Tomorrow in Ballina will be a very momentous occasion. The official opening of the sensory park in Ballina by the Minister, Dara Calleary, will be the culmination of many years of hard work. This project has been community led and grassroots led from day one. It began during Covid times, when many parents locally and activists within the community felt passionate about responding to the need for sensory spaces and making our town more inclusive and friendlier for young and old who have sensory needs. Following a number of years of work, including incredible volunteer work by volunteers from Ballina Community Clean Up and the FLOW group, the park will officially be opened. The people of Ballina and the north Mayo area have raised a huge amount of money to make it happen. It has been supported by local councillors, council staff and local businesses. It is a real success story and something I believe can be replicated in other places.

It would not have happened without the determination of a working group - I acknowledge them on the record here - of Martin Devaney, David O'Malley, Ryan Cawley and Padraig O'Hora, who will be known to many for his footballing and mountaineering exploits, along with Kevin Loftus and his team at ACT. If I mention some names, I am conscious that I will leave out so many others who have been a driving force every evening in maintaining, planting, weeding and preparing. It is a great example of a public-private partnership where the volunteers have delivered a sensory park within the town. I acknowledge the late Paddy O'Hora, a friend of us all and an incredible force for good within the Ballina community, who passed earlier this year and who was passionate about delivering this park. I also acknowledge his late daughter Linda and his nephew Jack. I thank everyone for getting the project to this stage and look forward to joining its official opening tomorrow.