Micheál Carrigy (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

There are 500 access points on that section. It is as much a safety concern as the N5 because it has as high a number of fatalities.Funding for that project should continue to be in place to get it to planning permission stage and get it constructed. There were comments in the media yesterday saying the N5 is essential for the north and the north west. The section from Mullingar to Roosky is just as important for the north and the north west and for us in the midlands, so it is not acceptable for the project to be held up.

Following on from something Senator Black mentioned, I met a significant number of early childhood care and education, ECCE, proprietors yesterday. The Government is putting funding in place but from what I heard at a presentation yesterday evening in the audiovisual room, the funding is not filtering down to where it needs to be in the case of a lot of the smaller providers. Senator Chambers mentioned a meeting yesterday with the Minister, Deputy O'Gorman. The Minister needs to come before the House and explain to us where the funding is going. Significant funding of €400 million is being put into childcare. Why, therefore, are people on the streets outside Leinster House and why are further small providers prepared to close? It is not acceptable and it needs to be addressed.

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