Fionntán Ó Súilleabháin (Wicklow-Wexford, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Ar dtús, ba mhaith liom roinnt rudaí a lua mar gheall ar an gclár Rialtais chomh fada agus a bhaineann sé le mo cheantar féin, which is tuaisceart Loch Garman agus deisceart Chill Mhantáin. First, let us take the example of Arklow, which has never had a TD elected in the history of the State and has been neglected for decades by Government. It is a town which, in many ways, is dying on its knees. However, it is also a town that has massive and unharnessed potential. It needs to be key objective of this programme for Government to improve things in the Arklow area. The wastewater treatment plant there has just come to completion. What we need now is to see the biggest affordable and social housing delivery programme in the history of Arklow and in the surrounding villages of Rathdrum and south Wicklow.

This morning, just across the county boundary in my hometown of Gorey - which is also in the Dublin commuter belt - we had the opening of the sales portal for the first affordable homes scheme in County Wexford. However, not one single affordable home has been delivered to date by the Government in County Wexford. Unfortunately, the Government's 30% rule means that just six of these 20 houses in Wexford will be ring-fenced for local applicants. I believe 20 out of 20 need to be ring-fenced for people in that local area and should go to local families. In addition, we need far more of these schemes.

We certainly need to harness Arklow's maritime potential and redevelop the quay area, the riverbank and the main street. We need to work to develop recreational facilities, which are very neglected, in the town. We need to deliver infrastructure for south Wicklow for recreation in terms of the Arklow to Shillelagh greenway that is planned. We also need to support Arklow fishermen. I mention the case of C.J. Gaffney, whose case has come up at committee meetings and in this Chamber on many occasions over the past five years. I want this to be the programme for Government that delivers justice for C.J. Gaffney and his family.

We need to the see the coastguard station delivered in Courtown. We need to upgrade the primary care centre in Arklow and expedite the delivery of such a centre in Gorey. Of course, centres on their own are pretty useless they are staffed. As a result, we need ensure that the necessary the GPs, the psychologists and the occupational therapists, OTs, are employed. The Ceann Comhairle will be aware that County Wexford, which is home to 163,000 citizens, has just one OT. That is both incredible and shocking.

Similarly, in relation to CAMHS, we have to depend on a voluntary group, Talk To Tom, to fill the void that is there in terms of the provision of services for child and adolescent youth health services. That is due to the Government's failure to address this in the matter. We have no acute mental beds in County Wexford. That is really shocking in a State that is awash with money and has a massive budgetary surplus. We need to see the provision of community spaces and centres. Arklow does not have them, and many groups have no home base. There are about 60 groups that do not have a place to go.

We also need to redevelop the old Eir centre in Arklow, and I know this is the Minister's brief, which was designated as an international protection accommodation services, IPAS, centre. This needs to be made available for use by the local community. It is no longer going to be used for IPAS but it needs to be put to local community use for many of the groups to which I refer. Other facilities also need to be developed in the town, particularly, as was happened in this instance, it is just a case of speculators making very quick profits in these villages by means of the IPAS system.

Caithfimid dul chun cinn a fheiscint chomh maith leis an nGaelscoil san Inbhear Mór agus Gaelcholáiste san Inbhear Mór. Tá na páistí ansin ag fanacht rófhada ar scoil. As a primary school teacher for 34 years and a special education teacher for many years also, I would like to see the programme for Government delivering the ASD units that many villages and towns in north Wexford and south Wicklow are seeking and applying for at present. We need enhanced sports facilities, including the east coast sports hub, to be delivered. In order to reduce our carbon footprint, we need to upgrade the outdated rail service to Dublin. A new exit to Arklow from the N11 is also needed. We also need to see the delivery of the Gorey inner relief road and the provision of Local Link buses. Basically, we need to have much enhanced facilities.

Do not get me started on Wexford roads. The Ceann Comhairle is very familiar with this matter. Wexford has the worst roads in Ireland. That is official according to three decades' worth of National Oversight and Audit Commission, NOAC, studies. We need massive investment - there is €194 million needed to bring them up to what is classed as acceptable standards.

In short, the programme for Government needs to be ambitious for Arklow. It must also deliver for Gorey and the surrounding villages, rural hinterlands and farming communities in places from Ballindaggan to Bunclody to Ferns to Ballycanew. We need to support these communities and reject the Mercosur deal.

Faoi dheireadh, it would be remiss me of not to gabhaim buíochas le mo chlann, mo pháirtí, mo lucht tacaíochta and to all the voters of north Wexford, to my family, friends and party. I am very grateful to have the honour to represent them.

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