Aisling Dolan (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I congratulate Senator Higgins on her news. I am very happy for her. Congratulations to our Seanad Leader and her partner, Councillor Jarlath Munnelly. I really like how County Galway was the location of choice for their special day.

The EU just transition launched last week. It provides €180 million for community groups and businesses, coming through Fáilte Ireland, Pobal and the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine. Start-ups, micro-enterprises, social enterprises and community groups can apply to this fund. It is relevant for me because Ballinasloe municipal district, the east Galway section, is part of the area that is included for the EU just transition. Shannonbridge is only ten miles away from Ballinasloe. The town supported many families working in Bord na Móna in Shannonbridge as well as Lanesborough and Ballyleague in Roscommon. Many of these applications for funding will be opening up later in the summer and later this year. Many of the groups will be working with research groups such as the Technological University of the Shannon in Athlone, Atlantic Technological University, ATU, and the University of Galway. I want to highlight how crucial this fund is. Groups in the west are being left behind in some cases because we are not seeing a fair transition.It is about how we support our communities, towns and groups to revive themselves, come alive and find new incomes and ways to live in the west.

I was invited to speak at an Irish Radio Transmitters Society event last weekend. Shannon Basin Radio Club, which is new to me, is based in the west. It is located outside of Ballinasloe. Mr. Patrick O'Connor, who is a member of this group, is a world champion. The people involved with the club have short-wave and citizens band radios. They connect with other groups. There are more than 1,000 amateur radio licences in Ireland. I met the president of the British group. There are between 50,000 and 60,000 licences across Britain. The president here, Mr. John Gould, is based in Northern Ireland.

The Irish Radio Transmitters Society celebrated its 90th anniversary at the weekend. I wanted to highlight that as something that is so important because it is linked with scouts. It links in with children. It tries to promote the importance of telecommunications, science and radio, particularly in areas of catastrophe. When it comes to climate change and there is a catastrophe in a country, they can locate and support civil defence personnel and set up radio communications within 20 minutes.