The Order of Business is No. 1, statements on fuel supports to the agricultural sector, to be taken at 5.15 p.m. and to conclude at 6.45 p.m., if not previously concluded, with the time allocated to the opening remarks of the Minister not to exceed ten minutes, group spokespersons not to exceed eight minutes, all other Senators not to exceed five minutes, and the Minister to be given no less than ten minutes to reply to the debate; and No. 2, Microenterprise Loan Fund (Amendment) Bill 2024 - Committee Stage, to be taken at 6.45 p.m.

We were all very excited last week when we saw the release and celebration of the 1926 census on its 100th anniversary. By yesterday, there were 20 million hits. Everybody was having great fun and learning an awful lot about those who went before us. It gives us a small window into the country we had and all those who lived there. It is wonderful the exhibition is travelling around the country. Ten centres have been chosen. I am happy Naas Library and Cultural Centre is one of them. It is an excellent service for the local communities in those areas. It shows what living in a newly independent Ireland was like 100 years ago.

One of the most interesting facts that came out was that Kildare, the county I am proud to be from and live in, has seen a population increase of 327% since 1926, from 58,000 people to nearly 248,000. That is by far the biggest growth in any county. I thank Councillor Suzanne Doyle for putting some of these figures together. Bearing that increase in population in mind, it is a fact that 100 years later, Kildare County Council receives lower national funding per capita than any other county. We receive approximately €715 per person annually. To put that in the context of a large county and a small one, Dublin City Council receives €1,900 and Leitrim receives €1,256. We also have a high number of large towns. We are the fourth most populated county, after Dublin, Galway and Cork, and they have cities for a lot of investment. We need autonomous and equitable funding. We need resources based on the metric of need and sustainable growth, which allows for strategic planning and development. We need to have the Minister in to speak about what we have learned from 100 years ago and how we need to move forward.

I raise the growing issue of nitrous oxide misuse. That is commonly referred to as laughing gas or fast gas. Across towns and communities, we are increasingly seeing the impact of this problem, with discarded canisters littering everywhere. It is not just an environmental problem. It is a clear indicator of wider use and that is a concern.

It is not classified as a controlled drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act. It can cause serious health problems. We need to have a debate about this for two reasons. We need to be concerned about the safety of our young people but we also need a very clear policy about how these canisters can be disposed of because the local authorities cannot do anything. There is not a policy. We need a national policy on it.

On my way to Dublin this morning, I was listening to RTÉ Radio 1. Darren Freehill aired a piece on the Roscommon Community Sports Park group. It was highlighted on the radio that Roscommon is one of only three counties - the other two being Leitrim and Longford - that do not currently have an athletics track. Darren made a recording from a sand track or a sandpit, which I am familiar with because we used to play soccer there 30 years ago. We used to have blitzes there on Tuesdays and Thursdays during the summer. After all the investment and all the progress that has happened down through the years, we are still expecting athletes to train on this sandpit without having proper facilities in Roscommon.

I acknowledge Roscommon Community Sports Park and the wonderful young people from Roscommon Athletics Club who were interviewed and spoke of how it was inhibiting them from reaching their full potential in athletics. It is a privilege and advantage all the other counties that have these facilities have over them. The fact is they are able to run, sprint and to do hurdles but they are not able to do jumps or throw practice in this facility. Sports capital funding has benefited them down there but they are currently on a €1.5 million fundraising drive to support the new facility's development in Lisnamult.

Over the last three years, I have had the privilege of participating in the Roscommon community challenge. It is a night-time run the group runs every year to support that facility but also to support the Special Olympics. The facility is very inclusive and ticks every box we are looking for community groups to tick in order to access funding at the moment. The facility in Lisnamult is one of the few facilities around the country that has an accessible toilet with a hoist in there, should people visit. It is something I encourage any member of this House to go down and visit at some stage to see how inclusive it is and how it has made a place for itself within the community.

I look at other parts of the country and I wonder why would people try to pit one element of society against the other - urban against rural and those who have against those who have not. We are all constantly coming into this Chamber on a daily basis, fighting for our corner and fighting to have the same services delivered in rural areas that are delivered in urban areas. I do not think it is helpful for former Members of any of the Houses in Leinster House to make off-the-cuff comments about one element of society supporting others when we all know that is not the case. It is our job to fight for better services, better supports and better utilities like this for the people in our areas. We will continue to do that.