Michael Mullins (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the announcement today by the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Deputy Paschal Donohoe, that €294 million is to be invested in the regional and local roads infrastructure which will enable the maintenance and strengthening of almost 2,000 km of roadwork nationwide. Investment in our road infrastructure is critical for future economic growth and securing job creation projects in the regions. This investment allows a number of key projects to go ahead, a case in point being increasing the vehicle head room at the Lough Atalia railway bridge in Galway city which is an important access for Galway city and Galway Port. Out of the €294 million, a total of €23.5 million is being spent in Galway city and county. The investment also includes the rehabilitation schemes for 175 bridges throughout the country and 211 low cost safety projects as well as significant investment in footpaths in the interests of public safety.

I welcome the reopening of the Garda College at Templemore and the fact that 100 new entrants have commenced their training there. I welcome a comment made by the Taoiseach who said he hopes the college never closes again.

Most of all, I welcome the advice given by the Minister to the new trainees that they must stand up at all times to wrongdoing in the force as well as wrongdoing on the streets. She said officers need the courage to stand up against bad conduct in the force and the courage to cry "Stop" when old practices which have served the force so badly are continued. We must never again have situations such as the penalty points scandal or others highlighted by whistleblowers, which have occupied so much air time in recent times. I also welcome the plans for the new DNA database-----