Paddy McHugh (Galway East, Independent)

The bottom line here is very simple because Tuam is designated as a hub town in the national spatial strategy. It has also been designated as a RAPID town for growth by Galway County Council. Does the Minister agree that growth cannot happen without fibre optic broadband? In his reply, the Minister of State indicated that Tuam has broadband. That is no excuse. It is like stating Ireland has a road network and then it transpires those roads are boreens in places where dual carriages are required.

Does the Minister of State agree this is a prime example of the disconnection between various Government strategies? The national spatial strategy designated Tuam as a hub town, and decreed that Government and State agencies would tailor and design their policies to underpin the national spatial strategy. In this case we find that Galway County Council made a submission to the Department for six towns in County Galway, five of which were approved. The one not approved was Tuam, which is the only one designated as a hub town in the entire county of Galway. Does the Minister agree that Tuam simply cannot achieve its potential, attract foreign direct investment or develop as envisaged in the national spatial strategy without fibre optic broadband? The Minister of State's Department refuses to allow Tuam to achieve its potential by not granting the installation of fibre optic broadband.

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