Aidan Davitt (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I want to talk today about a town the Cathaoirleach himself knows quite well - Mullingar. Quite an unsavoury piece was written in today's edition of the local newspaper, theWestmeath Examiner. To build the background, and as the Cathaoirleach knows, when one comes into Mullingar from the Dublin road one passes the Mullingar Park Hotel, which has a fabulous convention centre - one of the finest in the midlands - and a health club and spa. Having passed the hotel, one sees the new National Science Park, which was previously the tobacco factory. We talked about that factory 18 months ago. It was closed and has been reopened by the businesspeople of Mullingar. Gary Moore and the guys from TEG and Mergon are in there. They are hoping to create 100 jobs there in research and development. It really is a flagship building and a flagship project for Mullingar. After that, one passes the new Curraghmore school, which is being built, and the new local shopping centre, which is also being built on the way into Mullingar, before one reaches the town itself where the canal is. As we are aware, in the town there are three fabulous hotels and there are approximately 20 restaurants and 20 coffee shops within the canal which encircles the town.

I was quite disturbed to read in the local Westmeath Examinerthis morning that Mullingar has been described as unkempt, neglected and degrading by a Senator in this House. I got many phone calls about the article. I was very disappointed to read it to be honest. Senator Norris is correct, one would not have to look any further than Senator Norris. I mean Senator Craughwell.