Michael Fitzmaurice (Roscommon-Galway, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the opportunity to speak on the Bill. While I understand that most of the Bill is concerned with Cork, I see a small piece, perhaps an afterthought, put in for Galway. Galway should have its own identity. I heard people speak about Galway earlier. There is a huge problem with staffing in Galway. The Minister of State, Deputy Kyne, and Deputy Ó Cuív outlined it very well. Some people might be hung up about people being in acting positions. I am not too worried about it because people are either able to do their jobs or they are not and if they are not, it is not difficult to move them on. In Galway there is a huge concern. I will ask the Minister of State to do one thing. For the sake of Cork, people will not go hammering against the Minister of State in the first round but there are a few rounds to this fight. The Bill will go to Committee Stage and come back to the Dáil. I ask the Minister of State that Department officials meet the representatives of Galway. A lot of money needs to come to the table. There is 100,000 km of road in Galway. It has one-twentieth of all the road in Ireland. It has one of the worst budgets available from the Department. I am not blaming the Minister of State's Department but the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport and people from the Minister, Deputy Donohoe's Department. Someone has to come to the table with money. There is huge concern for the municipal district. Galway is 100 miles from one end to the other. There is huge concern. It is touched by Clare, Mayo and Roscommon and there are people out-----

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