Róisín Garvey (Green Party) | Oireachtas source

On the €5 million that was provided in the budget, two social enterprise hubs in Clare were forced to close because they could not compete with the low prices of the local authority Wi-Fi hub being developed in the area. Social enterprise is important as well. Can social enterprises apply for funding for hubs or is this provision only available through the broadband officers? When people set up social enterprises in remote areas and the local authorities then set up state-of-the-art hubs in the same areas, it is a challenge for the social enterprises. As I said, two social enterprises have closed but perhaps it is because they had served a purpose at a particular time and now that the service is being rolled out through government they do not need to remain open. I would be interested in hearing if social enterprises can apply for funding. There are broadband officers in place so I will try to find that out from them.

Another issue is the 5G masts. I do not believe in the fear of 5G but it would be madness not to raise the issue because it is a concern. I know from my psychics background, and having researched it and talked about it with my brother who works in IT, that the issue is that it is coming in at a higher frequency because of communications regulations. Hopefully, it will come down to a frequency below 4G. This is an issue we will have to address. In Donegal, a mast used for emergency services was burned down because people thought it was a 5G mast. I have been to public events where people have expressed real fear of 5G even though they all had mobile phones in their pockets. When issues such as this are raised in communities it is usually a case of NIMBYism, "not in my back yard", as we saw in regard to wind farms. Unless the 5G is explained properly roll-out will be delayed. There is a need for an educational campaign around it. Is the Department engaged with ComReg on that issue? Is it proposed to bring it in at a lower frequency and to run an educational campaign on 5G such that no more masts are burned down?

I will give an example which may help the witness better understand the point I am trying to make. The people in my local village, Inagh in County Clare, want the old Garda station converted to a Wi-Fi-BCP remote working hub but they are unsure if they can apply as a community group to do that. The local area housing development committee needs a place for its staff member to work. I made a pre-budget submission on Wi-Fi hubs to the Minister for Rural and Community Development, Deputy Humphreys, which fed into the €5 million allocation provided in the budget. It is not all about new build. There are many community halls and old buildings that could be used for hubs. I was involved in the pre-budget process but I am still unclear as to whether the community group I mentioned should engage with the broadband officer to have the Garda station converted or if it can seek to set it up as a social enterprise. In my view, if we allow local communities to set up these hubs it would generate funding that could be reinvested in the communities. Communities are used to fund-raising for initiatives in their villages or towns.