Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Our input into this is through Forfás which liaises with our agencies. They regularly examine infrastructural needs. I do not imagine it would go down to town level but we have conducted an analysis of broadband capability as part of our general strategy.

While I am not aware of the details in terms of level to which it goes down, I can say that it will identify areas where agencies have difficulties as a result of gaps. In terms of the nuts and bolts of MANs going live and the participants in its roll-out, that is outside my brief. However, I can say that Enterprise Ireland and InterTradeIreland support companies that are bidding for public contracts of this nature. In terms of innovative solutions, we support, through Enterprise Ireland and InterTradeIreland, the gaining of better access. Later in the year, the first trade mission to Ireland will take place, at which we will be orchestrating Irish companies to visit some of the big procurers. We propose to apply the same thinking applied in the case of the many trade missions we attend overseas, which will involve putting our companies before significant buyers to ensure that new technologies are getting their airtime among big buyers within Ireland.

I draw the attention of the joint committee to two errors in my submission. Reference is made in the second last bullet point on page 34 of the briefing document to SFI research teams engaging with more than 670 companies. The actual target figure for 2014 is 710 companies. The figure of 670 was the 2013 target. Second, I wish to confirm that appendix A shows the Vote expenditure as of the end of August. There is a small typographical error in the supporting text above the figures which refers to June. All figures are definitely to the end of August 2014.