Rose Conway-Walsh
Mayo · Sinn Féin · Ireland
“The very open nature of the Irish economy and over-reliance on FDI and a small number of large US firms exposes an economic vulnerability that covers an underlying deficit of €13 billion. With an all-island approach, we can tackle that properly.”
“An all-island development agency is critical to this prosperity. Competing for investment from multinational companies, based on five interlinked pillars of growth, transformational regions, sustainability and impact as promoted by the IDA is necessary to compete on a global stage.”
“I would need much longer than three minutes to discuss the fiscal implications of a united Ireland, such is the depth and breadth of the work already done. I commend all of those who have done it. Leaving all politics aside, the economic benefits of reunification present unprecedented opportunities for sustainable growth.”
“This morning, workers at Aer Lingus woke up to the devastating news that up to 500 jobs will be cut at the airline, impacting both staff at head office and flight crews. By all measures, Aer Lingus is a profitable company, reporting operating profits of €282 million in 2025. Its parent company, IAG, has operating profits of €5 billion.”
“We need to encourage student mobility across the island. I ask the shared island unit to intervene to provide funding for students from here going to Queen's University and Ulster University. Regarding the data, the NI Executive should work with the ONS, HMRC and the NISRA to improve the data on tax receipts in the North.”
“Will the Government meet representatives of the unions, the Irish Air Line Pilots Association, IALPA, Fórsa and other unions, to ensure that impacted workers receive full and fair redundancy packages and that we have full transparency, while also committing to wider statutory redundancy reforms?”
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“As the Taoiseach's Government has said that it will prioritise disability, will he examine how the wage subsidy scheme can be expanded to include disabled entrepreneurs?”
“Budget 2026 unforgivably made some people in receipt of disability payments up to €1,400 worse off. People with disabilities want to contribute to society and want jobs in their communities. They have the same ambitions in life as everybody else. Ireland has one of the lowest disability employment rates in the EU, at between 32% and 33%. That is nearly 20 percentage points below the EU average. The wage subsidy scheme, which financially supports employers who employ people with disabilities, has facilitated the participation of many disabled people in the workforce. However, disabled entrepreneurs are excluded. Therefore, employers are financially supported to hire disabled people but disabled people are not supported to employ themselves.”
“The recent case and indeed the resilience and courage of former Garda Margaret Loftus exposed the systematic and institutionalised failures in addressing domestic, sexual and gender-based violence in Ireland, particularly when the alleged perpetrators are members of An Garda Síochána. Reliance on self-disclosure leaves systematic blind spots, allowing potential perpetrators to maintain investigative authority over other victims. Without statutory oversight, independent monitoring and systemic reform, Garda structures can shield perpetrators and undermine public confidence. I welcome the recent setting up of the dedicated domestic violence unit, but does the Taoiseach agree that the mandatory reporting of barring and protection orders is now necessary?”
“He asked how he can charge them a callout fee when they barely have the €30 for the drum of oil to keep the house heated. That is the reality for too many people in rural Ireland. We absolutely feel it. There are over 700,000 people who are reliant on home heating oil. They feel completely left behind because they cannot heat their homes. That is why I support this motion. Regarding the energy credit, how the Government managed to spend €9.4 billion in the last budget and still leave so many people behind, and leave people with disabilities €1,400 a month worse off, is mind-boggling. Then, the Government hits them again. Energy credits have to be given to people, not least the 320,000 people who are already in arrears with their electricity bills. The Minister needs to listen, and he also needs to listen to the home helps.”
“I thank the Social Democrats for bringing forward the motion and allowing us the opportunity to speak about the people who have been left behind. The Minister is still not listening. He is certainly not listening to the people in rural Ireland. I will tell him about the plumber I met at the protest on Monday morning in Ballina. These are the same protests that the Government is trying to condemn, and write to Coimisiún na Meán about to tell it to reel them in and to cover this differently, and all of that, in order to control the media in relation to the protesters. That plumber told me that he has been called out time and again each day, when oil tanks in houses are airlocked. The reason they are airlocked is that people have to buy drums of oil for €30, put that in to last a day or two, and then go back and get another drum.”
“The crazy thing about it is that businesses in Newport have to pay for the sewerage going into the bay. It is just wrong and cannot continue. I hope that in some way this Bill will serve to address that. The strategic development zone, SDZ, around Knock Airport has to be done as well and it must be speeded up. We cannot wait any longer.”
