A CALL was made this week for direct Government intervention to ensure that the West of Ireland does not Iag further behind in the key area of connection to Broadband - Independent Councillor Seosamh Ó Cuaig said that lack of Broadband connection was badly holding up development in western counties.

He pointed to the fact that in Northern Ireland was now boasting of 100 per cent Broadband penetration this, he said, was due to the fact that the British Government had deided to act; it had invited tenders for the rollout of broadband, had received 27 tenders, and had then chosen British Telecom to carry out the ork.

CALL CENTRE PLEA Údarás na Gaeltachta are trying to get a "Call Centre" set up in Carna and they are looking for planning permission to re-design an empty factory for that purpose. The factory is known as the "Nivektron" factory on the Industrial Estate and was open for a while a few years ago but it failed. Now the Údarás want to tum the factory into a unit that would be suitable for a "Call Centre" and they also plan to hold a training course for some scores of people. Further details about this will be announced later. However, they will then need to attract a company to Carna that will actually establish the Centre. Sources in the Údarás say they are intent on trying to find some company that will corne and local Údarás Board member, Seosamh Ó Cuaig says that this would be a good development for the area from Camus to Roundstone. "But we are not there yet and it will be bard to find the company," he added. The Carna and west Connemama Gaeltacht bas been very badly hit by unemployment - up to 30% - and it has become a crisis area for Údarás na Gaeltacbta. It appears that the Udarás has now decided that something is needed soon, bowever, a top class Broadband system is usually needed for "Call Centres" and that is another question that has to be dealt with. An Cúradh Chonnachtach - 26/5/2006

While Northern Ireland could Ioast of 100 per cent pnetration, he said, the work on rollout was proceeding impossibly slowly throughout whole areas of the west. That was the reason be was demanding that the Government act directly to speed-up the rollout. It was time to stop accepting excuses from Eircom, he said, about rollout.

Councillor Ó Cuaig quoted Enterprise Minister, Angela Smith, saying recently in relation to Broadband rollout in Nortbern Ireland: "This is a significant achievement for Northern Ireland to Iead Europe in Broadband availability. Every household, business, school and library in Nortbern Ireland wiII be able to access Broadband regardIess of their location." This was the reason, Councillor Ó Cuaig said, that he had raised the issue with Údarás na Gaeltachta and with the Border Midland and Western Assembly - he Is a member of both bodies - and he was asking Údarás, as a body tasked with development in Gaeltacht areas, to make a submission to Government on the issue.

Councillor Ó Cuaig, who bas been campaigning for some time for action to be taken by the Irish government to ensure that Broadband coverage be available to every home and company in the country, said that at both meetings (BMW and Údarás) he had proposed that speakers should be invited from the North of Ireland to deal with how blanket Broadband coverage could be achieved in the Republie.

Clir. Ó Cuaig said that bis proposais had received cross party support.

"The reality is that in the North of our country they have been boasting blanket Broadband coverage for some considerable time now. It is time we learned from their experience. No one denies that the privatization of Eircom bas seriously disrupted the availability of Broadband in the Republic and the further sale of our principle telecommunication asset yesterday would appear to be another setback for Broadband coverage.

"Economists are warning that the lack of widespread Broadband coverage Is impatting on the economy, it is time the government took action; the govemment must intervene in the market in the interests of the consumer, in the interests of the country.

"We have a lot to learn from our counterparts in the North, that is why I have proposed that we get their experts to help us overcome this major weakness in our infrastructure."

An Cúradh Chonnachtach - 26/5/2006