Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Ba mhaith liom buíochas a ghabháil leis an bhfinné. I will put a few questions myself. There is no way one can overestimate the damage being done by the over-concentration of economic activity and infrastructure in one small space on the east coast, to the detriment of the rest of the State. That is damaging for people living in Dublin also because it means that schools and services which people need become far more difficult to access while there are whole sections of the rest of the State becoming de-populated. This leads to a huge social deprivation. I do not believe that people are fully aware of the levels of social deprivation and poverty which exist throughout the country in rural Ireland as a result of that. Enterprise follows the path of least resistance. If there is resistance and cause for resistance than obviously businesses are not going to locate in those areas.

It is impossible to overestimate the damage the Border does with regard to the natural flow of enterprise for counties like Cavan and Meath.

Can the witnesses put the issue of broadband on the record? Each of the counties would be very badly affected. Mobile phone coverage has been a disastrous experience in much of rural Ireland. I ask each witness to speak briefly on that.

I would also like witnesses to detail the collapse in funding for roads experienced in Galway and Meath over recent years. Many of the witnesses were involved in road campaigns. If roads are not in place, customers and suppliers cannot travel to locations which will hamper enterprise. I ask the witnesses to discuss those investment changes and broadband in each area.