Claire Kerrane (Roscommon-Galway, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I thank the witnesses for their presentation. My first question concerns the report from the Western Development Commission. We are all well aware that people have moved west, sometimes back to where they grew up, since Covid hit and they have been able to work remotely, which has been great and positive. If there is to be an increase in the population in rural areas, such as Roscommon, Galway, Sligo and Leitrim, will there be a sustained examination of their development? For decades there has not been a move to rural areas like that which has happened since Covid hit. Where populations increase, we should examine to a greater extent the infrastructure and the services that can be provided to follow those people.

The European Regional Development Fund is particularly important for the northern and western region. The witnesses will be aware that as a region in transition, we will have really good co-financing from Europe, at 60:40, which is excellent. What level of engagement does the Department have with the regional assemblies? I refer in particular to the Northern and Western Regional Assembly. From 2021 to 2027, we need to take full advantage of those co-financing rates to ensure that we will improve and move back from being a region in transition to being a developed region. The fund will be crucial in doing that. Whether for infrastructure, education or whatever else, we should take full advantage of everything we can use it for.

I thank the witnesses for the briefing material they provided in respect of the islands. The funding for the Irish Islands Federation is welcome. It has highlighted housing as the number one issue for the islands, and particularly their levels of housing stock. I visited Arranmore a few weeks ago when it was safe to travel there. The number one issue on the island was that people were coming home but there was nowhere for them to live. There were a number of vacant properties but there was not funding to renovate them. I appreciate that this is a housing matter, but because it is a big issue on the islands, I would like to see the Department working with the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage in regard to it.

The briefing document referred to water on the Aran Islands. There is a wider issue with water. Restrictions are almost continuous during the summer if there is a drought. On Inisheer, there were issues in May, when the water was being turned off at 5 p.m. and the last boat every day arrived at 7 p.m. People were constantly being told to wash their hands, yet they had no water. Those issues relating to drought have been allowed to continue every summer. Water restrictions need to be sorted out and fixed because they should not happen in the midst of a global pandemic.

On the issue of broadband for the islands, Arranmore has a really good remote working hub, which people are using all the time. I know that the Department is doing work on providing remote working hubs for rural areas, but are they being considered for the islands in particular, as well as the broadband connection points? Will that be considered beyond Arranmore?