Conor Murphy
Industrial and Commercial Panel · Sinn Féin · Ireland
“Given the complex legal issues the appeals would involve, such as the interaction of legal residency, habitual residency and social housing support, it would have been better to have one single, independent appeals office located within the Housing Agency, similar to how social welfare operates.”
“I move amendment No. 16: In page 16, after line 39, to insert the following: “(i) the household or members of the household were refused access to emergency homeless accommodation provided under Section 10 of the Housing Act 1988”. I will speak to amendment Nos. 16 and 17.”
“I move amendment No. 19: In page 17, to delete lines 12 to 16 and substitute the following: “(6) A social housing appeal shall be made to an independent appeals office located within the Housing Agency within 28 days of the notification by the housing authority to the household concerned of the making of a determination in respect of the…”
“In relation to this Bill, the amendment seeks that the habitual residence conditions do not act as a barrier to those who have perhaps not worked here or have been resident here but have worked away for all of their lives and do not have a history of paying into the State or have a history of employment here but are Irish residents but pe…”
“I move amendment No. 2: In page 6, between lines 4 and 5, to insert the following: “(5) Within twelve months of the commencement of this Bill the Minister for Housing shall lay before the Houses of the Oireachtas a report on the implications of Part 2 of the Bill for returning Irish migrants, and in particular those Irish citizens returni…”
“The intentions behind this Bill may well have been good but the delivery of it has left a lot to be desired. One of the issues that came up during dialogue has nothing to do with migrants but concerns people from Ireland who have been working away abroad all of their lives and with to come home to retire.”
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“The investment of the resources is necessary but, equally, so are the lessons learned from past failures in infrastructure developments. Clearly, that is one of the issues that is going to help us in future in meeting economic challenges which the Minister has outlined going right back to Brexit, Covid-19 and all of those, with there being no sign and no real sense that these kinds of economic challenges are going to go away any time soon. In trying to meet that, there is a correct focus on competitiveness, but all of the things that need to be delivered to try to underpin and support that focus then are necessary. The revitalisation of town centres is important for small businesses. We need to be more supportive of businesses.”
“In doing that, it is a question of applying the resources that are necessary to do that, but it is also a question of a having a long hard look at what have been the failures of major infrastructure. We can cite many examples of difficulties in delivering major infrastructure projects. While the Minister for Finance referred earlier to the resource that is going to be attached to supporting that development strategy, there also must be a look at what were the barriers and what were the hold-ups. Is it planning? Is it the capacity of people who are tasked with major infrastructure projects? Is it in the Civil Service? Are there bottlenecks or constipation that are holding up major decisions on infrastructure?”
“The ambition in terms of investment in climate change, energy and renewable energy must be about self-sufficiency, lower energy costs across the board and ensuring those big users and those who intend to be big users in the future pay their way in terms of that necessary national investment. There are other significant challenges in infrastructure and other Senators have mentioned them. Housing is a challenge, not just in terms of the impact on our population but also on competitiveness. Other critical infrastructure was mentioned by Senator Fitzpatrick, including water infrastructure and roads. There is a recognition, not just here but across Europe, that we have fallen behind relative to people who are in competition with us across the globe.”
“It would be remiss not to consider a national strategy even though technically it is in a different jurisdiction, but its impact and its potential impact across the island is significant and it is a significant company. I hope there would be some consideration of that. On the overall approach, there is a recognition that, to improve competitiveness, we need investment in infrastructure. That includes climate change and energy infrastructure. One of the critical things we are facing is the cost of energy, the impact that has on the cost of doing business today and the impact that has on the cost of living, because those costs and increasing costs are undoubtedly passed on to consumers.”
“We do need people with PhDs and we need research and development and innovation, but we also need to make sure that, at a very base level, we improve on skills and give people a chance to become more economically active and to make more of a contribution to the growth of the economy and to productivity. Investment in talent here, in skills and in bringing people into more levels of economic activity is important. The focus on SMEs is welcome. I saw the reference to the national semiconductor strategy and that is important. Has there been an engagement? We have one of the leading semiconductor companies not two miles from the Border with Seagate Technology in Derry, whose workforce is very largely a north-western workforce.”
