Seán Fleming (Laois, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The problem stems from ComReg specifying in some of its mobile phone licences quite a low level of coverage, nowhere near 100% of population or geographical area, and the operators are all meeting their licences. In terms of the main operators out there, 25 years after we started with mobile phones a large proportion of the country still contains many black spots. If the system cannot deliver mobile phone signals after a 25-year period, I have serious doubts about the same operators handling the delivery of broadband to all of rural Ireland. Where are we on mobile phone coverage?

The reason I refer to this is the Department devotes a page and a half of its annual report to the issue and it must be something with which Mr. Griffin is familiar. What is the Department doing? The position has not improved a millimetre because of the licences issued by ComReg. What can Mr. Griffin tell those who do not have a mobile phone signal?