Aisling Dolan (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

As a Taoiseach's nominee, it is an honour to be a representative from the west for the Roscommon-Galway region and a voice in the Seanad over the past three years. His recognition of the importance of balanced regional development is also reflected in the investment in the national broadband plan. It connects every home, farm and business and will drive jobs in the west with remote working and digitalisation to deliver e-health. It builds equality in terms of access to education and jobs. This week alone, the Cabinet made a decision on an investment in the west of more than €460 million to deliver road safety and save lives in County Roscommon. As Seanad spokesperson on education, research and innovation, thanks to this Government, technological universities are making qualifications accessible to people living in towns and cities, such as the Atlantic Technological University in the west and the Technological University of the Shannon, TUS, in Athlone and Limerick. We have the highest level of graduates with third-level qualifications in the EU. We have apprenticeship programmes, more than 19,000 special needs assistants, one quarter of all schools avail of DEIS supports, there are hot school meals and, now, free school books for primary schools. We need excellence through investment in research, innovation and science and to support our new Research Ireland agency, which is driving advancements in society, healthcare and our economic success. Our country has the highest population it has ever had, 5.2 million, and the highest life expectancy. This Government has a plan to build school buildings, hospital beds and emergency departments. We have to deliver this in the next year to two years.