Joe Carey (Clare, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I commend the work of Irish Rural Link. It provides a valuable advocacy service for the groups it represents and I thank its representatives for the presentation today. I note their concerns and the issues they have raised.

One key issue is broadband. It is the one issue that comes up on a regular basis when talking to communities. It is critical that we address that, get the broadband plan back on track and roll it out to the communities, farms, businesses and individuals in order that they can live in, work in and visit rural areas. This module is about sustaining rural communities and businesses and we will include broadband as a key recommendation to be addressed.

I note the proposal on calling a stakeholder's forum on carbon tax. It is an issue that we could possibly raise to encourage the new Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment to look at that proposal.

I refer to meals on wheels and we have a fantastic organisation in Newmarket-on-Fergus, County Clare. They have a large community services programme, which they hope to expand. They serve all of south-east Clare and even go into mid-Clare in the general area of Clarecastle and Sixmilebridge. They have made an application for the rural regeneration fund. As the witnesses will be aware, it is part of the Project Ireland 2040 document. That particular fund of €1 billion will unlock the potential of villages such as Newmarket-on-Fergus and provide a vital service to the public in doing so and please God they will be successful in that application. I note the proposal that it should be more streamlined and should move away from the ad hocnature of meals on wheels operations.

I note that Deputy Michael Collins referenced his local service that is doing wonderful work, as is being done in Newmarket-on-Fergus. There may be a need to streamline it and put proper structures in place in order that these meals on wheels operations do not grow organically but are provided as services for particular regions. I noted Ms Lennon's point on discharge from hospitals and it makes absolute sense that if a person is being discharged from hospital and has no family support or neighbours, it makes life a lot easier if a meal could be delivered to the house because there is also a personal interaction with the person bringing in the meal. That is an issue that we should definitely look into.

I note Mr. Johnson's point regarding Dr. Senan Cooke. He sat in the same chair in which Mr. Johnson is sitting a couple of weeks ago and is a colourful character and a person from the community who has done Trojan work. It is our ambition as a committee, on the proposal of Senator Grace O'Sullivan, that we visit Dunhill Ecopark and see what is being done down there at first hand. Dr. Cooke presented in a forthright manner that day and he and his organisation are an example. The work of the credit union movement in assisting them in reaching their goals is fantastic and the bottom-up approach adopted by the credit unions and their not-for-profit ethos is to be commended.

On the proposal regarding SME funding as put forward by Mr. Farrell, perhaps he could outline what type of engagement he has had with the Department on that and what type of feedback he has received. It obviously makes sense that a credit union could offer loans to SMEs to expand, start up or develop products and services. What type of engagement has the Irish League of Credit Unions, ILCU, had regarding that proposal?