Michael Collins (Cork South West, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank both witnesses for their presentations. I have just a few questions.

I intend to be a little parochial. I represent Cork South-West, which is employment-starved. While the situation in Cork city has been turned around a little, in terms of the green-shoots that are now appearing there, unfortunately, the three rural peninsulas I represent have lost a lot of young people and I have not yet seen anything that would help address the situation in any of those communities. Perhaps the witnesses could map their activities for the committee, focusing in particular on their activities around job creation in rural areas and how we can work with them in that regard. I am not pointing the finger at anybody. It is incumbent on us all to work towards turning around the unemployment situation. I do not want to see people having to leave west Cork to find employment either abroad or in Cork city or Dublin. I believe we can create employment in the regions. However, broadband service provision in rural areas is not improving. In some cases, the situation is worsening, which is detrimental to rural areas. I would welcome the witnesses' views on those issues.