Eugene Murphy (Roscommon-Galway, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I appreciate the Chairman giving me a few minutes to speak because I am not a member of the committee. As somebody who comes from rural Ireland, I am enthused by Ms Lennon's presentation. We have had three or four public announcements on broadband going back over seven years. In rural Ireland, in particular, people are sick, tired, angry, annoyed and fed up with the past two Governments, in particular. I do not want to politicise the issue, but they are upset because in many areas they have been left without any service. Ms Lennon has fielded every question. She has had difficult questions asked of her and it is every member's right to ask such questions. In my constituency of Roscommon-Galway people will be watching these proceedings and will pick up on them in news programmes later this evening. They will be enthused by what Ms Lennon is saying. I get the feeling that Eir wants to become involved, that it wants to bring the product into rural Ireland and that it wants to deliver it to people. At one stage in recent years people involved in import and export businesses such as Westward Scania in my home town of Strokestown where Eir is active in installing broadband had to take it that material had to be sent quickly to Scania in Sweden in order that it could be sent the town of Mullingar without delay. These are the problems with which we have had to deal. It is an absolute scandal that we have allowed this situation to continue year after year. I know of another case where somebody had to switch their business from north-east Roscommon to Longford.

Let us deal with the facts of what people have had to suffer during the years. People living in rural Ireland and involved in businesses are saying they want broadband. One interesting point that arose in the recent local elections campaign, in which I canvassed with various candidates, was that in many cases high speed broadband was not needed. That is what people were saying on the doorstep. They were saying they wanted reliable broadband. As one person said to me, he or she did not want the broadband service to break down when making a passport application online. In the case of a person who employs five people where their wages are being paid electronically, he or she does not want the service to break down on a Thursday evening. That is what people want. From where Ms Lennon is coming, she is giving some us hope and enthusiasm. In fairness to Deputy Dooley, I know that he has been talking for some time about Eir or a company like it delivering such a service.

Where Eir has reached the edge of towns and villages and there are more than 300 houses if one moves a quarter of a mile in any direction, can Eir do anything to connect them? I am talking about many parts of east Galway and Roscommon. There are cases where there are quite a number of houses and broadband is provided to the edge of a village or town and no further, which is a disaster. Can Eir continue the connection to bring some hope to those who want to be connected to broadband? By the way, the broadband connection is horrific in parts of east Galway and Roscommon. Some of the people affected are involved in businesses, but they also include many ordinary householders who are looking for a service. As things stand, can Eir give me any hope or do anything for the people concerned?