Denis Naughten (Roscommon-Galway, Independent) | Oireachtas source

Turning to the short-term measure, I welcome the changes that have been announced for counties Galway and Westmeath, but what does the Minister have against people from County Roscommon? Did he have a teacher in school who he did not get on with from County Roscommon? From 1 October, there is going to be €6,000 of a difference in the income thresholds for people living in Baylough in Athlone who are on the same income, living next door to each other, paying the same rent and whose children play in the same football teams and go to the same school because they live on opposite sides of a white line. Seventeen minutes up the road, in Glentaun in Creagh, it is even worse. There is not even a white line in the middle of the road and there is that differential there. Why are those people being discriminated against? We need to be inclusive and not exclusive. We cannot wait until the end of the year for these changes.

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