Shane Ross (Dublin Rathdown, Independent) | Oireachtas source

Okay. I thank the Rural Alliance for tabling this motion. In particular, I thank Deputies Michael Harty, Mattie McGrath and Michael Collins for spending some time in my office last week in coming to an agreed motion, which was extremely helpful. I will try to respond in kind. I also thank Deputy Mattie McGrath for promising me a meeting in Tipperary some months ago to see the roads. He detained me for an extra three or four hours which is an indication of his commitment to remedying the county's roads.

I pay tribute to the Rural Alliance members who, in some sense, are the guardians of the roads in their constituencies. They are constantly on to me about the problems they encounter with their roads. I hope to respond not just in this reply, but also in visiting them once again. It may not be back to Tipperary because it seems to take ten times as long as it is meant to.

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