Joe Carey (Clare, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The way we live, work and educate has changed utterly during this pandemic. Broadband could not be more important to people. I welcome the opportunity to have the company before the committee today to get this information out there to people. There is an absolute information deficit in this regard. National Broadband Ireland's website could be so much better. I welcome the fact the company confirmed it will update it today. We are living in a digital world but this website is from the Stone Age, however. People do not know where and when they will get broadband.

Going back to the point raised by the Chairman on gaps, why is there not a unit in National Broadband Ireland to address them? I can give several examples of areas in County Clare which experience these gaps. With just a small bit of work, they could be connected and could engage in the world in which they now find themselves.

I welcome the fact the company has moved on in terms of the broadband connection points, BCPs, four of them in County Clare. Three of them have been connected, namely, Cree Community Centre, Loop Head and the Michael Cusack Visitor Centre and one is planned for Stonefort, Caherconnell. That information is on the website and people are encouraged to get access to that broadband.

Last week, I gave an example to the Minister, Deputy Eamon Ryan, of a broadband gap in Ogonnelloe. All the houses in the area have broadband except for three in the middle that do not. There should be a unit in National Broadband Ireland to identify such problem areas and fix them. It can be easily fixed because one can build the network out to those three houses. The same issue occurs in Mountshannon. Again, on a whole section of road, broadband is not available but a short distance away, it is available. This happens across County Clare and the rest of the country. It is ridiculous and hard to stomach.

I welcome that the company explained the process of surveying, design, build and connect. There needs to be more information about National Broadband Ireland as a wholesaler, engaging with 33 different providers. The important message to get out to the public is that one can know when one will get broadband. The witnesses have explained the challenges that have been presented by the Covid-19 pandemic but the information deficit needs to be breached and people need to be given hope. This is a most positive project into which a lot of money is going, as broadband is now a necessity.

I wish National Broadband Ireland well in its work but it needs to improve on getting this information out to the public.