Aisling Dolan (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Like Senator Casey, I would very much like to thank the staff. I am very new, so this is a wonderful experience. It is wonderful to be in the Dáil Chamber and to see the sunshine coming in from outside. We do not see it on television, but it is shines very beautifully on the ceiling. It provides haloes for all the angels here in the Chamber.

I would like to discuss the stay-and-spend initiative. We have talked about it so much, but August is about to begin. For people who are thinking of taking a staycation, I wish to highlight again how wonderful it is to travel all around the country. I particularly wish to highlight that Ballinasloe is the newest town in Ireland. We have a new streetscape and all the businesses will be painting their shop-fronts. That is one example of the amazing towns around Ireland that we sometimes miss because we are speeding from A to B on motorways. People should remember that there is a lot to see and experience and a lot of great people to meet on adventures in Ireland. I wish everyone going on holidays in Ireland a wonderful time. I encourage them to holiday safely, which is really important, especially this bank holiday weekend.

In regard to the schools we have just mentioned, I note that Scoil an Chroí Naofa in Ballinasloe is fighting very hard to ensure that people with special needs can be safely integrated into the mainstream classes. I wish everyone well for the summer and I look forward to engaging in robust and constructive debate in September.