Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Fearaim fáilte roimh Dara Ó Maoildhia. D'éist mé go cúramach leis an méid a bhí le rá aige. Is é ceann de na chéad cheisteanna a éiríonn anseo, agus beidh mé ag cur ceisteanna ar na hionadaithe ón Roinn faoi seo, ná an ceangal leis an mórthír. Bhí mé ag moladh don choiste seo go dtiocfadh rannóg na n-oileán den Roinn Forbartha Tuaithe agus Pobail isteach sa scéal agus go gcuirfeadh sí airgead ar fáil le haghaidh cábla snáthoptaice agus an dara cábla leictreach. Tá sé ag teastáil ar aon chaoi, beag beann ar fhuinneamh in-athnuaite. Má bhristear an ceann atá ann i láthair na huaire, tá a fhios againn féin céard a d'éireofaí ansin mar gur tharla sé cheana. Teastaíonn an dara cábla.

Chomh maith leis sin tá ceist an uisce ann. Arís, tá sé sin práinneach mar bítear ag tógáil uisce isteach, go mór mór ar bhád isteach go hInis Oírr gach uile bhliain.

Táim i bhfabhar go gcuirfeadh an Roinn Forbartha Tuaithe agus Pobail airgead ar fáil le haghaidh na gcáblaí sin agus leis an gcostas breise a bhaineann leo seachas a bheith ag fanacht go dtí go mbeidh tograí in-athnuaite ag an Roinn ar na hoileáin. Is amhlaidh an cás sin ó tharla go bhfuil an snáthoptaic deich mbliana ró-dheireanach, i ndáiríre, go bhfuil ceist an uisce gan réiteach le 20 bliain, agus go bhfuil práinn leis an dara cábla ar aon chaoi, beag beann ar fhuinneamh in-athnuaite.

Is é an dara ceist atá agam ná an bhfuil ár n-aíonna buartha maidir leis na deontais le haghaidh retrofit a dhéanamh ar na tithe mar go bhfuil láimhdeachas os cionn €1 milliún i gceist i dtaobh conraitheoirí agus, mar sin, go ngearrann sé sin amach na conraitheoirí áitiúla atá bunaithe ar na hoileáin ón obair seo. B’fhéidir go bhféadfaí ár n-aíonna anseo na ceisteanna sin a fhreagairt.

On the grid connection, we already have a crisis because there is no fibre-optic on the island and, to my understanding, National Broadband Ireland, NBI, do not plan putting fibre-optic cable in but plan to put in a radio connection. Fibre would be much better. That is needed now.

The water problem is needed backwards. It is way overdue because the reality is that every year the State pays a significant amount to boat owners to literally bring water out to the Aran Islands. It might sound incredible but that is the reality.

The next issue is that the one electric cable to the island has been severed and there is no back-up supply. I have been proposing this cable be restored and I was wondering if the Department has had discussions with the Department with responsibility for the islands, which would fund the extra costs of the NBI fibre over and above what is already in the project to ensure that the islands have top-of the-range provision. Obviously, that Department would fund the water pipe or the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications would do so.

Furthermore, the electricity should also be funded by the Department, if necessary. We did this before and there are precedents for it. Islands were connected where the Department with responsibility for the islands provided the funding for the connection to the electricity grid between the mainland and the island, and it was then up to the ESB to do so on the mainland and on the island. Once the Department brought it to the seashore and took it from the seashore on the island, the money was provided. Has the Department had discussions with the island’s division because we are here specifically to focus on that area?

The other issue that keeps coming up is where the Department has mentioned solar energy. Some of the biggest buildings in the country are community buildings. We are waiting forever and one of the problems with this is that one part is working and the other is not. However, who is in charge of making sure that all of the parts work together in the State?

We seem to be waiting forever for the guidelines for putting solar panels on community buildings. I recently tabled a parliamentary question on this and got the same old answer, which is the matter is under consideration and there are aviation concerns about this. Not everywhere is near an airport. Will the officials at least say, "Some areas need further study but here are the guidelines for the remainder of them"? That would allow us to get on with it and cut the delays. As already stated, there is no point having nine tenths of it in place if the final tenth is missing. A significant amount could be done on the islands, which generally have a better climate than the mainland. They are actually very good for solar and have very good light. I will leave it at that.