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

Tógfaidh mé cúig nóiméad le haghaidh ceisteanna. It seems to me that we are looking at two major issues here today. One specific issue relates to Leader companies and the new construct whereby one company in one area is delivering all the programmes, including the Tús scheme, the rural social scheme and the social inclusion and community activation programme, as it was previously designed. Rather than the companies being stand-alone entities, the local community development committees are involved in many counties.

I will ask a number of questions about Leader. Would the witnesses have preferred if the previous arrangement had continued in this Leader programme? In other words, is it better if one company in any given area delivers all the programmes, including the social inclusion and community activation programme, the Leader programme, the Tús programme and the rural social scheme? That is a very clear and specific question. My second question relates to whether the boundaries should have been left as they were before, unless there was a request from a local community to change a boundary.

I would also like to ask about the role of the Leader programme in industrial and business development. Do all the companies have a view on whether the maximum grant of €200,000 is sufficient to create significant employment in an area? Having worked in industrial development in rural areas for many years, I am aware that €200,000 would not wet one's tongue if one was setting up a serious business. What is the view of the witnesses about the Department's decision to limit the grant aid for community non-profit projects to €200,000, rather than €500,000 as was the case previously? The de minimisEuropean ruling is a problem in the case of industrial projects. Maybe the witnesses could address those specific questions on the Leader programme.

Ba mhaith liom ceist nó dhó a chur maidir leis na hoileáin. Tuigeann na finnéithe go mbaineann ceist an chláir Leader leis na hoileáin freisin. Aontaím go hiomlán leis an méid a bhí le rá ar cheist na rochtana. B'fhéidir go mbeadh ár gcuairteoirí in ann focal nó dhó a rá faoi minicíocht agus praghas. Cé chomh tábhachtach atá sé go mbeadh an rochtain ar fáil ar ardmhinicíocht agus go mbeadh an praghas iomaíoch? Nuair a bhí mise mar Aire, bhí socrú in áit nach bhféadfaí níos mó na €10 a ghearradh ar oileánach ag dul isteach is amach as oileán. An bhfuil gá le polasaí oideachais faoi leith do bhunscolaíocht agus meánscolaíocht ar na hoileáin a chlúdódh na pointí a d'ardaigh Máire Uí Mhaoláin agus pointí eile nach raibh am aici a ardú maidir le meánscoileanna agus an cóimheas idir múinteoirí agus daltaí, srl.?

Ba mhaith liom bheith dearfach sa chomhthéacs seo. Céard iad na deiseanna fostaíochta a bhféadfaí a chruthú ar na hoileáin? Tá mé ag smaoineamh ar oibriú ón mbaile, aistriúcháin agus go leor rudaí eile. Céard iad na baic is mó ar fhostaíocht a chruthú ar na hoileáin? Ar ndóigh, baineann an cheist sin leis na hoileáin Galltachta freisin. Mr. Murray is based on a non-Irish language island. Where are the employment opportunities on such islands? What are the barriers to employment on them? Mar shampla, is the lack of a broadband service with a minimum speed of 100 Mbps a particular problem?

B'fhéidir go bhféadfadh na finnéithe focal a rá maidir le cúrsaí feilméireachta. Fágfaidh mé é sin ar leataobh ar feadh soicind. Tá níos mó spéise agam i gceist na hiascaireachta. An ceart go mbeadh cuótaí faoi leith curtha ar fáil do na hoileáin nach raibh céanna feiliúnacha orthu 40 nó 50 bliain ó shin le go mbeadh fáil acu ar na héisc timpeall orthu? An bhfuil sé sin ag coinneáil siar oileánaigh? Is deas gur mhol na finnéithe an obair a rinne muid sa choiste faoi na pobail cois cósta. Tá mé sásta gur luaigh siad é sin. Bhí spéis agam sa mhéid a bhí le rá ag na finnéithe faoin chostas maireachtála. Mar is eol dóibh, tá liúntas oileánda sa chóras leasa shóisialta do phinsinéirí agus do dhaoine ar íocaíochtaí áirithe.

Maidir le cúrsaí cánach, an ndéanfaidh na finnéithe soiléiriú ar an liúntas oileánda don cháiníocóir pearsanta atá i gceist acu?

On the big issues, that is, the national issues, not Leader company issues, how much are current spatial planning attitudes and planning rules inhibitors for individuals and business in industrial development in rural Ireland? Do we need a planning process that is friendlier to the development of industries and those living in rural areas, particularly those outside towns and villages? In the provision of infrastructure such as broadband, roads, water services, sewerage and so on, what are the top three priorities? Is a speed of 30 Mbps sufficient or should we be aiming to provide for fibre connection, that is, a speed of 1 Gbps, in every house and home in the country?

Has any of the groups carried out a study of the impact of decentralisation on their region? For example, there is a decentralised departmental office in County Kerry dealing with the arts and sport. Do the delegates know what the impact has been on the distance travelled by people to their jobs? In other words, what has been the impact on the region as opposed to the town of Killarney? That question is important because, unfairly, decentralisation got a bad press. It was one of the best things we ever did and should do more of it, but I am interested in hearing the delegates views on it.

How great is the added burden of bureaucracy not only in the delegates' businesses as Leader companies but also generally in every scheme that is meant to be helping development? How much has it become a barrier? In other words, I giveth with one hand and taketh with the other. Are the delegates of the view that that is how it is working?

What needs to be done to reach the full potential of rural recreational and tourism facilities and the activity suite we were trying to develop in rural areas as a possible good employer?

Do the delegates see a role for major companies and employers in rural areas? I am thinking of FEXCO in Cork and McHale in Ballinrobe. There are fantastic employers. Should the approach to development in rural Ireland just involve micro-industries or is there a role for large, resource-based industries? Should we be going for big as well as small companies?