Members of an Oireachtas committee, led by its chairman Noel O'Flynn TD, will today visit a remote valley in the Macgillycuddy's Reeks to view for themselves the area's lack of telecoms systems.
Although a busy tourist route through the Gap of Dunloe to the Killarney lakes, the Black Valley has long lacked infrastructure taken for granted by the rest of the country. The visit by the Joint Committee on Communications, the Marine and Natural Resources follows a residents' delegation to the committee in Dublin in November.
Electricity came in 1977 when it was the last place on the mainland to be linked to the national grid. Landlines were installed in 1990 in what at the time was a unique radio link telephone system following decades of lobbying by residents.
Now its 80 residents say the radio link Rurtel system, which connects around 25 houses, is no longer adequate. It cannot, for instance, provide an internet link and there have been occasions when it has broken down. There are no mobile phones, because Kerry County Council has refused planning permission for the masts to provide the service. (Vodafone has appealed a recent refusal to An Bord Pleanála.)
An above-ground landline telephone system has been estimated at a minimum €650,000, which Eircom said was too costly given the number of customers.
But because of the valley's scenic character it is unlikely Eircom would ever receive planning from the council to erect telephone poles and an underground system would have to be installed, costing more than the above-ground estimate.
The valley's young people these days are choosing to stay and build houses, commuting to work in Killarney, Killorglin and Kenmare, rather than moving out altogether. Resident Delia O'Connor-Casey, who has married into the valley, said the local two-teacher school now has 28 children, the highest ever number. She said around half the residents were under 30. Three houses were being built and two more were about the start.
When the phones are out, Lord Brandon's Cottage, a Victorian cafe, cannot tell how many boats are coming up through the lakes from Killarney. Other businesses, including outdoor pursuits and cottage type industries, are also hampered by their lack of access to the internet.
"B&Bs, the hostel - it's all e-mail now. We need the internet," she said.
The Kerry Mountain Rescue will be among those to meet Mr O'Flynn and the committee today. Spokesman Gerry Christie said the lack of adequate telephone infrastructure was "a serious problem" for walkers and rescuers.