Seán Canney (Galway East, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I want to make one comment about broadband. I propose that the committee invites the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment to attend a debate where we discuss what is happening at present.

The Minister of State, Deputy Kyne, mentioned that one can contact the country broadband officer. In Country Galway thousands of queries about broadband have been lodged. A good number of them were lodged by my office, and I am sure the same applies to his office. The queries are about instances where broadband only goes so far and gaps abound. We are not going to solve the problem here. I estimate that 4,000 queries have been submitted in County Galway. If that situation is replicated over 31 local authorities then one will know the size of the problem. Discrimination has also taken place. Eir has told me that it does not have the capacity, or the juice in the line, to bring the scheme any further. Yet people in business can see from their windows that a house 50 yards further along cannot get a broadband connection. That situation is replicated all over the country. We need to invite the Minister here to debate the issue. I understand that we must be careful with the procurement process and ensure that we do not end up in the courts.