I have received notice from the following Senators that they propose to raise the following matters:
Senator Joe O'Reilly - The need for the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence to make a statement on the measures being considered to enhance recruitment and retention in the Reserve Defence Force without incurring additional expenditure.
Senator Victor Boyhan - The need for the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth to make a statement on proposals to increase core funding for early childhood care and education, ECCE, services to ensure the viability of playschools that depend solely on ECCE funding, having regard to the forthcoming closure in June of Taney Playschool, Dundrum, Dublin 16.
Senator Martin Conway - The need for the Minister for Health to provide an update on the provision of funding for new medicines from 2024 to 2030.
Senator Malcolm Byrne - The need for the Minister for Transport to provide an update on the development of the Rosslare rail line.
Senator Marie Sherlock - The need for the Minister for Environment, Climate and Communications to make a statement on the State's target of 2040 to adopt the WHO air quality guidelines, given the evidence to suggest air pollution is the single greatest environmental risk to human health, and the potential impact of BusConnects changes on the deterioration of air quality.
Senator Tom Clonan - The need for the Minister for Justice to make a statement on the status of a discretionary permission to remain application of a person (details supplied).
Senator Robbie Gallagher - The need for the Minister for Transport to allocate emergency additional funding to local authorities to undertake repair and upgrade works on the local, regional and national road network in light of the unprecedented excessive rainfall in recent months and other climate change factors.
Senator Fiona O'Loughlin - The need for the Minister for Justice to make a statement on her Department's long-term plans to support effective policing in Rathangan, County Kildare.
Senator Micheál Carrigy - The need for the Minister for Education to make a statement on progress on the extension to St. Matthew's National School, Ballymahon, County Longford.
Senator Erin McGreehan - The need for the Minister for Social Protection to make a statement on the inclusion of children with specific dietary requirements in the hot school meals programme.
Of the matters raised by the Senators suitable for discussion, I have selected Senators Joe O'Reilly, Victor Boyhan, Martin Conway, Malcolm Byrne and Marie Sherlock and they will be taken now. I regret that I had to rule out of order the matter raised by Senator Fiona O'Loughlin on the ground that the Minister has no official responsibility in the matter. Senator Erin McGreehan has withdrawn her Commencement matter, which I had originally selected, and it was too late to pick another Commencement matter. I apologise to the Members who were not selected for the lateness of that announcement. The other Senators may give notice on another day of the matters that they wish to raise.