“We are not looking for highways, just roads that are fit to drive on. I raised the issue of maintenance and repairs for piers with the Taoiseach. The tragic death of Joachim McNulty, who drowned when his car slipped on algae on Belderrig pier, would have been avoided if the proper maintenance and safety features were done on the pier. That is critical infrastructure. If we take, for example, Mayo University Hospital and Belmullet hospital, every time there is an election there is announcement, and then another, while people wait for projects that are never delivered and are critical to communities. The Minister is familiar with the Newport sewerage scheme. We are now told we will have to wait until 2030 for that. For heaven's sake, these are vital pieces of infrastructure that need to be done for the people of Newport.”
“Rural Ireland cannot reach its full potential if its infrastructure continues to lag behind. Households wait for years on end to get funding for roads under the local improvement scheme, LIS. We are talking about critical infrastructure. For people who need to access their homes, it is critical that they have a road to drive on. They pay property tax and other taxes, yet they are denied basic access. I was in Belderrig in north Mayo a couple of weeks ago and one of the roads I drove on was covered in huge potholes. I was embarrassed, but if I had been in government all these years, I would be absolutely ashamed. No one takes responsibility. People have to wait and wait for repairs which never come. The list of LIS roads gets longer and longer. Where is the accountability and funding?”
“A friend of mine was travelling on the R312 a couple of weeks ago when the Fitbit device on her wrist hand went off to indicate she was working out. This is the absolute truth. Anyone who has travelled to the R312 will know exactly what is meant by that. The road from Belmullet to Castlebar, the R312, is absolutely horrendous and we have asked for years, if not decades, to have it strategically designated. There is no point in having a Wild Atlantic Way and all kinds of advertisements if we do not have the basic infrastructure. The R312 is the main road connecting Castlebar hospital with Erris. We talked here a number of weeks ago about Stephen Lavelle from Belmullet who lost his life while waiting for an ambulance. The R312 was the last road he travelled. It is just crazy.”
“I hope the Critical Infrastructure Bill will not represent yet another failure for rural Ireland, which for too long has been left behind with regard to investment in infrastructure. Nowhere is that more evident then in the state of our regional and local roads, which are in urgent need of investment, and also our wastewater treatment plants and water infrastructure. In Mayo, our roads are lifelines for our communities. However, years of underinvestment have left many of these roads in poor condition, placing a daily burden on residents and undermining economic development. Many times in this House, I have asked for the R312 connecting the Erris region and Castlebar to be designated a strategic regional road so that it receives the necessary funding to be upgraded and improved for the many people who rely on it daily.”
“People with disabilities were left high and dry in the last budget; they were left €1,400 worse off. Sinn Féin has been calling for a cost-of-disability payment to help the most vulnerable in society through the prolonged cost-of-living crisis. Now these people are faced with soaring fuel costs and no support from Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael. These carers cannot afford the fuel to put in their cars to go and see the patients who rely so deeply on them.”
“They were participating in peaceful protests, having been forced into taking drastic action to save their businesses. They did not want to be there. They do not want to be on these protests. What were they supposed to do to get the attention of the Government and have their pleas heard? They are deeply disappointed about people who are supposed to be independent voices in here who continue to prop up this Government. The groups the Government decided were worthy enough of a meeting last week are not the only people who suffered during the fuel crisis. People providing meals on wheels, community workers and the carers I spoke about covered huge geographical areas in Mayo. One of the workers told me that it felt as though community health workers had been largely overlooked and abandoned by this Government.”
“Over a month ago, Sinn Féin proposed the complete removal of carbon tax and excise duty on home heating oil. Instead, the Government reduced the National Oil Reserves Agency, NORA, levy by 2 cent per litre. That is even before we consider the hardship of people with defective concrete blocks who are watching their homes crumbling and looking at the cracks in the wall with the wind coming through them. I went to the fuel protests in Mayo and did not see any Government TDs there. Instead, the Minister for justice threatened to send the Defence Forces against our own people. These were ordinary, decent, working people and their families - farmers, hauliers, bus drivers, contractors, people with disabilities, carers, and home help workers.”