“I welcome the Minister's reference to developing the indigenous enterprise base because one of the criticisms or concerns about the economy is the narrowness of that, particularly relating to tax return, the narrowness of the economic base and the lack of diversity, not just of sectors but also regional diversity. That development of the indigenous base while continuing to attract investment and FDI is still incredibly important. The Minister referenced talent from abroad. Regarding investment and competitiveness, we must also invest in our own people and skills. That is not just at the high end.”
“While the Minister rightly recognises that, in terms of competitiveness, Ireland is doing quite well, the Draghi report in Europe shows in the overall picture in Europe, to which we are not immune, that there is some catch-up to be done in that regard. I welcome that the Minister is bringing forward an action plan on competitiveness and productivity and bringing that to a summit that is to meet in July and then to be developed and published. That will be very welcome. I made the same point to the Minister for Finance this morning that we are in a space now where there must be action taken quickly. There have to be plans developed, action taken quickly and the resources attached to deliver on those plans.”
“I welcome the Minister. I am speed reading through the Minister's statement to try to respond to a few points on it. We had a similar conversation with the Minister for Finance this morning relating to the economic outlook statement and there is quite a lot of overlap in the issues that apply and a recognition that things do need to change and there are vulnerabilities. We were less than ten years out from the economic crash when were into Brexit, the pandemic, the cost-of-living crisis, the cost of energy crisis and now we are into the uncertainty caused by the new American Administration and the idea of tariffs and trade disruption across the world. Many of the things that the successful economy here were built on are now exposed to even more vulnerability.”
“It is something that with more encouragement and support can become a very significant factor and assist what needs to be done with the economic model on this part of the island but across the island more generally.”
“There is a lot of collaboration between the academic institutions and colleges, and there are training opportunities there as well. In terms of investing in competitiveness and getting a more reasonable balance and more of an economic mix in terms of the enterprise right across the island, all of those factors are very necessary. I look forward to continuing the discussion at committee level, both today and into the future, about that. The warning signals that have been there for some time are now entering red alert territory. The time for action has long passed. There are some ideas in this for doing that but we need to move with haste and consider the all-Ireland potential, not just for the sake of doing that but also given that the all-Ireland economy is already developing.”
“The Minister will know we invested more in InterTradeIreland, and that was supported by the Government here as well, to try to give them more resources to do the work they need to do. Through things like the Shared Island Fund, there is also an opportunity to invest more in skills and in people. Investment in infrastructure is one way to improve competitiveness but we have to invest in people. It is important at the high level that we have PhDs, and research and development and innovation needs support, but those who are economically less active need support to get the requisite skills to make a contribution to the economy as well. It is a balance between ensuring that investment. There are opportunities right across the island.”
“One other point that is worth making but is not mentioned in the Minister's remarks - I know from my own engagement in a previous role that he is very enthusiastic in engaging in North-South work - is the trade between North and South and South and North, which has gone up sevenfold since the Good Friday Agreement was signed. It offers a way to create more diversity in how the economic model works, to create more opportunities and more prosperity across the island, and to see what areas are ripe for growth. The further north and the further west you go, you see that there is growth potential there. It also offers a way to encourage that support which is not just in terms of allowing and encouraging more trade.”
“In comparison to other competing countries, there has been a considerable lack of investment in infrastructure and a subsequent and consequent reduction in competitiveness. Clearly, that is something that needs to be critically addressed, not just here but across Europe. It is not simply a matter of adding more funds to that - obviously, funds are very welcome - but of analysing what has caused infrastructure delay, restriction, overspend and all of the associated problems we are all very familiar with in relation to significant infrastructure problems here. As well as money being applied, there will have to be a look at the system and how we deliver infrastructure as well.”
“A lot of focus is either on those large foreign direct investment companies or the companies that feed off them and provide services to them. The enterprise mix has been identified as being too narrow, in terms of sector but in terms of geography as well. There is much more that can be done in the time ahead to support our indigenous businesses, encourage them into exporting, encourage them to be more productive and more competitive - I know that has been a feature of the discussion so far - and to try to make sure that is replicated across the country. On competitiveness, the Minister highlighted the Future Ireland Fund and the Infrastructure, Climate and Nature Fund in his remarks. Of course, it is necessary for our own competitiveness. It is not a problem unique to Ireland. It has been seen across Europe.”
