Frank Feighan (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

A little over two weeks ago I attended the funeral service of Ms Lyra McKee, the young lady whose life was taken in Creggan. At the service I experienced the most powerful 80 seconds of my past ten years when Fr. Martin Magill asked why, in God's name, did it take the death of a 29-year-old woman with her life in front of her to get to this point. He sent a challenge, especially to the two main parties in Northern Ireland, Sinn Féin and the Democratic Unionist Party, to get together and get the institutions at Stormont up and running. The interruption in power-sharing has gone on for more than two years. In memory of that very brave young journalist, something should be done. I know the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade is up there as well.I hope the two parties can get together, along with the other members of the council, and that we can get the Stormont Executive up and running. This interregnum has gone on for far too long. I accept that there have been difficulties on both sides but I hope that, in memory of Lyra McKee, sense will prevail.

The €3 billion for the roll-out of broadband has been discussed. I very much welcome the decision in this regard on behalf of those who live in rural Ireland. For far too long, people have been stating that rural Ireland is dead and buried. One cannot get a house now in most towns and villages because of the number of people who are moving to rural Ireland. Broadband infrastructure is badly needed. It has been stated that if somebody is in a house in Mayo or Roscommon, he or she will not be taking up an office in Dublin or spending time commuting here. This balance to the regional divide that has happened over the past 20 years is very welcome. A man stated on Midwest Radio earlier today that this year people spent €44 million on Easter eggs in one month. The amount for broadband is just two months' worth of Easter eggs for the next 30 years, but people are complaining about it. Let us get things in order here. The economy is going extremely well. While we do not like losing or spending money, this infrastructure is badly needed by those in rural Ireland. I will not stand by and listen to populist politicians who shout that rural Ireland is dead and buried and yet give out that we are not delivering. This Government has delivered €3 billion. In five, ten or 20 years' time, we will see this infrastructure, which will be like that relating to the electrification of the west.