I welcome Councillor Barry Sweeny to the Gallery. I join others in welcoming the centenary of the establishment of the Irish Free State. We are here today on the backs of great leaders. It was not the State envisaged by the leaders of the 1916 Rising but on 6 December 1922, Ireland became a free state, independent of Britain.

That is true of a part of Ireland. It is true of some of Ireland but not all of Ireland.

Senator Buttimer, without interruption .

I had the privilege of visiting Goldenbridge Cemetery this morning and quietly paying tribute to W.T. Cosgrave to thank him and those who led our country. The testimony to their vision and leadership is that for 100 years, despite turbulent and contentious times - and Senator Ó Donnghaile is correct that we have a way to go yet - we have had democracy, the right to vote and the right to self-determination. Those things are precious to us on this island.

We should salute those men and women today. As Senator Conway rightly said, it is important we remember that democracy held. I want to remember in the House today Ernest Blythe, Desmond FitzGerald, Joseph McGrath, James J. Walsh, Kevin O'Higgins and W.T. Cosgrave and to thank them for what they did for our country.

I ask for a debate on our aviation policy. Today, Government announced its regional airport fund of €21 million, of which Cork Airport is to get €10.4 million. The fund is very important to the running of all of our regional airports. I hope we can have the Minister for Transport come to the House as a matter of urgency.

Today is an important day and we, as a House, should acknowledge and remember those who led.

I welcome Councillor Barry Sweeny from Ballyshannon, which is a great part of the country. I join my colleagues in celebrating the democracy that started from very small beginnings to become the democracy we have today. We have had enough of your past now give us our future. Those were very keen words when spoken but there is still much more to achieve.

I will also speak to the funding the Minister of State, Deputy Naughton, has announced, which totals more than €21 million. Along with my colleagues here from the west and the councillor in the Gallery, I know how crucial it is to have supports for our regional airports. We are seeing in excess of €21 million being allocated throughout the country. Ireland West Airport Knock, a hub for Galway, Mayo and Roscommon, is to receive €1.78 million. There is to be €6.83 million for the regional airport at Shannon and more than €600,000 for Donegal in addition to funding for the airports in Cork and Kerry. These airports are crucial because they support investment in the west. It is about jobs and bringing more people to live and work in our region. Those airports are lifelines for many communities, for towns and villages and for families, including families who are returning home this Christmas, perhaps for the first time in two or three years. They will be travelling into our great airports at Knock, Shannon and Donegal. We need further support for those airports. I look forward to further discussion and hope the Minister of State, Deputy Naughton, may be able to come to speak before the House on these types of investments.

On 25 November, groups from across Ireland came together to honour the forgotten fallen of the National Army Civil War dead. Representatives of the deceased families, veterans, members of the public, public representatives and expert historical groups came together to honour the memory of those who gave their lives for the foundation of the modern Irish State. As of yet, these 1,000-plus men are not commemorated in any formal Irish State commemorative ceremony. Their stories have been forgotten and their service is unaccounted for at national level. The group came together to remember them and it is my hope the National Army will be remembered every November from now on. They were the men who saved our democracy at the time. I know the Civil War was bitter and that what happened on both sides was terrible. That is the nature of civil war. However, we cannot remember one side and forget the other. It is as simple as that.

On a second issue, the Leader and everybody in this House will be aware of the pressure county councillors come under when something happens in their local area. Right now, the Department is moving into various areas to take over hotels for either asylum seekers or Ukrainian refugees. We and they fully understand this has to happen, but a number of councillors have contacted me in recent weeks to express real concern about the way things are done. They are not consulted before any decision is made. The first they hear of a decision is when a bus arrives in the area carrying refugees or asylum seekers; there is a difference between the two. I am aware of one hotel in Dublin that, up until a few days ago, was taking bookings for family gatherings. A leisure centre had been negotiated and all sorts of events were planned for this hotel but, all of a sudden, people were told the hotel was no longer available because it had been taken over for asylum seekers. Surely the least we could do is to prepare those on the ground, whom we represent, for what is about to happen in their communities. The one question I was asked is whether there is a need for planning permission for change of use for these hotels. Will the Leader look into that for us?