Emer Higgins (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I offer my sincere condolences to the people of Creeslough, the community at the centre of this tragedy, and to the family and friends of Shauna Flanagan Garwe and her dad, Robert Garwe, Catherine O'Donnell and her son, James Monaghan, Leona Harper, Jessica Gallagher, Martin McGill, Hugh Kelly, James O'Flaherty and Martina Martin - sons, daughters, mothers, fathers, nieces, nephews, aunts and uncles and dear friends who are all incredibly missed.

I will not be alone in saying the people of Creeslough should be incredibly proud of the example of strength and kindness they have shown and the manner in which they have come together to support one another at a time of such incredible grief. The close-knit nature of their community was what I was most struck by in the early hours and in those early days after this tragedy. In times of grief, we all know that those first few days and weeks can feel like a blur. It is the presence of others that gets us through it but, one month on from the tragedy, I am sure the bitter reality of life without their loved ones is settling in for the community of Creeslough. That is why it is so important that society and we as parliamentarians remember those lost and continue to keep their names, spirit and legacies alive and continue to offer small condolence to grieving families and friends that, as life moves on, their loved ones will never be forgotten by their families and friends or the people of Ireland.

I commend all the local Deputies and councillors, including Deputy McHugh, who provided such support to the community and continue to do so. In particular, I commend the work of Fr. John Joe Duffy who has been a rock for his parish in Donegal. In recent weeks, we have seen the worst of the church in Ireland being highlighted but Fr. Duffy's example is in such stark contrast and represents the best of the church and of community leadership. I was glad to read Fr. Duffy's recent comment that he was quick to avail of the counselling services offered to Creeslough residents. That is truly leadership by example.

I commend the HSE on acting so quickly to make these services available and the Minister of State at the Department of Health, Deputy Frank Feighan, who was on site, with Deputy McHugh, in the early days to put that emergency response together. I hope that a plan for long-term support will be established to continue to provide residents with the help they need in the months ahead.

The impact of an event such as this on a community is immeasurable. There is the absolute randomness of it. There is the cruelness of people being taken away while doing ordinary everyday things, such as going to the local shop, visiting the post office or buying an ice-cream or birthday cake. These are things the people of Creeslough would have done every day without a second thought. They are things all of us do every day without a second thought. We cannot rationalise this kind of tragedy. I hope the community will continue to avail of professional help to assist them.

The education and training board has submitted an application to the Department of Education for support services to provide additional grief and counselling in schools. I ask the Minister for Education to look at that, as local representatives, including Deputy McHugh, have already done.

The hub of the Creeslough community was the local petrol station and shop. Its loss is no doubt a constant reminder of the tragedy and the lives lost. I commend the businesses that made donations to the temporary shop in the community to keep people going with essentials and the contractors working around the clock to get a new shop up and running and restore community facilities.

Creeslough is an exceptionally strong community. We have all seen that. I have no doubt that while people grieve the loss of their loved ones and keep their legacies alive, they will learn to laugh and smile again and there will be times of joy again. I was heartened to hear that on 30 October, the people of Creeslough lined the streets once again, but this time to cheer on the arrival of the victorious St. Michael's GAA club's under-13 team. They stopped to pay tribute to those lost on 7 October. While they did this, I am told the local church celebrated the baptism of three babies - a symbol of hope for the future of Creeslough.

I sincerely hope that the people of Creeslough feel the support of all of Ireland behind them. The Government, the people of Ireland and people beyond Ireland are with them. Most importantly, I hope they know that the lives of Shauna, Robert, Catherine, James Monaghan and James O'Flaherty, Leona, Jessica, Martin, Hugh and Martina will never be forgotten.

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