Seán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister. What she is clearly articulating to me, so that I can report back to the people who have made representations to me, is that the €5 million connected hub funding does not apply to a person or entity trying to start from scratch and that it is for pre-existing infrastructure. This is what the Minister is clarifying. If this is the case, we will advise accordingly in respect of locations where people want to create something in the community where people can come together in appropriate locations, which are not necessarily community facilities and might be privately owned facilities, such as pubs, for instance. There is now massive potential for such connectivity and bringing people together - I will not say in an unorthodox way - in a way reimagining what the local pub would look like. If the Minister is telling us there is scope for connectivity in such circumstances we would welcome it.

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