Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I have no difficulty with the tone of the Minister's comments and what he is saying. I ask for a more specific plan, which is what the Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht asked for because of the vacuum and challenges facing the islands and the drop the population. This is urgent and all Departments must play a role.

I welcome the broadband plan, but not the price of broadband. I would like more specific timescales for broadband on the islands. Aside from broadband, there are many other issues, as the Minister said, including energy. The island and communities are coming forward to outline the challenges and solutions and to ask for help. The Department is weak in terms of interface from that point of view. When will the Minister's Department have a report ready in response to the request from the Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht as an input into policy?

See this speech in context