Willie Penrose (Westmeath, Labour)

—— lives very close to the area. I know he has an interest in the area. Deputy Mary Wallace lives a little further away than that, but she does have relations in Mullingar. Dominic Hannigan's priorities are noticeable on the campaign trail, as they are important to the people of Meath. These priorities include an enhanced rail and public transport service for Meath, an end to the school and child-care crisis that faces hundreds of families across the county and the upgrading of the hospital facilities and major investment in primary care. We believe in upgrading hospital facilities. We do not believe in photo-opportunities where people arrive and get a photograph taken for the papers. A Minister did that in Mullingar, County Westmeath and then she disappeared, even though the 12 bed unit she visited was closed and would not open for another two months. The people of Meath do not want that kind of thing. It is time to cut out the nonsense where people are treated like fools. This Government is renowned for that and we will be telling them so on the doorsteps. The Government has three representatives in Meath and it does not want another one. It is taking people for fools. I have never taken a person for a fool. I treat people as they are, I treat them fairly.

We also need intelligent planning where people are put before profit. There are big estates in Navan, Athboy and Trim and I have been in them. Why is planning permission given to developers when they fail to complete estates to the required norms and to the exact specifications of the planning conditions? The Labour Party brought a Bill before the House in the name of Deputy Seán Ryan that was turned down. Why was it turned down? Dominic Hannigan, as chairperson of the planning committee on Meath County Council, will make sure that those issues are chased without fear or favour. He is someone who will bring the issues to the floor of this House in the same way he has articulated them at Meath County Council.

I spoke to a young mother on a doorstep in Navan the other day, who was looking after her own mother inside. She told me that her mother gets one day's respite care every year. That is some society about which the Government blows its trumpet. I asked her where the respite care places were in Navan. She told me that there was one. I asked her could she not even get that one but she replied they were lucky they got one.

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