“The uncertainty will not go away, regardless of where we are with tariffs. They have been up and they have been down. Different propositions have been withdrawn and others have then been floated with even more irrational outcomes. I agree with the Minister's assessment that this idea of tariffs and that type of war with tariffs is disruptive for everyone. The EU and Ireland have been taking the correct approach of preparing for the worst while trying to negotiate a more sensible approach to all of this. Nonetheless, that volatility will continue; not just with the American Administration but also with other geopolitical events and developments. It is one thing to look at the narrow tax base but there have also been concerns raised about the narrowness of the enterprise mix in Ireland.”
“The economic shocks brought by that were followed by the war in Ukraine, the onslaught in the Middle East and now the advent of a new administration in America with very destructive trading policies. There has been one economic shock after another. Increasingly, this economic model which the Minister draws attention to - I know other documents have drawn attention to it - shows our reliance on a lot of eggs being in the one basket in terms of foreign direct investment. Evermore, that vulnerability is being highlighted. While that has been highlighted for some time, the requirement for committed action to look at the economic model itself and that vulnerability around it is growing and the need to take steps to try to address that becomes evermore imperative in the immediate future.”
“I welcome the Minister and apologise for not being here for his opening statement. Like many other Members here, I am juggling committee responsibilities with speaking in the House. In that regard, I know we will have an opportunity to speak to him at the committee later on today. I have had an opportunity to read his remarks and I just wanted to make a few remarks in response to them. Clearly, there is a growing recognition of the vulnerability of the Irish economic model and the prospects there are for fiscal returns in relation to that. That has long been recognised. We are not just hitting economic shocks now - I am not suggesting the Minister is saying that - but really we have been experiencing them since Covid.”
“There is much that can be done in terms of ethical procurement that can produce so much social good, not just for the people who live in this jurisdiction but for those across the world.”
“There is a responsibility on the Government, as one with ethical standards, to ensure those standards are translated into its buying power, to make sure ethical considerations become a part of public procurement, and that that, in turn, becomes a direction for all public bodies to make sure what the Government does filters down to everyone spending public funds and to make sure those ethical considerations are brought into play. I look forward to seeing the paper - I know work on it was published in March - and to have an opportunity to engage further on it. I am sure that will be the case in both Houses. There are some very good ideas and a determination to get a centralised direction on all of this.”
“There is also an opportunity, which is not discussed in the statement so much, relating to ethical procurement. The Government is a big buyer of goods and services, not only within the State, but from other parts of the world. I noted the statements yesterday of the Tánaiste and the Taoiseach and some statements this morning in this House regarding issues in the Middle East and some of the challenges they are presenting. However, there are issues across the world regarding exploitation of workers and resources.”
“We took the procurement guidance notes to the Executive to get its imprimatur . That meant it was a requirement across all government departments and public bodies and not just guidance. There was also an opportunity for the awarding of preferred contracts to social enterprises to provide services, so that they alone were tendering for that particular service and to give them a preferred status. There are opportunities for this review to go much further and to use some of the powers available to the Minister of State to make sure that, rather than just giving information to people to secure contracts, which is very important because you want to have a level playing field in that regard, to actually go much further and make it a requirement for others to secure contracts that they have social clauses attached.”
“Procuring services from social enterprises could be part of it, as well as providing apprenticeships and work opportunities for long-term unemployed people, along with social and environmental benefits. There was no prescriptive order to it, but we ensured the social enterprise sector created a directory of services to allow contractors to readily engage with those they needed to acquire services from to meet that 10% requirement, which, as I said, it is hoped will move to 20%. That is not a legal requirement. Senator Craughwell made the point that these things appear to be guidance. What they need is the Cabinet's approval in order that they become a requirement for each Department. Guidance can be taken and ignored or played around with in terms of flexibilities in it.”
“The board involved people from the private sector who tendered for contracts, social enterprises and the voluntary and community sector, as well as civil servants from procurement functions within a number of Departments, and we came together and established an agreement whereby anyone who secured a Government contract had to at a minimum pay a living wage as set by the Living Wage Foundation. Government contracts could not be secured by anyone unless they paid that. There was also a requirement for people to reach 10% of the value of the contract to be dedicated to social clauses. The intention, and I understand the Department of Finance is working through this, is to move that to 20% of the value of all contracts being dedicated towards social clauses. That was the requirement if the contract was to be won.”
