Finian McGrath (Dublin North Central, Independent)

In this House last week, Deputy Gregory stated that if the Government cared about educational disadvantage, these inner city schools would get more resources rather than less. Putting resources into disadvantaged primary education would be a real investment in the future. The Government also claims to be tackling the drugs crisis yet the community representative on the Government's national drug strategy committee was forced to resign this week. As Deputy Gregory stated in this House, the Government refuses to recognise the scale of the drug problem and has cut the emerging needs fund from €4 million to a miserable €1 million. Hopes for a strategic, planned approach to the drug problem are now in a shambles.

Many of my Independent colleagues were elected in rural constituencies along the west coast. Such constituencies have been neglected by successive Governments with the result that the infrastructure is lagging behind and an injection of funding is urgently required to address the imbalance. My Independent colleague, Deputy McHugh, comes from Galway East, a constituency that has been particularly badly affected. The recent decision to reopen part of the western rail corridor, which will link his constituency from Tuam to Gort, is welcome, but the long drawn-out timeframe for its completion is totally unacceptable. Deputy McHugh has made the case in this House for expediting this project and I am pleased to put it on the record today.

Deputy McHugh has also campaigned for the provision of a community hospital and an ambulance base in Tuam, County Galway, to serve north-east Galway, south Mayo and west Roscommon. No less a person than the Taoiseach, Deputy Bertie Ahern, promised in 2002 that when his party returned to Government it would provide the hospital. That was three and a half years ago and the Taoiseach has not yet honoured his commitment. I call on the Taoiseach to do so now and, in consultation with the Tánaiste, approve the Tuam Hospital project that Deputy McHugh feels so strongly about and to which the people of Galway are entitled.

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