Michael Lowry (Tipperary, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I welcome that the Taoiseach acknowledges that we cannot have disruption and that it should be avoided. A myriad of issues threaten people if Imagine and the other broadband suppliers decide to leave the market in advance of the arrival of the national broadband roll-out. We must do everything possible to avoid that scenario but at the moment, we are drifting towards it. I will be here representing the 2,400 householders in Tipperary, as well as others from other counties if something is not done. I know that there are meetings going ahead and that the Minister of State, Deputy Smyth, has been engaged in consultation but we need a bit of action. Even from the Taoiseach's reply to me, I can see that this is complicated and complex and that there are many agencies involved. There needs to be a political input here to get a solution to ensure there is not an interim period during which 47,000 homes are left without broadband. I ask the Taoiseach to follow up on this and ask the Minister of State, Deputy Smyth, to redouble his efforts to find a solution fairly quickly.

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