Eugene Murphy (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Following Senator Craughwell's comments, I must say the Cathaoirleach is a fountain of knowledge. Ambassador Karadjova is very welcome to the Seanad today. Our thoughts are very much with her and eastern Europe at the moment. We are very shocked and horrified by the continuing aggression by Russia towards her neighbours in Ukraine. We compliment her and her nation on what they are trying to do for their neighbours. We are doing all we can here for them. We are totally with the people of eastern Europe on this, and we sympathise with the ambassador on what her country is going through at the moment.

I wish to return to roads projects. At some stage the Leader might ask the Minister for Transport to pay us a visit and deal with a number of road projects. I do not expect him to come for one road in Roscommon. We have a very busy route from Athlone to Roscommon, which I am sure the Leader has travelled at some time in her political life. It is an extremely busy national secondary road. The sum of €18 million was allocated in the national development plan to do a bypass, the Ballymurray to Knockcroghery bypass. This is not just a secondary road going from Athlone to Roscommon, it is a road that takes traffic from Donegal right down to Wexford, so it is very important. Rumours are circulating that it has been taken out of the national development plan. When we bring in the Minister for Transport, I ask the Leader to put that on the programme for discussion because it is of serious concern to people in County Roscommon, in particular in the mid-south Roscommon area.

I extend our good wishes to the Convent of Mercy senior camogie team, which won the all-Ireland championship recently, beating a Cork team from Carrigtwohill. Any time we beat a Cork team is good. That is significant for the county. From your own family connections, a Leas-Chathaoirligh, you know some of the people in the county. I send congratulations to Ellen Cafferkey and Ali Campbell, the joint captains, and Niamh Fitzgerald who was the player of the match. We wish them well. It is another good day for sport in Roscommon.