Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I will try to cover them as best I can. On the rural regeneration and development fund, we have been funding many town centre projects, enterprise centres and the restoration of old buildings, including various items of infrastructure within towns around those projects. I take the Deputy's point about the western rail corridor. I am sure it would make a huge difference to Mayo and Galway. The issue is it would be a massive expenditure. If I allocated all of the Department of Rural and Community Development's funding to one major project, I would have very little left for anything else but we can work on it with other Departments.

The Deputy also mentioned the Ulster Canal. I was delighted that we were able to announce funding of €13 million for the Ulster Canal project, which was made up of funding from the Department of Rural and Community Development and money from the shared island fund. It is about working together, similar to the work being done around outdoor recreation and active travel. As the Deputy will appreciate, the Department of Rural and Community Development has big ambition but it does not have a massive budget. The Department of Transport has a significant budget. Only two weeks ago, it announced €280 million plus for active travel. That allocation is in excess of the Department of Rural and Community Development's capital budget. It is about how we move in that direction. Under the rural regeneration and development fund, there are category 2 projects, which is about providing the funding to put the plans together. It is about creating the big picture and putting in place the proposals which can then be brought to other Departments in the space of transport, which in respect of rail is the Department of Transport, to see if they could come up with funding for those projects. That may be an area where we could help. There is a joined-up approach.

On CLÁR funding, last year I extended the three categories to four categories. I am reviewing the fund with my officials to see if there are other areas that we can tap into. In regard to the water and sewerage, but particularly the water, Irish Water has responsibility in this area. I am familiar with the rural water schemes. I am one of those people who falls between two water schemes, one of which is a group water scheme and the other being a county council water scheme, which is now owned by Irish Water. I know well the issue the Deputy raises. Investment in water is within the space of the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage. I will pushing that Department to look for those grants, in particular for the extension of the group water schemes in order that people can connect into them. Wells are fine when there is plenty of water. In the summer time, many of them have no water. I am very conscious of the issue the Deputy raises. I will see what I can do to give them a prod in the right direction.

On the local improvement scheme, the Deputy made the point that the farmer rule should be abolished. To be honest, if I could clear some of the list that we have across the country, I would certainly look at it. This is about roads. As the Deputy will be aware, I increased the allocation this year for the LIS by €11 million. Last year, I brought it up to €22 million, which I know was welcomed across the country. It helped to clear some of the backlog, but there is a serious backlog still. If we could break the back on that I would be happy to expanding the scheme further. If I expand it now, the result would be a very lengthy list.

On the islands, the Deputy mentioned Inis Oirr Pier. It is expected that work will commence in late 2022. The €2 million in additional capital funding has been allocated in this context for 2022. The application for a foreshore licence has been made as part of the preparatory work for the tendering stage. Galway County Council has informed the Department, following its meeting with officials in that unit, that updated surveys need to be carried out. Subject to the pre-construction issues being finalised, a preliminary timetable has been discussed by the development committee providing for a tendering process of approximately nine months, after which construction will advance in stages. The finalised plan is likely to take a number of years to complete, taking into account weather and sea conditions. The cost to date of the Inis Oirr Pier development since the commencement of the project in 2004 is €978,713. The estimated cost of the project, barring any unforeseen circumstances that may arise, is €20 million approximately. I am committed to the project. I visited the islands, which the Deputy will know because, I am delighted to say, he was able to accompany me. We are committed to moving the project on. At this point in time, the matter is with Galway County Council. We need to keep the pressure on and keep it moving.

On the pier at Inis Meáin, as the Deputy will know, as part of the preparatory works, the National Maritime College of Ireland was instructed by Galway County Council to develop a modelled simulation for the harbour. That will inform the business case options for the development. It is very difficult to get agreement on how this work should be done, but we are working with people in Cork to find the best way forward. A lot of money was spent on this in the past, but it did not work. We have to try to figure out what way it should be done. I met the Deputy during my visit to the island. The local people are not too sure what way the project should proceed. As I said, the experts should be able to give us a good idea as to what we need to do there.

The Deputy mentioned the Inishbofin air service. I will have to come back to him on that question. As far as I know, there are no plans for an air service from Inishbofin. The Department will keep in touch with the community with regard to transport services to ensure the islands have access. The Deputy mentioned a two and a half hour drive and that it could be shorter. I take on board his point. On the Cleggan airstrip, I have met the gentlemen concerned on a number of occasions. I met one of them as recently last week. We bumped into each other and during a chat he again set out the proposals. The Department officials also met recently with the Office of Public Works, OPW, and the Department of Transport to discuss plans for the coastguard station, which the Deputy mentioned. This matter requires full consideration before any further discussions on plans for the museum. We need to deal with the coastguard situation first. I am happy that officials will meet them again to get an update. I take on board the Deputy's point that it is a good idea to put this museum in place. The Deputy knows the history of the Cleggan airstrip a lot better than I do. We paid a fairly substantial amount when we bought it. If we were going to release part of that property we would have to bear in mind the taxpayers' investment in it.

There is some work to be done in that regard.

The Deputy is right about fibre in houses but we have the plan, the contract is signed and National Broadband Ireland is out there. Covid has had some impact, of course, but the Government is committed to rolling this out as quickly as we can. No matter how quickly we do it, it will still not be quick enough because everyone wants it now. That is why I pursued broadband connection points as an interim measure, in that they give something at least to those who do not have broadband or mobile phone coverage. As the Deputy knows, we have reconstituted the mobile and broadband committee - I do not know its name off the top of my head but I will think of it in a minute - and we will examine whatever roadblocks there are with a view to progressing matters as quickly as we can.

I will be announcing the Department's schemes shortly. They will be open earlier in 2022 to support the most efficient use of funds in communities across the country. It is intended to publish the schedule of schemes shortly in order to allow local authorities to plan for the preparation of submissions with full information on our entire suite of schemes. We have many schemes and I want to show local authorities the entire suite. They can then decide which projects fit into which schemes and make their plans on that basis. Sometimes, authorities say that they did not know this or that scheme was coming. We will do it together this time; it will be a joined-up announcement this year.

I believe I have covered all of the Deputy's questions. If there are more, I am happy to answer them.