Paschal Mooney (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister and his officials. I am basing my questions on a comprehensive document provided to members on outputs that specifically is to do with broadband and will cite that document because the Minister may be able to clarify a number of issues. For example, what is the estimated total cost this year of delivering on the fifth measure, which is to deliver on an implementation strategy for the public consultation and proceed to procurement phase, which is the final phase? Are there other significant and distinct outputs or activities whose costs are to be met from subhead 3? Under that subhead, the mapping, State aids and procurement stage, leading to State-led investment, was to conclude last year. In addition, as can be seen from the output targets included in the Estimates for 2013, 2014 and 2015, departmental activity on national broadband service strategy development and implementation has been ongoing for a number of years, is complex and is not calendar-related.

In spite of the Minister's remarks in his opening statement to the effect that the system would be delivered by 2020 and that much of it will be in place by 2018, I can remember one of his predecessors in a Fianna Fáil Administration saying much the same thing approximately ten years ago but we still are at the stage we have reached. Admittedly, there have been considerable improvements since then but sometimes I am a little sceptical about targets that have been put in place without having anything to back up the suggestion they will happen. The manner in which the questions have been put here suggests there is a need to get clarity on precisely what the Department is doing with the money under the Estimates that have been provided thus far. The document to hand then makes an important point that in the context of the relevance of measures in this area to annual scrutiny of Estimates and associated performance targets, it is significant that such activity is unlikely to begin to provide an impact in terms of service availability, that is for customers and the public, until well into 2015 at the earliest, and for a period of three to five years thereafter, which is more or less what Deputy Fleming has been saying here.

Those of us who live in rural Ireland do not want the service in three or five years; we want it now. I must say, however, that I am particularly encouraged by Eircom which has been laying cables just outside my home town of Drumshanbo for the last few weeks. My understanding is that speeds will increase from the current miserly rate of 7 Mbps to 100 Mbps, which is the rate already enjoyed in Carrick-on-Shannon, Manorhamilton and other towns in Leitrim. It is counties such as Leitrim that I am concerned about in terms of the performance outputs. We are being constantly told that it does not really matter where one is located anymore because once one has the technology, one can start up, maintain and improve a business.

I ask these questions because the information provided to the committee gives no indication as to annual cost of policy development and implementation in this area. This is important in order to determine whether the activity contributes to meeting guidance No. 2 on maintenance of broadband services. Finally, the performance information returned by the Department appears to suggest that there has been some drift in terms of achieving targets included in the Estimate. Perhaps the Minister will comment on that. Although it is not clear that there has been drift, the materiality is uncertain. Equally significant is the fact that the possible drift has only come to our attention as a result of information sought from and provided by the Department in the context of this mid-year review of performance by this committee. In the case of the 2013 targets, this is at least 18 months after the event. There are serious questions to be raised about the broadband policy according to the information provided here as to the outputs, performance levels and the actual impact that it is having and will have from now on. It has not been having much of an impact up to now, I would suggest and there is a need for the Department to up its game.