Tom Hayes (Tipperary South, Fine Gael)

The discussion of the Finance Bill in the House is always very important and significant issues arise over expenditure. There has been a considerable debate for some time on the economy and reference was made to talking it down or up. I am not one who likes to talk anything down. I do not like that kind of politics and have never subscribed to it, but the reality is that everybody knows the economy is not as strong as it was and that this has repercussions. A very simple example is the decrease in the number of applications for planning permission submitted to local authorities over the past year. The figures for this January and February will point to the biggest drop ever, at least in my constituency. This will have major repercussions for local authorities and those engaged in certain activities but we must all work together to ensure the economy is kept as strong as possible, particularly for the next generation. People trying to buy houses could not afford to do so and in this regard the slowing down of the housing market will benefit many young people. If circumstances were to remain the same, there is no doubt that most would not be able to afford a house, even if they had very good jobs.

The budget presented in December highlighted many issues that one would like to address, one of which is broadband. Reference has been made to how essential broadband is and there is nothing more scandalous than the delay in rolling it out. Reference has been made to creating jobs in rural economies and in this regard Deputy Thomas Byrne mentioned the many people, including fathers, who want to work from home. There are many such people but the reality is that broadband is not available to the vast majority. Let me cite an example. I downloaded an item in my constituency office in Cashel last week and it took a minute and a half to do so. The same information had to be inputted into the computer in my own home, where there is no broadband, but this took 27.5 minutes. There is no broadband in my locality. How can people compete in this kind of environment? How can we create jobs if we are to ignore the roll-out of broadband on such a considerable scale? The reality is that a significant number would work from home if there was improved broadband provision. We hear every day, particularly from the Green Party, about our responsibilities in regard to energy conservation, reducing emissions from motor vehicles and so on. The reality is that the Government, because it has failed to provide for adequate broadband provision, is driving people in every town, village, parish and townland who wish to work at home into their cars. We are promised day after day and week after week that there will be access. Private operators are advertising the availability of broadband throughout the State but people who try to connect to it find they cannot do so. Is the Government in charge when it comes to ensuring access to broadband? It is time people had access to a facility they so badly need. I call on the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources and his Green Party colleagues, in particular, to ensure this is done.

There are other issues that will have an impact on people's lives. I will focus on those relevant to my own constituency of Tipperary South. Before Christmas, 150 jobs were lost at the Bulmers cider-making operation in Clonmel. This was a long-established, successful operation but the company found it difficult to overcome cost and overhead issues. Last week, 91 jobs in a radiator manufacturing plant were transferred to Wales. No Minister visited south Tipperary to see at first hand what the workers and their families were enduring. I did not even see a Minister making a comment on the issue on television. Why have these jobs been transferred across the water? Is the Government tuned in to what is happening? It cannot sit idly by and allow such developments.

A new educational facility for Clonmel, the Tipperary Rural and Business Development Institute, TRBDI, was promised some ten years ago. A small facility was put in place and proposals are before the Department to follow through on this project, but nothing further has happened. I ask the Minister of State to communicate to the relevant Minister the benefits that could arise for the local community from the TRBDI development. We will knock on the Minister's door to ensure the college is developed. I listened to Deputy Byrne speak about all the third level institutions in Dublin which can be accessed by people in County Meath. People in County Tipperary, however, must travel hundreds of miles to avail of third level education and are then faced with accommodation costs. Does this represent fair and balanced regional development?

The figures prove that Tipperary town is one of the poorest in the State. It is crying out for a bypass. We were promised by successive Ministers that this project would be included in the roll-out of infrastructural developments. It is necessary to sift through all the press releases, launches and meeting reports before one discovers this project is only at design stage. I urge the Government to ensure it is implemented under the next transport plan. The town badly needs a bypass to assist with its development.

In view of the job losses in Clonmel, I submitted a parliamentary question last week asking whether the IDA had brought any potential investors to visit sites in County Tipperary in the last 12 months. I was amazed to discover that the answer was no. Despite all the meetings in which Government agencies have engaged and the addresses to urban councils and various bodies and authorities, no potential investor has been brought to County Tipperary. The IDA has 50 acres of land in Clonmel ready to be developed. In the meantime, jobs are being lost. Will the Minister invite the IDA to come and see what the people of County Tipperary need?

I am pleased to have had an opportunity to speak on the Finance Bill. We should focus in the next 12 months on ensuring there will be access to broadband for those who desperately need it. People are spending an inordinate amount of time logging onto network connections because broadband is not available to them. Progress is urgently required.

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