Catherine Ardagh (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I raise the issue of sports capital funding and its allocation. I implore the Minister not to repeat the sins of last year in respect of the distribution of sports capital funding. The benefit to communities of sporting facilities and sports in general is immeasurable. In Dublin 8 we have some of highest densities of population and rates of population growth, yet between the Liffey and the canal we do not have a single full-size pitch despite having a population of 50,000. For example, Kevins GAA club in the inner city, which currently fields 18 teams and has a long tradition of GAA in the inner city, has no place to call home. Imagine a home club in an area with one of the densest populations in the country being deprived of a pitch. It would not happen in any other parish in the country. The Kevins club does not serve only one parish, but eight. The Minister needs to take heed of this matter and ensure that adequate resources are allocated to children and sports clubs in disadvantaged areas across Dublin city. It is unfair that children in certain areas have better opportunities when it comes to sporting facilities than their contemporaries in other areas.

The second issue I raise is the waiting lists for speech and language therapists and occupational therapists. There are currently 37,229 people waiting for speech and language therapy. There are three lists. Some 15,000 of these people are waiting for a very first assessment. We know that, if they are able to afford it, many parents are able to skip this list and pay for an assessment privately. There are 7,894 people waiting for a first treatment and there are 14,361 people waiting for the further therapy they need. In respect of occupational therapy, there are 31,361 people waiting. Half of these are children, of whom more than 6,000 have been waiting for more than a year. We see those who can afford to pay hundreds and thousands of euro get privately diagnosed and skip into the list for first therapy. This is not acceptable. It is unequal and cannot continue. I hope the Minister will look into this matter and ensure these waiting lists become a thing of the past.

To end on a high, I congratulate my colleague in Fianna Fáil, Senator Ned O'Sullivan, on his local Tidy Towns committee in Listowel, of which he was the founder, winning the overall Tidy Towns competition yesterday. I also congratulate other towns across the country and the national Tidy Towns committee on their hard work in ensuring that we have beautiful towns and cities throughout Ireland.