Denis Naughten (Roscommon-Galway, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I ask members and witnesses to please turn off their mobile phones as they interfere with the recording equipment. I remind members to sanitise their desk area and seat when leaving the committee room. The main item on our agenda is our consideration of rural hubs, mobile phone and broadband coverage in rural Ireland. I welcome officials from the Department of Rural and Community Development, Dr. Stjohn O'Connor, principal officer, and Mr. Turlough O'Brien, assistant principal officer, who is joining us remotely. They are both very welcome.

The committee will today receive an update from the Department on the Atlantic economic corridor enterprise hub network project on which the Department and the Western Development Commission, WDC, have been working since 2019 with the aim of delivering an integrated network of remote working and enterprise hubs along the Atlantic economic corridor. The work programme and outputs of the national hub network working group will also be explored. The network has been convened to investigate the feasibility of mapping and developing a national network of remote working facilities, including hubs and broadband connection points in libraries, based on the model developed in the Atlantic economic corridor region. The committee notes that an additional €5 million was recently allocated in budget 2021 to support the expansion of the Atlantic economic corridor hub network model on a national scale. In addition, we will consider the broadband connection points, their roll-out and the roll-out of the national broadband plan, NBP, as well as an issue that is close to my heart, namely, the work programme of the mobile phone and broadband task force.

Members of the committee and of the Houses have absolute privilege in respect of statements made to either House of the Oireachtas or before a committee. By virtue of section 17(2)(l) of the Defamation Act 2009, witnesses are protected by absolute privilege in respect of the evidence they are required to give to a committee. However, if during the course of the committee proceedings they are directed by the committee to cease giving evidence on a particular matter and they continue to so do, they are entitled thereafter only to a qualified privilege in respect of their evidence. They are directed that only evidence connected with the subject matter of these proceedings is to be given and they are asked to respect the parliamentary practice to the effect that, where possible, they should not criticise or make charges against a Member of either House of the Oireachtas, a person outside the Houses or an official by name or in such a way that would make him or her identifiable.

I invite Dr. O'Connor to make his opening statement.