“I am conscious of how deeply disappointed many people across this country are that this do-nothing Government is still in place. These are people struggling to get by. They are people who cannot afford to heat their homes, families, people with disabilities, children pushed into poverty, people who cannot afford to put fuel in their cars, the carers, the home help and other workers and small businesses struggling to survive. I assure them that Sinn Féin has their backs and will continue to fight on their behalf. The message I want to send to them this evening is not to lose hope. I come from a rural constituency. I know all too well that homes there are reliant on home heating oil. Once again, the Government has abandoned these people with its half measures. There are 750,000 of these households across the country.”
“The Government could have adopted Sinn Féin's legislation to completely remove excise on home heating oil, which would have provided meaningful and immediate relief. Let us be honest about the Government's measure to extend the fuel allowance for four weeks. It cannot even be dignified by being described as a half measure. It is completely tokenistic. It is too little and it is too late. People need decisive action now. They need somebody to have their back and I am telling them here today that Sinn Féin and I will certainly have the back of the people in Mayo because they deserve it.”
“There are many households across this country tonight who are self-rationing - doing without heat or hot water because they cannot afford it. It is no surprise once again that it is rural households like my own in Mayo that are being left behind. What does the Government think it is like for the people living in the houses affected by defective concrete blocks when they see the houses crumbling around them? There are cracks in the wall and they are trying to heat them. The Minister was the previous housing Minister and now he is the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment. Can he imagine how cold it is? I got calls from Mayo this morning to say how freezing cold it was.”
“Two cent per litre is €20 for a 1,000 litre fill when people are afraid to turn on their heating - this Government will be remembered as the Government of fuel poverty and energy poverty. It is pushing people into energy poverty. To add fuel to the fire, it is incredible that the Government still plans to proceed with the next carbon tax hike in May. At a time when people are already stretched to breaking point, this decision defies all logic. This measure is an insult to the people of Mayo who make up some of the 750,000 households that are reliant on home heating oil to keep warm or to have some hot water. We talk about rationing and the possibility of rationing into the future if we have shortages of oil but I can tell the Minister one thing.”
“The recent drowning of Joachim McNulty from Belderrig in County Mayo when his vehicle slipped off a pier is a stark reminder of the urgent need to prioritise pier maintenance around the country. This happened on the anniversary of a similar drowning off a pier in County Donegal. I extend my thoughts and sympathies to Joachim's family. Along with Darren Forde, they are now starting a campaign for the maintenance and proper improvement of piers because dangerous moss-covered pathways and piers and inadequate protections pose real and preventable dangers to the public. They need Government support. Will the Taoiseach commit to funding local authorities properly to carry out this work, to launching a nationwide pier maintenance programme and to introducing a public awareness campaign on the risks of slipways and piers?”
“I think the way we can do that is by having an all-island approach. Wonderful work is done with the all-island cancer research group. We should use that model to spread that across the island in order that there is joined-up treatment of cancer care here. In the motion we refer to car parking charges. Trying to get a car parking space outside Galway University Hospital is absolutely horrendous. I remember the day my mother died and driving around the hospital looking for a car park space.”
“When I say there is no bed, obviously I mean there is no bed that is fully staffed there for the clinicians who are there to give the treatment. What a waste of money. They stand there waiting for the patients but there are no beds to put them in in order that they can treat them and that they can recover. That absolutely has to be addressed. This is not a problem from today or yesterday; it has been a problem particularly since we have had the centres of excellence. The centres of excellence are a good idea but not if you cannot access them. This has to be made accessible for people. We cannot continue to operate on a postcode lottery whereby if you live in Mayo, you have less of a chance of surviving cancer than you would anywhere else. We have to stop that. We have to bring equity into the system.”
“I thank my colleague David Cullinane for bringing forward this motion. As the last speaker, Pa Daly, said, medical cards for cancer patients are a real issue, as is the affordability of access to care. I ask the Minister of State to bring that back to the Minister to ensure that something is done about it. I commend all the staff working in oncology. They work really hard. In Mayo cancer patients are served by Galway and Mayo university hospitals. The biggest problem we have in Mayo is the delays in diagnosis. If you can afford to get the scans and everything else, you get the treatment more quickly. What kind of a country are we when your life depends on how much money you have? That absolutely should not be the case. Then you have the diagnosis and people undergo treatment and there is no bed there.”
