Alice-Mary Higgins (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I apologise on behalf of Senator Grace O'Sullivan, who will be joining the new committee. She is not able to be here because she is stuck in transit at the moment. I thank the Minister for his speech, in which he displayed his passionate and detailed approach to all facets of life in our communities and in rural Ireland. When we consider these issues, it is important to look at all facets of what it means to be able to lead lives that are full of opportunities. People in rural areas should be able to enjoy as many aspects of life as people in the rest of Ireland. Far too often, the opportunities of people in rural communities have been constrained.

I will not speak in detail about the issues that have been touched on by previous speakers. The concerns in respect of broadband have been articulated clearly and strongly. I would like to add to what has been said about transport concerns by saying there is a lack of awareness of the 17 local link services that are being rolled out in this country. I might return to this issue. As others have said, the post office network, which is one of many networks that have kept all the communities on this island connected and working, is under threat. The great expressions of concern we have heard in this regard need to be reflected in the procurement decisions that are made in individual Departments. I refer, for example, to decisions on driving licences and television licences. There needs to be a long-term guarantee that social protection payments will continue to be made through our post offices.Those issues are being treated separately when, in fact, they comprise a composite issue in respect of which joined-up thinking is required with regard to whether we will have credible hubs for local services and for the State's engagement with citizens. Post offices have a role to play in this. I ask the Minister to deal with a core issue, namely, the need to examine public procurement policies and look at how we use State moneys to ensure that the best and most appropriate benefits are obtained. He and his Department are very well position to do this. One cannot reserve contracts for particular contractors, but there is still a question of recognising a qualitative aspect of procurement, namely, whether something creates additional benefits for societies and economies at local level.

An example to which the Minister referred in this regard relates to the investment in libraries. It is a source of great regret that the way in which the book-purchasing contract for libraries was rolled out precluded them from buying books from local bookshops or booksellers. This is what I mean when I refer to joined-up thinking. We need to have a discussion about public procurement policy - we have the scope to do this within the parameters of European regulations - in the interests of ensuring that we are using the most economically advantageous model and that we are taking account of qualitative as well as lowest-price indicators. It is very much within the Minister's power to identify those qualitative indicators and bring them to the fore.

Another area of concern - this does not quite relate to procurement but, rather, to a new dynamic in contracting - arises in respect of our network of community development services. Local development companies and community development services throughout the country - not just those in rural areas but also those in urban locations - have had a very difficult time. Invisible factors, namely, the 80-10-10 rule and other rules, often constrain the community development services in terms of the work they might have done previously in developing the social fabric because such a large portion of their energies have, at times, needed to be redirected towards employment and training. This has meant that many services for younger people and older people and those simply dedicated to keeping the fabric of communities healthy and vibrant have fallen away. In that climate, there is increasing concern about SICAP funding and other forms of funding. There is also concern regarding the fact that there is now a dynamic whereby competitive tendering processes are driving out some of the established services. I know that there are a number of services involved and I do not have a rosy-eyed view of every single one. I know, however, that there are very important community development services that really need to be considered. We need to look at these organisations and listen to the concerns they have been flagging for a long period regarding how stretched their services are and their capacity to be free to respond to community needs as they arise.

As we are now operating in a different economic climate and have different goals, I urge the Minister to bring together the community developments services from rural and urban areas and listen and talk to them about what they need to maintain the fabric of communities. This also issue relates to the RAPID programme and family resource centres. These make up the web that allows us to maintain a health country in which people can live proper lives. We need to ensure that we listen to those involved in terms of what it is that communities need in order to flourish.

I wish to address a number of other matters. One of these relates to services for older people. These services have also fallen somewhat by the wayside and the capacity relating to them has been diminished because the pressure has so often been on working age payments. There are certainly concerns when it comes to older people. Services such as wheels are essential in the context of keeping people connected. Again, the postal service has a key role to play, not just in respect of post offices but also in the context of keeping people connected by means of postal deliveries. Our transport networks are vital in ensuring that older people can lead full and dignified lives and participate in their communities. There is also a wider debate - I am sure the Minister will contribute to it - regarding appropriate home care services. We know that some of those who need care are also, in some cases, contributing at the same time. Older people, for example, have been the lifeblood of much of our volunteering network in this country.

In light of the time constraints, I will conclude my contribution by focusing on two issues. I would like the Minister to address the matter of the citizens information service network. I ask him to examine the transcripts of the discussions in which the Joint Committee on Employment Affairs and Social Protection has engaged on this matter. I am of the view that we are looking at measures that will endanger the very independence and community ethos of our citizens information service. I refer the Minister to the joint committee's report on this issue and ask him to place it on his agenda.

My very final point concerns youth unemployment which is, as others here have indicated, a huge issue. I worked with young unemployed people in rural County Wexford in the past. The south-east region and the midlands have the highest rates of unemployment in the country, coming in at more than 8% higher than the national average. At the time, I campaigned with those young people for a rural pilot of the European Youth Guarantee. There had already been a pilot project in an urban setting, but the challenges faced by young people seeking employment, education and training in rural settings are quite different. The State could really benefit from the piloting of a high investment project in order that we might learn from it.