“That was one of the main lessons that arose from the Covid experience. The Minister of State mentioned social considerations. I would like to see if the review delves more deeply into that as it seems a vague concept. What are the social considerations? It seems to be it is about making sure social enterprises have more information on how to engage in procurement contracts and secure more contracts, and that is important and necessary, but much more can be done in this area. I chaired the procurement board north of the Border as then Minister of Finance.”
“In respect of the supply chain, the ability to encourage people to become involved in the production of goods is valuable. The Covid experience taught us one thing, which is that critical goods not being available to us at the time because they were cheapest in the Far East became a real issue for these islands. There was an opportunity then, which was availed of across the island, and I remember my own experience dealing with it, to get companies to repurpose and supply critical goods for our medical and health services to deal with Covid. Who knows when the next pandemic may come along? If lessons have been learned, we need to ensure public procurement supports. I realise raw materials and other resources are not so readily available on this island, but through procurement we can look at the issue of security of supply chains.”
“We need to ensure opportunities to learn lessons from the way things are procured, but also regarding the performances of people who procure Government contracts. Timely publication, particularly of bad procurement experiences, is vital to learning lessons. As the Minister of State said, there is enormous potential for doing public good in respect of procurement. By her own analysis, 20% of GDP is a significant amount of funds the Government is expending on buying services and goods which can be used to support Government policy in a range of areas. While the Government is trying to encourage people to do things, this a policy lever that is available. The Minister of State mentioned making sure SMEs and social enterprises have improved access and better information, and that is very important.”
“I welcome the Minister of State. It is an area I had some opportunity to deal with in a previous role that I had, when I was responsible for procurement in the Department of Finance in the North. Of course, one of the first considerations is value for money, as the Minister of State mentioned. We need to make sure that the system is not delivering inefficiencies. In that regard, an important aspect that does not seem to be emphasised in the Minister of State's statement is the need for timely production of information and data so people can see where contracts have strayed over and why and learn the lessons of some of the people who have secured contracts that are underperforming. It seems there is a long period until that information is available.”
“The benefits for the island are enormous. I look forward to continued engagement in this regard. There has been a lot of positive work done by both Departments, North and South, and I welcome the Minister's commitment to continue in that vein. More work needs to be done and I look forward to engaging with the Minister to ensure we can progress that as smoothly as possible.”
“There is a role for discussion between the Minister's own Department and the universities about the category into which students coming from the South fall. At the moment, they are competing with students from the North for places within the MASN cap system. There is an opportunity to look at placing them outside of that. That would create more revenue for universities in the North, given the financial constraints under which they operate, and create more opportunities for students from the South to go forward. I very much welcome the continued commitment to Magee campus and its expansion in Derry. I attended the first intake of the medical school. There were a number of students from the South on that postgraduate medical course, who, in turn, will return back to the health service in the South to practise when qualified.”
“Of course, engagement between CAO and UCAS will be critical in maintaining that momentum and in opening further discussions on admissions dates and clearing processes in order that students of all ages are provided with clear guidance and support at the earliest possible opportunity to enable them to make informed choices about the administration and admission processes. I am sure the Minister is aware, from conversations with colleagues on the other side of the Border, of the financial constraints under which the Department for the Economy is operating and the limitations on providing student places on what is known as the maximum aggregate student number, MASN, cap. This cap relates to the number of students who can be admitted to universities without hiking tuition fees.”
“That will alleviate some of the financial barriers which undoubtedly exist, and which others have mentioned, in the context of student hardship, the ability to access and stay in courses and to survive with the cost-of-living crisis that continues to bedevil us. With regard to access to doctoral study in the North, following recent changes to the postgraduate award scheme, PhD students from the South of Ireland will be eligible to receive a full stipend as well as the payment of tuition fees under the scheme. Previously, they were eligible for fee support only. That has been important. There has been significant progress in this regard. I hope we will see the numbers and the benefit from that in the next academic year and in the years to follow.”
“This review places students throughout the island on a more equal footing. That is a benefit to all academic institutions across the island, both North and South. There has been some progress on financial supports. Postgraduate students from the North studying in the South have been able to access the tuition fee loan, which improves their opportunities to access all of the universities and colleges on the island. There is work ongoing with the Students Loan Company in the North to make a similar loan available to students from the North studying part time undergraduate courses in the South.”