“Will the Taoiseach commit to expanding democratic oversight of our national security within the Oireachtas in order to strengthen public confidence and trust in this area? I also want to ask about the investigation into the drone incident during President Zelenskyy’s visit. When will it be completed and reported on?”
“The effectiveness of our national security framework depends not only on the capabilities of our security services but also on maintaining the trust and confidence of the public. That trust must be grounded in transparency, accountability and proper democratic oversight. At present, the mechanisms available to this House to scrutinise national security policy remain limited in scope and visibility. Strengthening the oversight role of the Oireachtas while at the same time fully respecting the need to protect sensitive and operational information would bring Ireland more closely in line with international best practices. This issue takes an added importance as we prepare to take over the EU Presidency in July. Our EU partners are looking to us for reassurances that their officials will be safe while visiting Ireland.”
“However, Ukrainians in Ireland have told me they are now forced to travel to Poland, Spain or Italy at significant financial cost. Does the Taoiseach know about this? Will he ensure it is rectified?”
“My question is also about Ukrainians living here and what we need to do. It has been brought to my attention that many Ukrainians who are living here are having major difficulties in renewing their Ukrainian passports. Those who fled the Russian invasion and sought refuge here now find themselves unable to renew their passports in Ireland. The Taoiseach will know that, when Ukrainian children reach the age of 14, they have to get a passport of their own. Otherwise, they are fined. The current online process repeatedly times out and kicks them out of the system. Other countries, such as Spain, Italy and Poland, have put in place an in-person appointment-based DP document service to allow Ukrainians to renew their passports efficiently and without unnecessary stress.”
“For small businesses that will make the difference to enable them to stay open and it will make the difference to allow people to live and survive in their own homes. The Tánaiste has to do something about it. This motion gives every TD in here a clear choice: to stand with workers, families and small businesses who are struggling to cope or to allow the energy rip-off to continue. We need to give real relief to the people and businesses who simply cannot afford to wait any longer.”
“She, like others, has been hit with the largest hike in the price of home heating oil in the EU, at almost eight times the EU average. At the same time, the Government charges almost double the EU minimum fuel tax rates, taking up to 65% of the price at the pump. Coming down the tracks on 1 May, the planned carbon tax will bring increases as well. Not only is the Government planning to leave things the same, it is planning to increase them. It makes no sense to this woman and to so many other women who are suffering. That is why tonight's motion is so important. Sinn Féin's legislation would cut the cost of petrol and diesel by 25% per litre and cut €183 off a standard 1,000 litre fill of home heating oil.”
“I want to begin by reading an email I received from a constituent who is freezing in her own home because she ran out of heating oil. She says: I have recently run out of oil due to the massive price hike, which is reported to be up to 60% in some areas. I simply can't afford to refill the tank. As a result, I'm left freezing in my own home, which is not a situation anyone should face in 2026. This is becoming completely unmanageable, and it's wrong. The Government are punishing and crippling the average worker. This requires more than finger wagging and a slap on the wrist. This is not about comfort, it is about basic living conditions and health. No one should be forced to choose between heating their home and meeting other essential expenses.”
“I want to acknowledge the cross-party work that was done by the Good Friday Agreement committee around women and constitutional change. We have a unique opportunity here to shape a new and united Ireland, and women have to be at the very heart of that.”
“The place of women is not on the margins of our society but it is at the very heart of decision-making, leadership and nation-building. Last year I was pleased to collaborate with Dr. Shelley Deane, Professor Joanne McEvoy and Professor Jennifer Todd on their project, Constitutional Visions from the Grass-roots: Towards a Deliberative Ecology Beyond Group Division. Their deliberative democracy work with women from across the island has shown the power of women's voices in shaping not just policy but the very future of our island. They remind us that a new and united Ireland must be built from the ground up, informed by lived experience and driven by equality and equity. Today, women are shaping that new Ireland as leaders, workers, carers and activists.”
“Just this morning we had the welcome news that a new unit will be set up within Fiosrú, the Office of the Police Ombudsman, to investigate domestic and sexual abuse complaints against members of An Garda Síochána and, most importantly, to investigate public complaints where it is alleged that An Garda Síochána failed to properly investigate incidents of gender-based violence and sexual abuse. However, it should not have taken the courage and bravery of women like Margaret Loftus to come forward for this progress to be made. I await the detail of that announcement to ensure it is fit for purpose for the women who have suffered abuse and who have been dragged through a justice system that has fought against them and who have, in many cases, suffered abuse at the hands of our justice system.”
