The latest update on the bringing of Broadband to Roundstone is that it looks like we will just have to wait for the government to roll out the service to areas that are not commercially viable to private service providers.

Up to now it seemed that Roundstone is too awkard to get broadband to and does not have the population or demand necessary to make it worthwhile.

The community council has been in contact with Minister Eamonn O'Cuiv on a number of occasions since September this year and they will continue to bring this matter up with him. Mr. O'Cuiv has spoken directly with Noel Dempsey, Minister of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources, and impressed upon him the difficulties that businesses in the Roundstone area are experiencing because of the lack of an affordable and secure broadband connection.

Three letters were presented to Minister O'Cuiv from local businesses along with a letter from the Roundstone Community Council on behalf of the Roundstone community stressing these difficulties and the opportunities that are being missed by the lack of broadband.

The Roundstone Community Council intends to pursue this matter with the ministers responsible until the situation has come to a satisfactory resolution. The council will be approaching more businesses and individuals in the Roundstone area to articulate their views in the form of individual letters and these will be passed on to Minister O'Cuiv's office.

If any person would like to help the cause by writing to the minister stating why Roundstone should have broadband, please send it to the Roundstone Community Council first, where we will pool it with a number of similar letters - this way the pressure can be kept on.

Broadband will be rolled out by the government starting next year, but we dont want to be at the back of the queue...

You can post or email your letters to:

Nicholas Griffin
O'Dowds Bar
Roundstone,
Co. Galway.
E-Mail: odowds@indigo.ie
Phone 086-2619935