Watch: Kilkenny TD pushes for ring road completion in maiden Dáil speech

Local TD Peter 'Chap' Cleere has spoken in the Dáil on the importance of delivering Kilkenny's ring road extension, and flagged a number of other areas he is hoping to highlight in his term of office.

During his maiden speech in Dáil Eireann, Deputy Cleere thanked the people of Carlow-Kilkenny for putting their faith in him to represent them, as well as his family and community.

On the Programme for Government, he highlighted the importance of making communities safe. He welcomed the funding to provide an additional 5,000 new garda recruits and staff over the next five years.

"This will benefit towns and villages right across the country - places like Piltown, Kilmacow, Slieverue, Ferrybank, Glenmore, Tullogher Rosbercon, the Rower, Inistioge, Mullinavat - all of these villages will benefit from additional garda presence, and that's to be absolutely welcomed," he said.

The Fianna Fail TD said the new rural safety strategy would help the gardaí expand their approach to tackling crime. He also welcomed the increased investment in the road network.

Deputy Cleere said multi-annual funding was important to give agencies certainty in order to plan ahead and progress projects.

"In my own constituency, we've a couple of really big priority projects in the NDP,s uch as the N24 and N25 in South Kilkenny," he said.

"But also the Kilkenny ring road northern extension: This is absolutely vital, crucial, critical to the development of Kilkenny as a city. I am adamant that this particular project needs to be completed as a matter of urgency. And, I'll be doing everything I can to get that over the line."

The Skeough-based TD highlighted the importance of supporting sporting and rural communities. He said record investment had been put into sporting groups across the country in recent years, and listed off a further litany of local placenames.

"I'm thinking of towns and villages - the likes of Callan, the likes of Thomastown, the likes of Graignamanagh, Tinnahinch, Skeoughvosteen - a place where I'm from. Castlecomer, Ballyragget, Lisdowney, Borris, Rathanna, Ballamurphy - all of these towns and villages can really benefit from this investment in our community hubs and sporting facilities," he said.

Finally, he also mentioned flood relief works and the pace at which they are being undertaken.

"We have six schemes approved in Kilkenny - in Freshford, Graignamanagh, Thomastown, Inistioge, Piltown, and indeed in Ballyhale," he said. "Whilst these schems are approved under the Capital Flood Programme up to 2030, the speed of delivery needs to be improved. I will be working hard to get these schemes approved as quickly as possible."