Joe Carey (Clare, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank Dr. O'Connor for his presentation and engagement with the committee. I welcome the allocation of €5 million in this year's budget for the further development of the network along the Atlantic economic corridor, because it is key. We must work together and put a strategy in place so that there is no overlapping of services. As Senator Garvey mentioned, there was a case where one hub was developed, which displaced two other similar hubs. There needs to be co-ordination, and it is good to hear that there are monthly meetings with Urban McMahon and others like him throughout the country to try to achieve that co-ordination.

I must say that Clare is very much at the forefront in this, because there is a digital strategy in place and there is a network of hubs throughout the county. There are plans to develop further hubs in locations such as Ennis, and I have been working with the county council and the Department on that project.

I would like to go back to what Senator Burke mentioned about a minimum standard, and that is important in respect of the broadband connection points, BCPs. They are diverse and they are not all uniform, which I accept, but there must be a minimum standard. To reach that minimum standard, community groups need access to funding, which they currently do not have. Will a tranche of that €5 million that has been allocated be made available to community groups in particular to meet that minimum standard so that they can offer a service to the local community whereby people can engage with local public services and can possibly work remotely? Will Dr. O'Connor confirm if that is the case? The use of town and village renewal fund and the rural regeneration development fund, RRDF, to roll out this network is welcome too, but it is a bit disjointed. If there was one single fund and local authorities worked in conjunction with the Department, there would be a more uniform system in place whereby they could feed into the plan in a more co-ordinated way. Perhaps Dr. O'Connor would comment on those points.