The Fine Gael policy lab is looking at the issue of how we will have vibrant rural communities in a changing world. One of the things that has come from it very strongly is the value of the connected hubs the Minister established. There is a belief they have greater potential. Will the Minister examine how they could open for longer hours, become virtual platforms for local produce, support voluntary mobility initiatives, support connections for people who have retired and want to join them, look at fostering social enterprise and become information hubs? There is a belief they have an awful lot more potential than has been fully developed so far.

I agree there is more we can do on our connected hubs. We now have a wonderful network. We are one of the first, certainly in Europe if not globally, to have such a network of hubs throughout our country. In fact at an OECD conference Ireland was singled out as being leaders in this field. The Deputy is right that there is more we can do. I asked the Western Development Commission, which manages the connected hubs platform on behalf of the Department, to look at how we can maximise the use of these hubs because they are great assets to any town or village because they bring footfall to rural areas and allow people to work remotely. When the Deputy was Minister for communications he signed that broadband contract and that has been a game-changer in rural Ireland. It, together with connected hubs, is making a real difference.