“Not having that exchange and ability is to the detriment of all students and to the island generally. A lot of that is down to bureaucratic changes that have created more barriers, of which I am sure the Minister is aware. This will require, as the Minister has already committed to, both Departments, North and South, working together, the universities and colleges working together and the admissions bodies working together to try to reduce some of those barriers. The review of A-level grade equivalencies undertaken by the Government has been welcome. Universities are beginning to apply that in the next academic year, which will lead to significant opportunity. Previously, those grades were not assessed in the same way, which led to differentials in the points awarded and the ability to access courses.”
“I welcome the Minister. I had the opportunity to hear him speak at Queen's University Belfast a number of weeks ago. I welcome his positive attitude in dealing with my former colleagues in the Department for the Economy and the current Minister, Caoimhe Archibald. I welcome the motion put before us today. One area it mentions is greater collaboration between North and South. The Minister will understand the importance of that. When I was a younger person, which is a long time ago, it was much easier. There was much more interchange of students going North to South and South to North. Certainly, the number of people from the North who went to colleges in Dublin was a significant percentage of the population. That number has reduced over, maybe, the past two generations.”
“I hope the vote that took place in the Assembly will give some impetus to this discussion. Its significance as regards where people are at on the northern side of the Border should not be lost on this democratic institution. I hope the Taoiseach and the Tánaiste will reflect on that and bring forward propositions to address this matter urgently.”
“I ask that the Leader bring the matter to the attention of the Taoiseach and the Tánaiste; that the Taoiseach and Tánaiste recognise that a democratic imperative has been created in the Assembly in respect of this matter; that they engage with the First Minister and others who are interested - and wide sectors in the North and across the island are interested - in this proposition; and that they move to reinstate the commitment they previously made to ensure voting rights for people north of the Border. I am not sure if that is doable this side of a presidential election. It is, however, deeply disappointing that something that was committed to was not delivered in the last mandate and that, it would seem, there is no intention of delivering on it in this one.”
“Yesterday, in the Assembly in Stormont, a majority of MLAs voted to call on the Government to extend voting rights in the presidential election to citizens in the North. The fact that a majority of MLAs elected in the North voted to support that proposition should not be underestimated. It was a significant vote. The First Minister has undertaken to speak to the Taoiseach in relation to the outcome of the vote.”
“Some years ago at the citizens assembly, there was a strong recommendation that the Government give consideration to introducing voting rights in presidential elections for Irish citizens north of the Border and potentially throughout the Irish diaspora. The Government at the time undertook to legislate to do that but it failed to do so in the last mandate. It has not appeared in the programme for Government in this mandate, which is doubly disappointing given there is a presidential election coming up in the autumn. There is a real sense of despair and of being let down among many citizens, particularly north of the Border, who had wished to have an opportunity to vote for the President who is, as his title decrees, the President of Ireland.”
“When the Government moves to undo the triple lock process, which protects neutrality, it will in turn undermine the United Nations, a critical international organisation involved in world peace and security. Given the genuine concerns that arise, I look forward to a debate on the issue that is free from scaremongering on imminent threats to communications and our seas and waterways. I am happy to engage in such a debate in a mature fashion in the future. I will now share my time with Senator Andrews.”
“It is important that the Government here continues to recognise the ongoing impact of Brexit and that the absence of the North from the EU, with the exception of it being in the EU market for goods, is still problematic for the island as a whole. The Government must also continue to give voice to that in the future, in particular when it has the Presidency. One way to mitigate the damage is to support observer status for MEPs elected north of the Border, which would not impact on the 14 seats in the rest of Ireland. It would be very welcome if the Government could raise that at the Council and try to offer support for that prospect. I listened to Senator Ahearn's contribution on neutrality. I am glad to hear he spoke passionately in defence of it.”
“Therefore, it is an area of continuing interest. The other issue I wish to mention is the free movement of tourists on the island. Despite multiple petitions to the British Government, including meetings in which I was involved, it has introduced an electronic travel authorisation process that is damaging to tourism on the island as a whole. Even when we presented evidence of potential damage gathered by Tourism Ireland, it still went ahead with its plan. As a consequence, we are already receiving anecdotal evidence of the damage to the tourism industry. While the Executive north of the Border still has its Brussels office, it does not have a presence other than that.”
