Michael Mullins (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I join with colleagues in extending sympathies to the families of those who have lost loved ones in the horrific airplane crash this morning.

Since we met last, this country has had a fantastic week in many ways, including on the sporting front, with the fantastic achievements of the Irish men's rugby team in winning the Six Nations Championship, and our fantastic ladies who emulated and went one better the following day with their sensational win over Scotland. Coupled with such wins, we had significant St. Patrick's Day parades throughout the country and the world, with Ministers going out into the field to sell the country. They promoted business and enterprise and represented the country well. I wish to pay particular tribute to the fantastic St. Patrick's Day committees at home, who laid on fantastic parades throughout the country. I had the pleasure of attending two of them, one in Ballinasloe and another in Ahascragh. On both occasions I saw at first hand what community groups working together can achieve. It was a fantastic coming together of business, community and sporting organisations and schools. The general feedback from around the country was that the parades this year were bigger and better than ever before. They show that the country is vibrant and prove that rural communities are alive and well. We need to encourage communities to build on what was achieved over St. Patrick's week and weekend. We can revitalise many of the communities that have felt a little neglected. I was delighted to see the work that has been done by the Minister of State, Deputy Ann Phelan. We should invite her to the House again to have a further discussion on the revitalisation of rural Ireland. We need to discuss how we can all work together to make this country better as we attempt to attract more visitors here, given the launch of the plan for tourism for the next ten years.