Seán Kyne (Galway West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The national planning framework was mentioned and I know the Department has made a submission to the lead Department, which is the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government. This is a very important plan. I am not sure if the previous rural affairs committee had the Department officials before them but I suggest, as a priority but with respect to the committee, that officials within the housing Department be invited in with regard to the national planning framework. It is at the end of preparation stages and the Department has made a strong case for a number of areas. I know the chief executive officers in Mayo, Sligo and Leitrim, if not Roscommon as well, have asked under the national planning framework that Sligo be identified as a driver in the north west. I particularly agree with that and if the letter has not been sent, I know I have prepared one for the Taoiseach on that basis. As has been pointed out on many occasions, north of the line from Galway to Dublin there is no city at present, as we understand, and we need to encourage a strong growth centre in a region like Sligo. There are many other places that will grow organically within the Dublin region or in the midlands in close proximity to road and rail. We hope that if it happens there will be an added stimulus to the infrastructure that is needed, whether this is the motorways or western rail corridor, which was also included in the submission we made in support of that project. The continuation to Tuam, Claremorris and onwards is supported in our submission.

The national planning framework is very important to role of the Atlantic economic corridor as well. It is strongly of the view that the north-west region must be clearly identified in the national planning framework and the capital plan for investment. We have made our submissions and the Minister will be fighting for this at Cabinet. I raised this within our own party but the other Department is taking the lead. I respectfully advise that an early discussion on the national planning framework would be in order.

The Trans-European Transport Networks in Europe, TEN-T, has been raised with me by the chambers and Galway has done much work on it. There were recent meetings in Brussels about it. This is something we must progress and I hope to see it relating to the Atlantic economic corridor as well. I do not have the latest on it but I will certainly get an update for the Deputy on this. The Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Deputy Ross, made recent comments to Ms Mairead McGuinness, MEP, and I will try to get the pertinent comments on that. There are particular issues with Galway Port and the port policy, that is up for review again. The island of Malta has five TEN-T ports and we have been left out on the west coast. It is important as well. Deputies mentioned discards in fisheries, which are not under my remit. I am responsible for inland fisheries but not the marine sector. The Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Deputy Coveney, worked on that when he had responsibility for the marine but I am not au faitwith it.

Deputy Penrose has the example of a house being a business and Eir, with respect to the company, should be facilitating this. If the Deputy contacts his local Westmeath broadband officer or passes on the details, I can bring it up with Eir. It is a case in point.