Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

A big issue, which we discussed earlier, is that of broadband. We are having some success in the roll out of broadband, particularly with the announcement last week of interest in competing or tendering for its future development, which is very important. A simple thing that has been a big help to local communities - I do not know if it is a big issue in the Deputy's area, but it is in mine - is the local improvement scheme, LIS. It is a very simple scheme that helps people to get in and out of their houses or boreens. These people pay for their water supply and they pay property and other taxes but the State does not provide any real services for them. The one thing that they ask for is the local improvement scheme. There are other schemes in my Department, including the CLÁR programme and the rural regeneration scheme, which we are excited about and which closes on Thursday. We will see how many applications for that come in from across the country. This targets investment in rural areas and I hope we will see some very good projects come in as part of that scheme. We hope adjudication on that scheme will be complete by November and that next year there will be a draw down of some of that funding and jobs created on the back of it. The town and village scheme is another scheme that has worked well. I have given the examples of Drumshanbo and Skibbereen but there are many other examples around the country where there have been digital, food and enterprise hubs and where people have broadband which gives them the opportunity and the start they need.

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