Michael Collins (Cork South West, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the national remote work strategy announced this week. I certainly welcome anything that will help boost the number of people coming back into rural Ireland. There is a planning issue in this regard that needs to be addressed. People come to, work in and build homes in rural communities. When they apply for planning permission, it is refused. Grounds are being dezoned in Clonakilty, which will be a disaster for the town and the rural area surrounding it.

There is also the issue of broadband. Is the Tánaiste not going to support the set-up of wireless broadband? He told me in an answer to my question approximately three weeks ago that it would take five to seven years to roll out broadband in rural towns and villages. We need a wireless operating system that can be rolled out immediately and we need the Tánaiste’s support on this for this plan to work.

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