“I also acknowledge the work InterTradelreland does in that respect. There are ongoing negative effects due to the continued outworking of Brexit. While the whole of Ireland is in the EU market for goods, which is important for manufactured goods and agrifood, tradeable services, which the Minister of State referenced as playing a key part in improved competitiveness, are not included. That is an important sector north of the Border. We also lost EU funding. It is very welcome that PEACEPLUS will continue for some years, which demonstrates the ongoing interest of Europe and its contribution to the island, but we are losing single farm payments, structural funds and access to EU workers. The lack of farm payments and access to EU workers are critical matters that damage the agrifood industry on the island.”
“Unlike the British Government at the time, the Government here and the EU played a very strong role in recognising the damage the process would have on Ireland. People like Michel Barnier, Maroš Šefčovič and others stepped up to negotiate in the interests of this island. That was of great benefit to us all, even though there are still issues arising. I acknowledge the work done by a previous Taoiseach, Enda Kenny, to secure the re-entry of the whole of the island into the European Union in the event of a successful unity referendum. That again demonstrates the interest the European Union has in the island as a whole, even with the development of Brexit. Part of that has been a significant organic growth in cross-Border trade from approximately €2 billion in 1998 up to €12.4 billion last year.”
“I welcome the Minister of State's presence here today and his statement celebrating Europe Day. Senator O'Loughlin correctly paid tribute to John Hume and his role in the European Union over many years. Many others from the North have done so since. It points to a tinge of regret that we must have in celebrating Europe Day that the part of the island he represented is no longer in the European Union, despite having voted to remain and being taken out against its wishes. A number of issues continue to flow from that, which are not just matters of interest north of the Border but to the whole island. When the Government takes up the Presidency next year it must be mindful of some of these issues. We have had the Brexit experience and the potential damage it did to the all-Ireland economy, in particular such sectors as agrifood.”
“There should be an understanding that this will continue to be a requirement for many people. We should continue to protect those services. The banks and the financial institutions should understand the view of the elected representatives in this regard and should work with the Government and the Central Bank to ensure that this provision continues.”
“We do not want to get to a situation where businesses begin to introduce card-only policies. Some of the problems related to continuing the digitalisation have been outlined by Senator Keogan and other speakers. The idea of a cashless society might be a tech dream but I do not think it is either necessary or wise. The dependency on the use of cash is more related to poverty than to age. We do not want to get to a situation where vulnerable people become even more vulnerable because of that dependency and their ability to use or access cash being interfered with in the context digital services. While it is necessary to keep pace with changes in technology and digitalisation, it is very important to protect some of the fundamentals which other Senators have outlined in terms of ensuring there is fair access to cash.”
“A number of pilot schemes have been carried out, some involving Bank of Ireland, to provide banking hubs in more rural areas. Such pilot schemes have been carried out in some of the smaller towns in County Down. This is something the Government and the Central Bank might consider in terms of collating those services and providing that for people. Some certainty is required in the legislation regarding future services, to make sure that closures are mitigated or regulated against to make sure that banks, as they digitalise and reduce the number of staff and branches, still recognise the need for access to those services across the country. They are an important part of how we do business. It is not just about the right of access to cash and services; it is also about the right to use cash.”
“As a rural dweller myself, like others who have spoken, I recognise that particular reliance on access to cash. The impetus in all of this is that continued access to services and to cash should continue to be local and convenient. I note the targets in the Bill to that end. Senator Byrne made the point that it should not be on the basis of unfair charges. Those become a penalty. This may not be the case for people who live in urban areas and those who have more access to digital services and the ability to carry them out. They have been grappling with the same issue north of the Border and I have some experience with it. It is a smaller geographic area but 95% of people there have free access to cash and to cash deposit and withdrawal services, within one mile in urban areas and three miles in rural areas.”
“I welcome the Minister of State. As we see an increase in the digitalisation of services in banking and finance, it is important that the Government keeps pace with this with legislation and regulation. There is no doubt that digital banking reduces the carbon footprint of journeys necessarily made to bank branches to do business and it is convenient for those who are competent in using digital services or who have access to Wi-Fi, but this does not relate to everyone in the country. It is important that when progress is being made in digitalisation, which I very much welcome, it does not leave people behind, isolated and separated from the ability to use those services. A recent survey carried out by the Department showed that 37% of people visit bank branches at least once a month. I think this is more the case in rural areas.”
“I welcome continued opportunities, and we will take whatever opportunities we can get to continue to make an input to this, but the consultation and opportunity for further input are limited and restricted. It is disappointing in a document with such far-reaching potential.”