Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Aontú) | Oireachtas source

Cuirim fáilte roimh an gCeann Comhairle. Is deas é a fheiceáil ar ais anseo arís.

I begin by reiterating my deepest sympathies to the people of Creeslough and the wider Donegal community. Most especially, I convey my deepest sympathies, and the sympathies of my colleagues in Aontú, to the families of Leona Harper, Robert Garwe, Shauna Flanagan Garwe, Jessica Gallagher, James O'Flaherty, Martina Martin, Hugh Kelly, Catherine O'Donnell, James Monaghan and Martin McGill. All of them were simply going about their normal, everyday lives, such as choosing an ice cream, purchasing a birthday cake, buying messages for the week, collecting a pension, or visiting a loved one. That normal life was shattered in an instant, one which will last forever.

This shocking explosion has devastated families, broken the hearts of so many people around Ireland and left an unfillable void in the communities affected. I still find it hard to believe. I remember listening, hour after hour, to the news reports from Creeslough on that fateful day. I felt that the worst possible scenario was being realised in every news report released.

I pay tribute to the emergency services that struggled to save so many lives a month ago. The staff of those services went through thick and thin in very difficult circumstances that will stay with them for the rest of their lives. They did not give up until they had saved or, at least, retrieved every loved one who was lost that day. I pay tribute to the parish priest, Father John Joe Duffy, who did his best to offer support and solace to the families in these toughest of circumstances. In recent days, Father Duffy said that the numbness and shock is beginning to wear off and the pain of loss and trauma is becoming more acute. That is the difficulty in this regard. In many ways, that pain and trauma will manifest itself further in families in the weeks after this event. He also said:

Healing in a community like ours is a multi-faceted thing. It comes through what we offer as a church, with what the HSE offers, with what the soccer club, the youth club, the dance classes, and the GAA club offer. It’s about members of the community talking together or at least doing things together.

That is a really important issue. Through that community experience, people will achieve some level of healing in regard to this.

I know Creeslough very well and stayed there a number of times with friends from the village. On that fateful day I spoke on the phone to many of our cumann members who live there. I pay tribute to the community in Creeslough, the people of Donegal and the elected representatives from the county here today, namely, Deputies Mac Lochlainn, Pringle, McHugh, McConalogue and Doherty. As elected representatives, I know this will have hit them hard. We lost five teenage girls in a school crash in Navan almost 20 years ago. The hurt that caused is still alive in the community in Navan and Meath today. I would like to remember those girls now.

Nothing can prepare a community for this. Supporting families and loved ones when someone dies is one of the best traits of the Irish people. It is something we do well, in many ways. There is no doubt that supportive trait came to the fore in Donegal.

Many people have mentioned Hamish O'Flaherty, a young boy who has been through so much and yet spoke so courageously at the funeral for his father, James O'Flaherty. He said we should be grateful for our families, cherish them and be grateful because they will not be there forever. I spoke to people from Creeslough today who told me the month's mind masses have started and the church was full to the brim last night, and will be again over the coming weeks. The HSE is providing counselling and I encourage people to avail of it and make sure they get the support they need.

The Minister for Transport, Deputy Eamon Ryan, raised the issue of the investigation. It is of paramount importance that the investigation is carried out to the best ability of those involved in it. It is important that we know what happened on that fateful day and can learn lessons to make sure it never happens to another community. The Minister might be able to update the Dáil on progress in the investigation. He also mentioned the difficulties families are facing with the country roads currently being used in Creeslough, something that has been mentioned to me. These roads are not suitable for large volumes of traffic, especially on dark winter days. The point has been made that people would like to see the main road through the village reopened.

Déanaim comhbhrón iomlán ó chroí le muintir an Chraoslaigh agus Dhún na nGall. Tá a fhios agam go bhfuil croíthe briste timpeall na tíre agus nach mbeimid in ann an poll sin a líonadh suas arís. Tá cumhacht agus grá ann, áfach, agus is cinnte go gcabhróidh siad sin le muintir an Chraoslaigh sna laethanta atá le teacht. Ar dheis Dé go raibh a n-anamacha dílse.

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