Ruairi Ó Murchú (Louth, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

We need to have a conversation about rural living and what our rural future is going to be. There are certain benefits from what has been done through remote working hubs, although remote working has thrown up certain issues. In my constituency, thanks to partition, there are certain jobs people cannot do remotely because of differences between the taxation systems in the two jurisdictions. This is a problem throughout Europe and further afield but it is a particular problem in Ireland. That was highlighted recently when PayPal closed its operation in Dundalk, and a number of people who had been working in the North were told they would have to be transferred to PayPal UK, as it is called. Obviously, this is not applicable to many smaller companies, but it is a specific issue on which the Government has to do some heavy lifting. We may be in a better position through being able to deliver a bilateral solution with the UK Government. The issue is beginning to impact on a number of my constituents, as well as people in neighbouring constituencies.

Deputy Kenny and others spoke about the fact rural communities suffer from the same difficulties as urban ones, such as healthcare and accommodation.

The Deputy spoke specifically about issues relating to getting planning permission for one-off houses in rural areas. We really need to have a more streamlined view on what the steps, obstacles and protocols need to be because we need to have a system that will work. We keep talking about sustaining rural communities, but that will not be possible if we do not facilitate people to actually live in them.

There is no shortage of issues that need to be dealt with. Previous speakers drew attention to issues relating to public liability insurance. We have all seen the issues that have arisen for active tourism companies and many others. Obviously all of this needs to be done but we could talk about schools, dereliction, vacancy, and about some of the good stuff that has been done. We could talk about the fact that this particular Department deals with the mobile phone and broadband task force. In those areas that are going to be later on the roll-out of the national broadband plan, we really need that the Department, alongside the Commission for Communications Regulation, ComReg, would provide the information for people on what alternatives are available, whether we are talking about wired solutions or low-Earth-orbit satellite broadband systems. All that needs to be employed.

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