Paddy Burke (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Senator Higgins said it all when she said that perhaps we should have the definition of a community included in the Bill. We all know what communities are. We do not have to have a definition of a community in the Bill. We know what our communities are about and what they are.

With regard to infrastructural projects, Ballina is a town of more than 15,000 people and Castlebar has more than 15,000 people. They are 24 miles apart. They are linked by a national secondary route. The speed limit on that national secondary route is now down to 80 km an hour because a route over the River Moy cannot be found. A bridge cannot be built over the River Moy because of the freshwater pearl mussel and alluvial woodland. The taxpayers have spent millions on reports, routes, preferred routes and all types of routes. The taxpayers have paid millions because we cannot get a route for a bridge over the River Moy. The freshwater pearl mussel in my view, which is a common man's view, is as common as the mushroom. It is found in the area where the Minister of State lives on the route to Connemara and in the River Erris and River Moy, which is a long river. We can find them for sale on DoneDeal.ie. I found them for sale on that site