Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Last week, I received an email from someone running a substantial business on an offshore island about how the Department of Rural and Community Development had committed to delivering high-speed BCPs in digital hubs and schools on the islands. The person wrote that, tús áite do connection points, digital hubs and schools, breathnaíonn sé nach bhfuil aon phráinn le monarcha nó do ghnóthaí beaga ar na hoileáin. That is a fair point. This person is paying an astronomical amount – more than €7,000 per year – for broadband. Whether it comes from NBI or the Department, it would be useful if we could get an update on when the islands will be connected, particularly the major offshore ones. The list might specify whether the connections will be fibre or point-to-point. What number of premises on each island are covered by the survey? I understand the roll-out system and that the easy premises have been done, not because NBI wanted to take the easy pickings, but because doing so has allowed the roll-out to happen. What NBI will find out is that half the islands’ population are on the three Aran Islands, but there are also people on Clare Island, Inishturk, Inishbofin, Tory Island, Arranmore and Bere Island. I am not counting Achill as an island for the purposes of the exercise.

My question for the Department is wider than just broadband. Does the Department not have a dedicated islands fund? There is a subheading for oileáin in its Estimates.