Seán Kyne (Galway West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State for her comprehensive reply. Connemara Community Radio, based in Letterfrack, has applied for the community services programme and I am hopeful we will get good news in that regard. It is important that the Minister of State, Deputy Ann Phelan, would relay to the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government, Deputy Alan Kelly, that the pressure should be kept on to ensure a comprehensive package is provided. Connemara Community Radio provides a hugely successful programme for €89,000. It provides an excellent service for local people and the diaspora. An overall package could be provided for a relatively small amount. I hope the provision of a small, extra amount could be found in either the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government or the Departments in which the Minister of State serves.

I am sure the Minister of State, Deputy Ann Phelan, is familiar with beautiful Connemara and Letterfrack, which has a long history, not all of it positive. In the past 40 years the community has set up initiatives such as Connemara West and forums involved in projects such as the community radio. A lovely campus is located in the Ellis Hall in Letterfrack which houses several groups, including a GMIT furniture college. As a result, the village hosts 500 students and a very successful local radio station. I hope that through the efforts of the Minister of State, Deputy Ann Phelan, and the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government, Deputy Alan Kelly, we can ensure there is a package for Connemara Community Radio from January that will allow it to continue to deliver its important programme.

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