Micheál Carrigy (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I support the comments made by Senator Keogan. It is my home area, so I think she is right in saying we should let Ann, Patricia and all the family rest in peace.

The survey of the top ten towns in Ireland from a work-life balance perspective was mentioned earlier. I note the top two towns on the list are Castlebar and Ballina in County Mayo. Third on the list is Longford, in my home county. We get knocked in the press too often, to be quite honest. Even our own local media have been knocking our county town, in particular, for a number of years. A huge amount of work has been done by a large number of organisations in the town and county to improve it. That is what they have done. Our local authority, of which I was a member for many years, has been very proactive in seeking Government funding and supports for projects in the town to improve quality of life and the work-life balance we have in our county town. Sporting organisations have invested in facilities. We have our transport infrastructure, with trains and buses, but we need the N4. It is going to have to be a priority to ensure funding is put in place for the Mullingar to Roosky route to make sure we can access our capital. That we came third on the list shows the good work that has been done by those organisations and the local authority is paying dividends. As I said, we have a fantastic work-life balance in Longford and it is great to see it acknowledged.

I was at the Chamber door at the end of Commencement matters and, to be honest, it is a disgrace there was no reply to Senator Clonan on his Commencement matter. We are elected to represent the people and we are entitled to get answers when we ask for them from Government or the relevant Department. It is disrespectful to me, to us as Members and, ultimately, to the people that a reply was not given to what was a very important ask on the Senator's behalf, on behalf of his own son and more than 150 youngsters and, ultimately, on behalf of children throughout the country with disabilities. I hope an answer will be forthcoming. Whoever made that decision needs to be removed from their role. It is not acceptable.