Margaret Murphy O'Mahony (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Tá áthas an domhain orm a bheith anseo ar an maidin álainn Mhárta seo. This is my first time leading off for Fianna Fáil on the Order of Business. As with the many other firsts I have experienced since being elected to the Upper House, I feel privileged and am delighted to be here.

I pay tribute to our county councillors throughout the country, both party members and non-party members, all 949 of them. It is a role that is often undervalued and underrated. Councillors are the front of house or the bread and butter of our political system. I was honoured to have been both a town councillor and a county councillor. Of all the political layers, councillors are probably the most in touch with the public. They are around towns, streets and villages all day, every day, meeting the people and getting a feel for what is happening and for what is needed. Under my watch I want more to be made of their role and for it to be appreciated more. Under my watch I am on a crusade to get them more appreciated. There is a lot of talk about their pensions, the need for envelopes and for secretarial staff, etc., which are all very valid but councillors need to be more valued and appreciated.

A week ago tomorrow, Heathrow Airport came to a standstill because of a fire at a substation. The airport shut down for 15 hours. About 1,000 flights were grounded and almost 300,000 passengers were disrupted. This made me wonder whether we have a plan B if that happened at one of our airports or big train stations, but especially airports. We are an island nation and, whether for pleasure or business, flights are always well planned, often saved up for and for people's plans to be disrupted is not on. I am wondering whether we, as a nation, have a plan B if something similar were to happen here.

Sunday is Mother's Day. I wish all mothers a happy Mother's Day. I am thinking of my own mother, God rest her, Teresa, who I miss and think of everyday. We have to be aware that it is not a happy day for everyone such as those who have lost their mothers through death or people who are not in touch with their mothers for many different reasons. Many women want to become mothers and it is just not working out for them. There are many mothers who are struggling through post-natal depression and struggling with life in general. It is not a happy day for everyone, and it is important that we think of those people as well while enjoying the day for many.