I wish to raise one simple issue. I refer to the National Rehabilitation Hospital on Rochestown Avenue in Dún Laoghaire. I have continually raised this issue in Seanad Éireann over the past year without success, so today I propose an amendment to the Order of Business. It is the first time I have ever done so but it is now required. I call on the Minister for Health to come to Seanad Éireann today to explain to the Seanad why the National Rehabilitation Hospital has not been provided with the necessary staffing, resources and special supports that are required to enable it to provide a safe and appropriate level of rehabilitation care to patients up to its full bed capacity and to commit immediately to reopening 12 beds that were closed in January 2017.

I have examined the record of various comments of the Minister and officials. We were told the matter would be looked into, but nothing has happened. I spoke to a National Rehabilitation Hospital official yesterday who confirmed that since January, those 12 beds have been closed and have not been reopened. Yesterday, 209 people were waiting to get access to the hospital.

Many of these patients are occupying acute beds in hospitals because they cannot access the rehabilitation services they require. Patients with spinal and brain injuries are in limbo as a result of the Minister's failure to immediately reopen the 12 beds closed in January. The Minister appears to have done nothing about this issue and must, at a minimum, come to the House to explain what he is doing. We hear platitudes and words about health. Do people learn anything from all the scrutiny, publicity, television programmes and documentaries? We have not been able to get the Minister to reopen 12 beds the hospital wants to open.

A new facility to be built on the site of the National Rehabilitation Hospital has been repeatedly delayed. If 12 beds cannot be opened in the existing facility, I do not know what is being done to build a new hospital on the site. The position is unacceptable. I have taken advice on this issue. There are patients with spinal and brain injuries waiting in acute hospital beds trying unsuccessfully to access the specialist service of the National Rehabilitation Hospital in Dún Laoghaire. I am a reasonable person. Will the Leader guarantee that the Minister for Health will appear in the House urgently? Unfortunately, the special committee will discuss Brexit again tomorrow and the Seanad will not meet again until next Tuesday afternoon. This is a serious issue and morale among professional staff in the hospital is low. They do an extraordinary job in extraordinary circumstances and they are committed to doing something about this issue. There are 209 people on the waiting list at the National Rehabilitation Hospital. Will the Minister come to the House to provide an assurance that the 12 beds will immediately reopen?

I echo Senator Boyhan's concerns and support his call for the Minister for Health to explain to the House his plans regarding the National Rehabilitation Hospital in Dún Laoghaire. This is a serious issue that affects the entire country. I know people who are waiting to access the centre. The 12 beds to which Senator Boyhan referred must be opened as soon as possible.

I gave notice yesterday that I would propose an amendment to the Order of Business today. I propose that non-Government motion No. 18 be taken today. The motion can be debated instead of statements on childhood obesity, which are due to be taken between 4.30 p.m. and 6 p.m. Speaking last week on the lack of legislation coming before the House, I stated there was no point in providing time to debate issues on which there is agreement across the House because everyone will say the same things. We need to deal with some serious issues on which cross-party agreement is needed. If agreement is not reached on this, I propose that the motion be taken without debate at the conclusion of the Order of Business. It is the same motion that Sinn Féin proposed to take without debate last Tuesday. The reasons given by Fianna Fáil and other parties for voting against the motion was that the vote clashed with a meeting of the Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine. For this reason, we ask that the motion be taken today. I gave notice yesterday that we would raise the matter today so nobody can claim not to have been given notice.

I also note the Leader stated last week that he would need a briefing from the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine before he could make a decision on whether to support the motion. I trust a week has been sufficient time for him to receive a briefing.

I made an offer to the Senator yesterday, which she did not take up.

Please allow the Senator to continue. The Leader will have an opportunity to respond.

As the Leader is aware, this is an important issue in rural Ireland. It must be dealt with as a stand-alone farming issue to address current inequality. I will not allow the waters to be muddied by bringing other farming issues into the mix. During the most recent negotiations on the Common Agricultural Policy, small farmers in the west were told not to worry about what would happen in Pillar 1 and to allow bigger farms to receive bigger payments because this would be made up in Pillar 2 under the green low-carbon agri-environment scheme, GLAS. It was not made up, however. The same excuse has been given since 2001 and the reference years on the single farm payment. Farmers trying to farm on land in disadvantaged areas and areas of natural constraint need to receive payments.

I refer to another farming-related issue, namely, the independent appeals mechanism in the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, which I may also raise as a Commencement matter. It is taking up to four years to process appeals through the office. This is not right as payments are being held up for up to four years. The reason for the delay is that under legislation, only one director in the appeals office can handle appeals. This must change and I will write to the Minister today seeking a change. I am shocked that only one director can deal with claims that cause farmers' payments to be delayed for years.

To clarify, is the Senator proposing an amendment to the Order of Business that No. 36, motion 18, be taken today?

Yes.