On behalf of the Rural Independent Group, I concur with the Ceann Comhairle in thanking all of the staff, from the Secretary General down to the ushers, the gardaí, and everybody in the canteen and catering for looking after us and for being so kind to us during this term and this year.

The old song is "It's a Long Way to Tipperary". Tipperary town needs a bypass and it cannot wait forever and languish. It needs a relief road because the town is choked with lorries, cars and vehicles, fumes and pollution, and God knows. With the March4Tipp, the chamber of commerce, Councillor Annemarie Ryan and everyone else are doing their best. The March4Tipp has disbanded. It did a great job and I salute those involved, but we need a positive outcome by getting funding to build this on the route of the N24. They built that in Cashel 25 years ago. Why can it not be done for Tipperary town? Ministers have visited the town, such as the Minister, Deputy McGrath, and others, and the Tánaiste himself has visited it several times. It has to happen and it cannot languish because the town cannot expand. The town is on the route, the main artery, from Waterford to Galway and the west, and it has to be developed. I ask the Tánaiste to please try to get something done for this town.

I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. I know that Deputy Cahill and all of the Deputies in Tipperary have raised this issue. I know that the Minister, Deputy Ryan, is also conscious of it and he seems to be more disposed to bypasses of towns like Tipperary town. That is certainly one I am keeping an eye on and I will continue to engage with the Deputies in respect of this particular issue.