Michael Mullins (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I, too, support the call for an inquiry into the death of Fr. Niall Molloy, if we are to have total confidence in the justice system. There were glaring difficulties in the case which need to be addressed.

I also support the call by my colleague Senator Colm Burke for the Minister for Health to clarify the position on junior doctors in advance of 1 July. There is obviously a concern that the HSE does not have the matter sufficiently in hand and if we are to have confidence in the health system, we need to address that issue as a matter of urgency.

Earlier in the week I welcomed the increase in the number of visitors to the country and applauded the communities that were doing so much to plan major events for The Gathering. Fáilte Ireland, hotels and restaurants and the hospitality sector generally are doing their best to make the country welcoming, but there is a major blot on the landscape. There is an appalling amount of litter in the countryside, particularly on motorways, which does not project a good image. I call on the local authorities to take the matter in hand. Tidy Towns and village committees are doing tremendous work, but they need the support of local authorities, particularly along the main arterial motorways. It projects a horrible image. As one heads out of Dublin towards Galway, just beyond Huston Station, for several miles there is an appalling amount of litter along the motorway. I call on the relevant local authority to take the matter in hand because I hope hundreds of thousands of people will visit the country. If we travel to other countries on the Continent or to the United States, we do not see the amount of litter on streets and motorways that we see here. This issue needs to be tackled. I hope the community employment schemes and so on could be used to help tackle this matter because staff numbers in local authorities have reduced significantly in recent years. I ask the Leader to raise this issue with the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government.