Aisling Dolan (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

It was a fantastic weekend. Gaillimh abú. It was a thrilling performance and a fantastic win for Galway. It was a little more difficult on the Donegal side of things, but I know Donegal will be back again. The players gave everything and we really cannot wait for the all-Ireland final.

There is huge demand for the regional bus network. I call for a review of Bus Éireann's No. 20 Expressway service that ran from Galway to Dublin. It was removed a couple of years ago. However, there is a great need for everyone in society, but particularly older people and students, to have a way to get to hospital and college. Commuters need it to get to work. Aircoach removed its commuter service. I have spoken here many times about the need for additional transport services for people to get to their appointments in hospital, to college or to work. We need a service on the old Dublin–Galway road to connect our towns. There is a huge demand. I ask that we have the Minister for Transport here to speak about this. Commercial providers are pulling out of the route. It is important that we have the service connecting our towns. It will connect every town between Dublin and Galway. I see myself the huge demand for a service for Athlone, which does not have a service from the bus station in Athlone to the hospital in Ballinasloe.Finally, I welcomeour new Fine Gael Senator, Nikki Bradley, an advocate for people of all abilities, representative of rural areas and a proud Donegal woman whom I know well. Along with the leader, who is from Mayo, we are increasing our representation of the west and north west today. I hope the Cathaoirleach will help us to work over the summer months to address accessibility issues in this House that I have raised previously. I have raised the issue of a ramp and the fact that there is a lift in the House that is currently not working. I brought members of an accessibility group in Roscommon, along with representatives of Roscommon LEADER Partnership, to Leinster House recently and they were challenged because services were not available that they could use. Simple things like installing ramps and fixing the lift can be done over the summer months.