the allegations made on the issue of the sale of land by the Southern Health Board. There are very good grounds for serious allegations that have been made against officials of the board.

I will communicate with the Deputy. Can we now proceed to item No 13?