Michael Kitt (Fianna Fail)

I welcome the Minister. As a resident of the BMW region I am glad of the opportunity to discuss this issue, which we have raised a number of times. I would like to repeat what Senator MacSharry said about the 20th anniversary of the opening of Monsignor Horan International Airport, which is being celebrated today. At the time it was a great step forward in western development. As a Galway person I was a bit jealous at the time that it was not in Galway. The great vision of Monsignor Horan and his committee ensured that this airport is making great progress.

I was chairman of Galway County Council in 1986 and was glad to represent the council on that day. The vision of Monsignor Horan and his committee is the type of vision that many people in the west have undertaken in developing projects and they have been supported by various Governments through the years. I agree with what other speakers have said. It has been difficult to make that progress because there was always some issue about infrastructure or communications. We were aware of what was happening in other parts of the country and there was always the opportunity to compare the east and west coasts.

I recall arguing with so-called experts who proposed that the Maynooth and Leixlip bypasses were positive developments. I can now see the benefits of it, especially in light of the first toll road from Kinnegad to Dublin. A similar point was made in the Minister's speech, to the effect that developments such as additional platforms in Heuston Station will provide an improved service from Galway, Westport and Ballina. We must consider the whole country, not the regions. There is an underspend in the BMW region and the north west and south east have been identified as regions in need of development.

As Senator Ulick Burke mentioned, Galway city has been successful, sometimes to the detriment of other parts of the county and the western region. Perhaps authorities in Galway are too greedy in the projects sought. We should be conscious of this and it is one of the reasons we supported the national spatial strategy, Tuam as a hub town and gateway towns along the west coast. One must have development in such towns or, in other words, put spokes on the wheel of the hub.

The provision of broadband, to which Senator Ulick Burke referred, has been disappointing. We suffered under the illusion that the ESB would undertake supply of broadband in Tuam but were let down. Other smaller towns received broadband ahead of Tuam. I attempted to raise this matter on the Adjournment but was told that I could not do so because I had raised it a few months ago and no new developments have taken place since. The lack of broadband is a problem throughout the BMW region.

In a manner similar to the group water schemes of days gone by, smaller communities have implemented the group broadband scheme. I live close to Mount Bellew, a small town that has provided broadband to its inhabitants. The vocational school in the town was the first vocational school in Galway with broadband. Similar schemes have been implemented in Ahascragh, Clonbrock and County Roscommon. The lack of broadband represents a gaping hole in development. Last week the Western Development Commission referred to 100% broadband coverage in Northern Ireland. We are starting from a low base in these matters.

Senator MacSharry is keen that a timetable for the western corridor rail line between Claremorris and Killooney be announced. Work has been carried out to clean up the line. The timetable announced is disappointing. I cannot believe the line from Ennis to Claremorris will not be completed until 2014. Work has begun on the Ennis section and I hope that the timetable, completing the line to Athenry in 2009, Tuam in 2011 and Claremorris in 2014, will be improved. Otherwise, the completion of the line as far as Sligo will be further delayed.

The provision of natural gas must also be examined. Differing timetables have been suggested for its completion. Gort was not included in the scheme but I hope gas can be provided in a different way. Perhaps the Government can give a definitive answer on this issue.

I am concerned about the future of agricultural colleges. I have raised the need to broaden the courses offered in such colleges. Staff at Mount Bellew, an excellent college run by the Franciscan order, seek to teach trades such as plastering and brick-laying. This should be funded to broaden the education of people in those colleges. FÁS should be more supportive than it has been in the past. Third level colleges are supportive of such courses but FÁS needs to provide training for these trades, which are important skills for the farmers of the future.

I have raised the disappointing progress of the decentralisation of the National Roads Authority to Ballinasloe previously. Little progress has been made in this, particularly in comparison with the road safety authority in Loughrea and the Railway Safety Commission in Ballinasloe. The NRA is busy, as evidenced by any drive through the country. If the NRA will not be transferred to Ballinasloe, this must be made clear and another agency or section of a Department must replace it. Ballinasloe is growing and in recent months a company called USCI Japan Limited has relocated to the town. Decentralisation would be a vote of confidence that would build on the success of this development.

Water and sewerage schemes in the BMW region deserve particular attention. I had hoped this would happen under the national spatial strategy. Major water and sewerage developments have taken place in Galway city. Much money was spent on the controversial Mutton Island project. I cannot understand why schemes in many towns and villages, costing approximately €2 million, have not been approved. The Minister has stated he will approve any schemes costing less than €5 million but unfortunately this programme is making slow progress. Although some have been approved for next year, no small scheme has been approved for Galway this year. In Ballinasloe, councillors used development levy moneys to promote a scheme that was urgently needed. I compliment the councillors from all parties who took this decision, costing €1.5 million.

I hope that all issues highlighted will receive attention. Money is available and the implementation of these schemes would be welcome. Many announcements have been made, which is a positive step. At this stage, we have done all the studies that can be done, having almost blown our minds on them. Most important is to get the funding announced. I hope that timetables can be improved, especially regarding train services, so that we need not wait until 2014 to get a train from Ennis to Claremorris.