We were all shocked right across the country at the level of road deaths over the weekend, particularly the accident in Waterford that took the lives of Brian Frisby and Grace Elliott in such a shocking and immediate way. Brian and Grace lived in Naas with their sons Theo and Fionn. Grace was an SNA at Scoil Na Naomh Uilig in Newbridge and I was speaking to some members of the school community there this morning. They are obviously in complete shock and sadness so our very deepest sympathies go to Theo, Fionn and the very many friends, communities and work colleagues Brian and Grace had. Ar dheis Dé go raibh a n-anamacha.

Friday will be denim day for dementia and Cian Prendergast, Irish rugby player and former Newbridge College student, the same as Sam and Hugh, is the ambassador for the Alzheimer Society of Ireland. It is great to try to promote awareness of the excellent work the Alzheimer Society of Ireland does but also to make us all aware of people living with dementia, and their families, and the supports they need within the communities within which they live. On Thursday evening in the Keadeen Hotel at 7 p.m. I will be having a public meeting to help to make Newbridge a dementia-friendly town.

This is something that has been done in a number of towns across the country but this is the first such meeting in Kildare. There are many challenges with a diagnosis of dementia but we can all work together within the community, from sporting clubs to businesses to neighbours to friends, to help make life a little bit easier. I encourage anybody who can to come to that meeting or to contact me if they cannot and we will do it at another stage.

Friday is also the Ireland Reads “Get lost in a good book” day, with excellent Irish authors. We should do that.

Finally, I want to refer to an email I received from Deaglán De Paor, former chairperson of Newbridge Tidy Towns. He is an incredible volunteer with it. He wrote on an issue that I had raised before but we had not had any feedback, namely, the metal nitrous oxide canisters that are discarded around all our parks, footpaths, roads, etc. There is no way of disposing of these. There is for those who have to use them for professional purposes but if anyone contacts their local authority or the Environmental Protection Agency, EPA, they are told there is no way to get rid of them in a sustainable way. We need to have that addressed. It is important that we have a debate with the Minister for the environment in relation to solving this.