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

On the issue of rural broadband, the Minister tells us there are plans. The only thing I see happening in rural Ireland, and it is happening in rural areas quicker than in the towns and villages, is that Eir seems to have its vans all over the place. It is purely commercial. It is very frustrating because when they go halfway down the road and stop, the next person telephones me to ask about connectivity. In fairness, between now and the end of next year, Eir - a totally private company with no State input - is I understand, going to connect 300,000 houses in the most rural areas of Ireland. It seems to be able to connect the likes of Ballykinealy and west Mayo. It seems to be everywhere but unfortunately, while it is only doing half or a third of every area it is concentrating on very rural areas and not on towns and villages. It is ironic that everybody told us that we would have to go into the town or village to get broadband. In fact, for those 300,000 lucky people, they will have better broadband within the next 16 to 19 months than the people living in the city of Dublin. They will have 1 Gbps in the house. If one happens to be beside them, one will get in through the gap. This is happening in real rural Ireland. It gives the lie that one has to be in a town or a village. That is yesterday's world. The new world is one in which one can do most things wherever one is sitting, even at the top of a mountain, as long as one has 1 Gbps of power.

Maidir le ceisteanna Gaeltachta, bhí an-díomá ar na heagraíochtaí Gaeilge agus bhí an-díomá ormsa mar urlabhraí Fhianna Fáil ar chúrsaí Gaeilge, Gaeltachta agus oileánda os rud é nach raibh an méid a gealladh i gclár an Rialtais do gnóthaí Gaeilge, Gaeltachta agus oileánda ar fáil i mbliana. Cuireadh fíor-bheagán airgid ar fáil.

Bhí iarratas ar €5 mhilliún. Thug Comhchoiste na Gaeilge, Gaeltachta agus Oileán tacaíocht don éileamh an-réasúnach sin. Is ar éigean go mairfidh an Rialtas seo níos mó ná trí bliana. Mar sin, le €5 mhilliún breise in aghaidh na bliana ar feadh trí bliana mar €15 mhilliún, bhíodar ag lorg iomlán de €18 milliún. An mbeidh an tAire Stáit, Teachta Kyne, ag lorg an chuid eile den airgead ón Aire ó tharla go bhfuil fuíollach airgid aici anois le caitheamh ar an nGaeilge, an Ghaeltacht agus na hoileáin? An mbeidh an tAire Stáit ag cur iarratais isteach le haghaidh an airgead LEADER seo ar fad a bheidh ar fáil agus an t-airgead forbartha tuaithe gur cosúil nach gcaithfear i mbliana? An mbeidh sé ag déanamh iarratais ar son na Gaeltachta, na Gaeilge agus na n-oileán ar an airgead sin?