Seán Canney (Galway East, Independent) | Oireachtas source

That is the way it is. The FDIs are in that space where we have to provide resources, map what we are doing and identify what we have. We must say that people can work remotely in Tuam or Glenamaddy, for example.

Deputy Fitzmaurice mentioned broadband officers. I agree with him to a certain extent that up to now one had to ring them to discover where one was in terms of the broadband roll-out. The broadband officer concept is completely different. Before the Deputy came in here, Senator Hopkins talked about how the accommodation over the library in Ballinasloe was vacant for 18 months after the place had been turned into a hub. The broadband officer is there to co-ordinate our assets so that IDA Ireland and Enterprise Ireland know what we have. As I said earlier about Grow Remote, I will meet the broadband officers and seek more collaboration in terms of this concept. The broadband officer role will expand and there will be an office within the local authority so that people can go into that office and get more information about where they can locate.

In terms of Grow Remote, Ms Keogh can answer for herself. Grow Remote is not a concept where we are trying to get companies because there are jobs. Instead, we must let people know that the jobs are available and get them to apply. A lot of the work concerns increasing the knowledge and understanding of what exists.

Deputy Fitzmaurice mentioned old buildings and the LEADER fund, and Deputy Rabbitte mentioned the issue earlier. Where we have buildings that we can utilise, then fine. Where we have buildings that are derelict in places where there is no library or whatever, then we should consider ways to bring them back into use. Personally, I think the rural regeneration fund is the way to go because it takes between €200,000 and €500,000 to do up a building between fire certification and the whole shooting match. That is where the money is. We should identify buildings in towns that can be utilised for multiple purposes. As I said earlier, library buildings should not only open between 9 a.m. or 9.30 a.m. and 5 p.m. The open library access is going on now. In a large number of libraries we are rolling out a scheme where people can get a card that allows them to access the building between 8 a.m. and 10 p.m. throughout the year; that is happening already. Customers can check their books in and out by using a card. All of this kind of stuff is happening.

In terms of funding, people can apply for funding from the LEADER programme but the rural regeneration fund is probably where a lot more can be done and where the opportunities exist. Under the rural regeneration fund, as much as €1 billion will be available over the next ten years and there is €315 million available for the next three or four years. We need to examine all the means of funding. Every town could have a different asset and need so we cannot give the same thing to everybody. That is why we have a pilot scheme comprising six towns. They can identify what they want from the ground up rather than people at central Government level telling them what they will receive. We are trying to change the thought process when it comes to developing villages. I believe that I have covered all of the questions.