“Deputy Farrell is on her way. While marking International Women's Day we need to reflect not only on the achievements of women across Ireland but also on a difficult and painful history that cannot be ignored. For generations women in Ireland were marginalised, silenced and controlled, from institutional abuses to systematic exclusion from public life. I want to acknowledge the recent developments with Philomena's law, particularly for Irish women living abroad. We should never have dealt with them the way we did in terms of ignoring them. That is leaving aside all the other alterations and amendments that need to be done in that regard. This legacy still casts a long shadow and it is our responsibility to confront it with honestly and determination.”
“They have repeatedly raised concerns about the speed of the progression of his curve and the impact it is having on his health and well-being. They asked to access surgeons and hospitals outside of the State with extensive experience in treating severe and complex scoliosis cases. I ask the Minister to please help us to save Mikey's life. This has been going on for far too long. I first brought this case to the attention of the Dáil in September 2024 .”
“Let me once again outline Mikey's journey and the progression of his condition to illustrate the human consequences of a system that fails to respond with urgency. Mikey is a wheelchair user with a neurological condition. In 2023, he was diagnosed with severe scoliosis. It was made clear to his parents what could happen to his vital organs if his scoliosis was not treated, yet Mikey was left to deteriorate. He was told he needed surgery. His spine and lungs were not monitored for another eight months. His spinal curvature progressed significantly and, as I said, is now 130°. His lungs are severely compromised and he requires a machine to breathe at night. The need for specialist surgical intervention has long passed. His parents watch their child live with constant discomfort and physical distress.”
“I ask her to please clear the pathway for Mikey to have that international assessment. I am not asking for a clinical decision. I am begging for an assessment to save his life. In September 2024, I first raised the case of Mikey Henry-Benson, who was under the care of CHI to treat his scoliosis. On that occasion and on many occasions since, I asked for a full independent assessment of his case after the family were let down time and again by CHI. How was his spinal curve allowed to go from 82° to now 130° without intervention and in full view of CHI and the HSE, and, indeed, Ministers for Health? Families like Mikey's are constantly given assurances that are not translated into action.”
“I received a message this morning from the parents of Mikey Henry-Benson from Mayo, who has scoliosis. The Minister met and knows the family. The parents stated that CHI has ruined their lives, shattered Mikey's sisters' lives and destroyed Mikey's chance at life. They stated that the HSE has put another nail in it. They stated that they asked the HSE for an independent assessment for Mikey but he most certainly did not get that. The HSE said it was going to go with what CHI said. The message went on to ask why the State is not helping the family to get Mikey to a hospital where surgeons deal with cases such as his on a daily basis. They asked if he is not worth the bother. I heard the Minister's statement earlier. She spoke about improved access to international options for assessment.”
“In regard to investment in career guidance, it needs to start at a much earlier age - I would even say in national school, with regard to people's subject choices when they go into secondary school and taking it on from there. We do not have enough career guidance within the schools to ensure that young people can avail of the opportunities that match their interests and skills.”
“My view of the world is different from that of the Minister of State. When you look at our own county, you see that Youthreach is a really good programme in regard to addressing disadvantage and social exclusion. We have waiting lists to get onto those programmes in Ballina and Kiltimagh. We do not have either the physical space to be able to do the training with them or the personnel. I ask the Minister of State to look at that in particular. We cannot leave so many young people behind. There are real social and economic consequences to leaving so many people behind and with adjustments, things could be done. There needs to be a joining up of further and higher education and the workforce as well, which I do not believe is happening to the extent that it needs to be happening.”
“I take on board what the Minister of State is saying around the lack of experience and all that but again, I think there is something worrying happening here in youth unemployment. These people are not in any form of education or training and we need to put initiatives in place.”
“The Minister of State rightly says that this is not unique to Ireland but I do not think that is a reason for saying that everything is okay. If you look at the EU average, yes, it is 15%. In Britain it is 15.3%. However, there are actions that need to be taken here. For unemployment in general, we have nearly three times that rate for youth unemployment. Young people who complete their education are struggling to find well-paid work. They deserve to have career prospects after completing their studies or training and having invested in obtaining a qualification. Some 44,600 people aged 15 to 24 years are currently unemployed in this country. When we say unemployed, obviously that is not people in education but it is people who are available for and willing to work.”
