Pat O'Neill (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Ann Phelan, to the House. The two of us were elected for the first time in 2004 in the same electoral area, Thomastown in County Kilkenny. We were again elected in 2009. When she was elected to the Dáil in 2011, I was elected to the Seanad six weeks later. However, I have not been offered a Ministry since she was appointed Minister of State.
This is an important debate because 60% of our population of 4.6 million is rural. The report is important because there is more to Ireland than Dublin. Professor Suzi Jarvis of CEDRA spoke at a conference in October 2013 and stated:

If we are to pull Ireland out of recession faster, and also reduce the brain drain leaving the country to seek out work, then we now need to home in on the regions. We need to provide 'on the ground' supports for people in rural communities. This is so they can create ideas and spot opportunities to develop enterprises. The positive spin-offs could be new job creation at the local level, taking people off the dole, and generating local wealth that feeds back into rural economies.

As I said, our population is mostly rural. As the Minister of State and others pointed out in this House, rural Ireland suffered more than any other region during our economic decline in recent years. As has been said, there was a 192% increase in unemployment in rural areas by comparison with a 114% increase in urban centres.
Many have pointed out what keeps rural Ireland going. People have said that €1 million in a fund may not be much, but it is very important that the Minister of State, who has connections with up to seven Departments and Ministers, lobby for moneys in other areas.
SMEs employ 134,000 people directly, and 250,000 when indirect employment is accounted for. It is just not a matter of big companies such as Google and Facebook, which are necessary, because we should consider also the number of people employed overall by SMEs that employ under ten people each. The Government has tried to support these SMEs. It is important that resources return to rural Ireland. One cannot locate a company such as Google or Intel in the middle of a rural area because infrastructure is required but an SME can set up there.
Financial supports have been announced by the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Deputy Richard Bruton, including access to credit through the micro-finance fund, into which €90 million has been placed for small businesses. The fund will result in the giving of loans of €25,000 to people setting up a new business. The credit guarantee scheme will guarantee credit. There is a fund of €450 million and 75% is guaranteed to banks. Therefore, if people get credit, 75% is guaranteed by the Government. Therefore, it may be easier for people to gain access to credit.
The crucial issue, which many have touched on today, is broadband. Unless we can get proper broadband into rural areas, we will not attract SMEs, industry or jobs. The report states all broadband speeds should be up to 30 Mb by the end of 2015. I hope that is not a dream. I welcome the Government investment programme for broadband. Senator Landy pointed out that 700,000 homes may not be able to avail of the investment. It is important that the Minister of State lobby the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources to continue with the rolling out broadband to rural areas. The only major piece of infrastructure built in the country in the past few years has been at Newlands Cross. It is important that infrastructure be built in rural areas also and that roads be improved.
Water is always in the news. Unless we have access to clean water, we will not able to attract businesses. Intel is the biggest user of water in County Kildare. In County Kilkenny, when the county council and IDA Ireland invested €12 million in a new water scheme for the south of the county, it resulted in the Belview plant for Glanbia, which will employ 2,500 people directly and indirectly. That is supporting rural Ireland. It is important, therefore, that infrastructure be made available.
I did not get to mention tourism. We have to support regional airports and get people out of Dublin. We have to support the airports at Knock, Shannon, Kerry and Cork to ensure people come out-----