Patrick O'Donovan (Limerick, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I apologise for being late and for the fact that I must leave early.

I agree with Deputy Ann Phelan. County and city development plans should include provision for broadband. There is no point in providing sites for industrial facilities or housing if basic broadband infrastructure, which is as important as water and sewerage, is not available. With regard to mapping, has the Department engaged with the local authorities in the context of projected housing, commercial and industrial development after we emerge from our current difficulties? Has it engaged on where the population is likely to increase? If we are rolling out broadband, it should be rolled out in areas where there will be a demand for it in the short, medium and long term.

Somebody came to my constituency office a week ago who was infuriated because of the way he was being passed from Billy to Jack and Jim to Mary and back to Billy again in his efforts to find out how he could access a broadband service. He is at a major competitive disadvantage. I would like to see provided a one-stop shop, as is in place for water and electricity services. However, there appear to be a multiplicity of agencies which aspire to become or are involved in the delivery of broadband services around the country, whether they be county councils, enterprise boards, Leader companies, development boards, the Department, commercial entities or telecommunications businesses. Perhaps there should be just one location in each local authority area at which people could access the technical expertise they require. There is a disjointed approach in moving the programme forward.

I agree with Deputy Michael Colreavy that while the national broadband plan is ambitious, it can be delivered. However, it needs to be delivered in a coherent fashion. That is not happening because of the multitude of agencies with an input or which want to have one. They are sticking their shoes in the door and trying to wedge their feet in. This is making it more difficult to deliver the service. I again refer to the man who came to see me about broadband services. His business is at a competitive disadvantage in comparison with similar businesses in Limerick city.

He does not have access to broadband. He has access to bog-band, so to speak. The speeds are slow, it is unreliable and it breaks down constantly. He told me it depends on whether the wind is blowing in a certain direction, whether someone's hedge grows higher than it should or whether there is a rock in the way. That is no way to be carrying out business in 2012. We need to have employers in all the regions. It is remarkable that in Finland, which has a much lower population than even ours and the population density is even more dispersed than ours, there is high speed broadband in Lapland. We cannot get high speed broadband in west Limerick.