“We wanted a PRSI rebate in the budget to help businesses with their costs, including additional labour costs. We need good, quality jobs. We do not need a race to the bottom but we will have that discussion on another day. I wish to ask the Minister if he is concerned about the levels of youth employment. What initiatives is he putting in place to tackle it? I am deeply concerned with the consistently high level of youth unemployment here. The latest figures for January show that it stands at 12%; it wavers between 12% and 14%.”
“The programme for Government recognised the need for a comprehensive review of SME cost structures. Businesses are now urgently waiting for that to make a real difference in their businesses and in keeping their doors open.”
“The question that must be asked is this: what is happening here at home? When we look globally, the Minister has named all of the initiatives he is doing but why are Irish business leaders growing even more pessimistic about the future? Confidence in projected revenue growth dropped dramatically at the end of last year, from 79% to 59% in just three months. When businesses were asked about increasing head count in 2026, the figure dropped from 59% to 46%. These figures are not abstract statistics; they signal the slowing of growth, reduced hiring and growing uncertainty across local economies. We need to look at this and we need more actions. SMEs and family-owned businesses are the backbone of our economy. They sustain communities, provide employment in rural and urban Ireland and drive innovation and local enterprise.”
“In contrast, 74% of SMEs globally remain optimistic about the year ahead with only a slight year-on-year decline, so there is something we need to focus on here.”
“Go raibh maith agat, Minister, for that update. The important thing is that it makes a difference on the ground and makes a difference to businesses because the situation facing SMEs with regard to costs is increasingly more unsustainable. We saw 848 insolvencies last year. I fear for what the number will be in 2026. At the end of 2025, 80% of businesses from across all sectors that participated in the SME business sentiment survey by Chartered Accountants Ireland and GRID Finance reported an increase in their costs, with a special mention for energy costs. It was reported yesterday that Irish business confidence has fallen to just 54%. This is the lowest level since the Covid-19 pandemic, and it is down sharply from 81% at the beginning of the year.”
“The cost of doing business in this State for small and medium-sized enterprises, SMEs; family-owned businesses; and the self-employed is running out of control. In the programme for Government, it is listed that the Government will conduct a comprehensive review to assess the cost structures for SMEs and family-owned businesses to identify areas where costs can be reduced. Will the Minister provide an update on this review? Will he tell businesses the areas he has identified where costs will be cut?”
“If high-paid jobs continue to cluster in a small number of urban centres, we will deepen the housing crisis pressures in those cities, hollow out rural communities and widen the income gap between regions so we need very targeted regional enterprise strategies and stronger incentives for high-value industries to locate in the northern and western region.”
“There is something to see here. I ask the Minister to pay attention to this because what I quoted to him in terms of the drop of 8.7% in 2024 in Mayo alone represents 5,540 fewer jobs located in the county in just one year. Yes, some people commute to neighbouring counties but when the number of jobs physically based in a county falls so sharply, it signals declining regional investment and missed opportunity. While this data does not yet include 2025, it paints a deeply worrying picture of growing regional inequality. The statistics do not lie. Balanced regional development cannot just remain a slogan.”
“The newly released 2024 data from the CSO shows stark disparities in disposable income and worrying employment trends, particularly around the northern and western region. I will set out some of the figures that are causing me concern. The average disposable income per person nationally in 2024 was €30,139 but in the northern and western region, it was €27,166. In Mayo, it was €27,343, which was almost 10% below the national average. That is not a marginal gap but a clear regional imbalance that confirms what communities already know, which is that workers in the northern and western region are more likely to be in lower-paid employment and have less money left at the end of the month. Even more alarmingly, in 2024, 58,140 people were recorded as employed in jobs physically located in Mayo, which was a drop of 8.7% on 2023.”
“What is Minister doing about the disparity in income levels across the State and what is he doing to ensure that well-paid jobs are not just centralised in the major urban areas but also spread out to the regions? I and many other rural and regional Deputies stand here week in, week out asking for fairness and balanced regional investment to attract secure and well-paid jobs to our regions. We have an over-concentration of high-paid employment in major urban centres forcing people to relocate or commute long distances just to access employment opportunities.”