Shane Ross (Dublin Rathdown, Independent) | Oireachtas source

It is not an insult. I have made it absolutely clear that this is a pilot scheme. There is money allocated for Local Link in Tipperary, which the Deputy should welcome. The Deputy should also welcome the fact that if that works, we have promised that we will look at expanding it. This is only a start. We are prepared to try this and the Deputy should be prepared to try this as well. I wish he would join with me in saying that we should give this the benefit of the doubt and that if it works, we will increase it if more resources are available. That is what rural isolation needs; it needs connectivity. Cities, towns and villages need connectivity. That is what this is an attempt to do. It may not be as fast as the Deputy would like and it may not be to his taste but that is what we are doing. It is not the tip of an iceberg; it is an honest attempt to address the problems which the Deputy undoubtedly finds in his area.

I do not want to address the committee on subjects like going to a pub early in the morning for a cup of coffee, as if there is some sort of secret about it. There is nothing wrong with that. The Deputy and I went to a pub at 11 o'clock in the morning. That is absolutely fine; there is nothing wrong with that and no big revelation in that.

I am puzzled sometimes when people claim to be the voice of rural Ireland, which Deputy McGrath does. The majority of the voices of rural Ireland I hear welcome this scheme. They are saying it is not enough and that they want more but they want to see if it works and that they want it to work. Sometimes I wonder if those who claim to be the voice of rural Ireland really have the support of all of rural Ireland.

In that context, I welcome the fact Newcastle in County Tipperary voted "Yes" in the referendum. Clonmel voted "Yes", Tipperary voted "Yes"-----