Micheál Carrigy (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank Mr. Martin Groves, Clerk of the Seanad, and congratulate the Chair on his elevation.

I echo the comments made. I thank Mr. Groves, Ms Doody and all the staff, including the ushers, throughout Leinster House, whose courtesy over the past four years has made it an honour to be a Member of the Oireachtas. We now go to the doorsteps seeking to keep our roles. My aim is to be a Member of the next Oireachtas. I look forward to continuing the advocacy work I have done over the past four and a half years for the betterment of the lives of the people in my community and my constituency, Longford–Westmeath, and others throughout the country, particularly those in the autism community, for whom I have advocated tirelessly over the past four and a half years. Much work has been done by the Government and many changes have been made, but many more need to be made. In this regard, I am looking forward to advocating on behalf of those I represent.

Let me refer to a couple of issues that are pertinent at this time. I have always been an advocate of the M4. We have managed to get it back into capital plans. We struggled to get funding for it and then got it. The project is now at a stage where there is funding to identify a preferred route in the coming months. I want to make sure the capital funding will be in place in 2025 and 2026 to ensure the project proceeds. The midlands and north west are entitled to the same benefits or economic good fortune as elsewhere in order to ensure connectivity to our capital city.

In recent weeks in my constituency, we were notified that up to 1,000 international protection applicants were to be housed in Athlone, a town with a population of 23,000.We were notified at 3 p.m. on a Monday, while we were all in our constituencies, about a meeting the following morning here in Dublin. That is not the way to do business. We need to engage and consult the public representatives and people and community on the ground. As a town, Athlone is struggling with traffic, facilities, including sporting facilities, and with people looking to get on doctors' lists. We need to look at this again and I ask the Minister, Deputy O'Gorman to do so. I know there is a need for international protection sites. We have to look after those people who come to our country but we also need to make sure the facilities are in place in the areas we choose. That is important so I ask there be further and proper engagement with the community, organisations and public representatives in the area to make sure the proper facilities are in place. The reality is, as it stands, those areas are struggling with the lack of facilities.