Mr. Jerry Lundy:

It is a great pleasure to be in front of this committee to hear the comments of members. We are working with the Committee of the Regions to address many of the issues that have already been mentioned, including broadband and Brexit. The committee is working as an Irish team at EU level to represent our country and speak on behalf of regional assemblies and local county councils on issues that are relevant to local and regional authorities. We give regular updates on the work we are doing.

I would like to comment on some of the issues that have been raised by Senator Leyden. Broadband is a significant issue in rural areas. I had the great opportunity of bringing in an opinion on the mid-term review of the Atlantic strategy, which involves creating sustainable jobs in coastal regions. Young people in coastal regions in Ireland and throughout Europe are drifting into major urban areas. It was discovered during the course of the research I was doing that every year, 50 million people move from rural areas to urban areas.

The effect is that, by 2050, the United Nations predicts that 68% of the world population will live in cities. That is unsustainable. Through the Committee of the Regions and my opinion which has been adopted by it, we are trying to create sustainable communities in coastal, island and outermost regions. If, owing to the lack of broadband and good infrastructure, young people continue to drift into urban areas and cities, we will lose heritage in these coastal regions. We will lose our folklore and possibly our language and skills and, if that happens, all of the other services that are available such as schools, football clubs and post offices will close and we will have an entire generation that will have been removed from these areas. It is not just happening in my home area of County Sligo, it is also affecting regions in France, Spain, Portugal, Scotland and Wales. Of course, we are going to lose the United Kingdom, one of the great maritime nations. We will lose its skills in boat building from the European Union, which will create problems for us. I see the problems Brexit will cause in County Sligo, a Border county from which so many cross the Border into Enniskillen to work. People from Enniskillen come to Sligo and Manorhamilton to work and there are also cross-Border health issues. I live in Tubbercurry which is exactly halfway between Enniskillen and Galway. So many people are going to the new hospital in Enniskillen to access health services, which will create problems.

I thank members for their comments. As an island nation, North and South, we must work together in friendship. I hope the news that will come on Brexit will be good for the country.