Gnó an tSeanaid - Business of Seanad
Seanad business saw several urgent ministerial statements selected for discussion, including medical admissions testing, reducing pupil-teacher ratios, local development funding and passport reminders, while other issues were deferred to another day.
I have received notice from the following Senators that they propose to raise the following matters:
Senator Shane Curley - The need for the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science to make a statement on the health professions admission test exam for entrance to college courses in the medical field.
Senator Joe O'Reilly - The need for the Minister for Education and Youth to make a statement on the reduction of the student to teacher ratio from 23:1 to 19:1.
Senators Patricia Stephenson and Nessa Cosgrove - The need for the Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht to make a statement on future funding for local development programmes, including the LEADER and the social inclusion and community activation programmes.
Senator Linda Nelson Murray - The need for the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade to make a statement on an automatic reminder system to alert passport holders before their passport expires.
Senator Eileen Lynch - The need for the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to make a statement on housing provision and supports to deal with the growing number of people with an intellectual disability who can no longer be cared for by their parents in their own homes.
Senator Victor Boyhan - The need for the Taoiseach to make a statement on progress on the implementation of the Dublin City Taskforce, in particular the role Dublin City Council and its elected members will have over its functions, policies and spending.
Senator Martin Conway - The need for the Minister for Health to make a statement on the establishment of a consultant-led air ambulance base to provide emergency cover for the west Clare area.
Senator Mike Kennelly - The need for the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to make a statement on the proposed extension of the retirement age for retained firefighters.
The matters raised by the Senators are suitable for discussion and I have selected Senators Curley, O'Reilly, Nelson Murray and Stephenson and Cosgrove, who are sharing time, and they will be taken now. The other Senators may give notice on another day of the matters that they wish to raise.