Linda Nelson Murray (Fine Gael)

On behalf of my Fine Gael colleagues in the Seanad, I congratulate Pope Leo XIV. This has been a significant moment. We send him our heartfelt congratulations and we wish him well in his role. We hope he uses his voice for peace in an uncertain world. I am sure the Pope will do a lot of good for humanity and kindness. I would like to speak about volunteers who do this every day. Over the last week I have had the pleasure of meeting representatives of Navan Meals on Wheels, the Scurlogstown Haymaking Festival and the Meath Befriending Service. At the weekend the very popular Dunderry Fair took place on the same day that Meath played Louth in the Leinster final. It was a great match. I wish Louth massive congratulations. We could not have lost to a better team. Volunteers do so much work. When I meet volunteers, it never ceases to amaze me how they give up their time in an unpaid role to help people. In our political roles, we see that more than ever. I believe we need to give volunteers respect and encouragement. This morning I met members of the Meath Befriending Service who visit people who live on their own and feel isolated. They call to 45 people, which is an incredible number. Last week, I met representatives of Navan Meals on Wheels. These volunteers use their cars to deliver meals to 70 homes every day. I want to thank these volunteers and ask them to let us know if there is anything we can do to help them. I thank volunteers for all the work they do on a daily basis.