Pippa Hackett (Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I congratulate Senator Moynihan on her marriage and wish her and her husband every best wish for the future. I echo Senator Chambers's statement on maternity restrictions and concur with everything she said.

It is a real thrill when places we know or are dear to us are recognised. I felt pure joy, as well as a strong sense of pride, when I saw that three midlands towns had made it onto The Irish Times's list of the 20 best places to live in Ireland. Tullamore, Abbeyleix and Ballinakill were all there, on a list of only 20 that covered the entire country. That is pretty impressive and it emphasised to me the need for us to take time every so often to recognise and celebrate what we have. I think we know instinctively how important it is to do this. When we are abroad or we meet people who have visited here, we are only too ready to lap up and agree with their insights into how easy it is to feel at home here, but when we are at home, we perhaps slip a little too easily into focusing on the negative. While there are things we can and must do better, and ways in which we could and should improve, in so many ways Ireland is a wonderful place, and the midlands has much of what is best about it.

Accordingly, I congratulate Tullamore, Abbeyleix and Ballinakill and will now tell those who do not know much about them why they are so special. Tullamore is a large town located in the middle of the country. The Grand Canal runs through it and it has a harbour. While there are still some empty premises, the town centre is busy and bustling, with pilot pedestrianisation, outdoor dining and wonderful streetscape enhancement works that brought it to life this summer.Ballinakill has much to offer too. It is known as the town of the woods and has an entrancing 18th-century landscape in Heywood Gardens. Its most unusual feature, an outdoor heated swimming pool, thrived this summer thanks to the work of the dedicated community there. As for Abbeyleix, it is a pretty heritage town and is leading the way in the fight against climate change. Its town centre has a fantastic NeighbourWood project while its precious amenity bog will host the community wetlands forum next week.

Tullamore, Ballinakill, Abbeyleix and many other towns like them are places where people feel connected and part of the community. We need more of that and this Government is working hard to provide it. We have a rural future policy as well as a town centres first policy. We are connecting people with broadband and active travel infrastructure and supporting job creation through the just transition fund. The sense of community can easily get lost in cities, as well as in isolated rural homes miles from a local village. However, in many of our towns and villages, community is thriving. Let us recognise, value, celebrate and nurture that.