Michael Colreavy (Sligo-North Leitrim, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister. It is a good news story and, therefore, I do not have many questions. I take his point that we should not get too hung up on speeds and I am not concerned about the lights going out but the Australian strategy said that to be capable of transmitting electronic health records and providing education electronically, it is seeking to have a speed of 1 GB per second available to 93% of households. It is good to set targets and to have a strategy. It is not so much about speed but whether we will be capable of maximising the use of various technologies in the years to come. We will be future-proofing by using fibre and that is why a strategy is important.

Page 11 states at least 2,000 new installations around Ireland may be required to facilitate the delivery of wireless technologies and road openings and planning permissions will be required. That number seems high. Is there a prospect of companies sharing installations or is that provided for in the strategy? Have providers in the Six Counties been spoken to about nearest point of connectivity there? This number of installations will result in significant costs and disruption.

There are two other issues - availability of technology and affordability for customers. Is there anything we can do to ensure that side by side with making the technology available, we can have an influence on the affordability? There is little point in having Rolls Royce-level technology if it is beyond the reach of customers.