Brian Stanley (Laois, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister, the Minister of State and the officials. I am grateful for the opportunity to contribute.

In terms of broadband provision, programme A will be hugely important. In the past 15 years, I have attended more than enough briefings and announcements on that issue by different organisations and companies. Anybody who has attended the National Ploughing Championships, and even people who do not attend but who have their eyes and ears open, will know that we still have a huge problem with the roll-out of effective, high-speed broadband, not just in very rural areas but in many towns also. In County Laois and south Kildare, there are many areas without broadband. We want to see it rolled out to these areas in a speedy fashion.

My concern is about the amount of money available until the end of June. I take the Minister's point that the spend does not always reflect the activity. My party does not advocate throwing money at areas to try to get movement for the sake of it.

It obviously must be spent properly with proper procurement and everything else. However, the expenditure figure of €2.5 million for the first six months of the year to the end of June certainly jumped out at me as being very low. This might indicate this project is not being given the sense of urgency it deserves.

On the issue of broadband, the briefing acknowledges a point made to members previously to the effect that while it had been hoped that 100% of addresses would be reached, this will not be the case. The briefing states it has since transpired that 100% of addresses will not have access to next-generation broadband by 2022. This obviously is a concern on which the Minister might elaborate. While there are areas such as the Black Valley, County Kerry, which even the rural electrification scheme had difficulty in accessing, the flat ground in the midlands should not be a major problem. The Minister might elaborate on what will be the percentage with which there will be difficulties.

On the issue of the roll-out of this plan between now and 2022, it will be necessary for members to be able to measure progress on it. The plan will be handed over to one of the three bidding companies and I wish to ascertain the current status of that process. The preferred contractor was meant to have been selected this year but that will not now happen and has been deferred until 2017. What is the current position in this regard? What progress is being made and when in 2017 will the preferred bidder be identified? Will it take place closer to January or to December 2017 because that obviously is important? As this project must be cranked up rapidly, will the Department set targets on the roll-out? What is the current status of the bidding process, when will the contractor be selected and when will there be feet on the ground in this regard? Will there be annual targets to enable members to monitor the roll-out? My final question on this plan pertains to the 30 Mbps target. Does the expert advice received by the Minister indicate that by current international standards, 30 Mbps is sufficient for businesses trying to operate in rural areas in particular? People must download large documents and must send large documents online. On foot of the expert advice they have received, are the departmental officials and the Minister satisfied that 30 Mbps is adequate?

The Minister has heard me express concerns previously on the ownership of the infrastructure but I do not wish to labour the point today. One bidder certainly has a different opinion in this regard from that of the Department to the effect that the core infrastructure should be in public ownership. Sinn Féin shares that opinion and the example of the disaster which Telecom-Eircom-Eir turned out to be is there to be seen. A lot of taxpayers' money was invested in that company during the 1980s and the concern is this project might go the same way. Members will need to see the roll-out of this project but I note the briefing contained issues of concern.