Rural development fund should finance broadband upgrade

A SIGNIFICANT slice of Ireland’s €2 billion EU rural development fund should be ring-fenced to upgrade broadband in rural areas, an MEP said last night.

The €2.34 billion package was announced last week for rural development initiatives up to 2013. It will be directed into the Leader Programme and towards improving the competitiveness of farming and forestry, supporting agri-environment initiatives, improving the quality of life and diversification of the rural economy, supporting small businesses and providing basic services such as childcare facilities to help women re-enter the workplace. However, Fianna Fáil MEP Brian Crowley said last night that some of the money should be spent improving the availability of broadband. He was speaking before presenting a report on the future of the EU’s rural development measures to the UEN political group, of which he is president, and which is meeting in Cork until Thursday.

“I will be working very closely with both the Government and with the European Commission on agreeing exactly how the €2.34 billion will be spent in Ireland over the next seven years,” Mr Crowley said. “I do believe that a proportion of these monies should be spent on improving broadband availability in rural Ireland.”

The UEN will conduct its normal EU business in Cork over the next three days.

Debates and workshops will take place at the Kingsley Hotel that will ultimately inform and shape EU policy in a range of areas including transport, labour markets and Europe’s biofuel and biomass industry.

Finance Minister Brian Cowen addressed the group last night. Transport Minister Martin Cullen, and Junior Environment Minister Batt O’Keeffe will address a number of working group sessions in the coming days.