Denis Naughten (Roscommon-Galway, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank Deputy Haughey for facilitating us this morning.

I ask members and witnesses to turn off their mobile phones as they interfere with the recording equipment. I also remind members to sanitise their desk area and seat when leaving the committee room.

The main item on our agenda is the continuation of our previous hearing on mobile and broadband coverage across rural Ireland. In this regard I welcome officials from the Department of Environment, Climate and Communications who have joined us here today. Mr. Fergal Mulligan is the programme director for Ireland's National Broadband Plan and Mr. Patrick Neary is chief technology officer of the Department. We will look at the National Broadband Plan roll-out and the associated broadband connection points. As we continue our examination of this critical issue for rural development in Ireland, the reality is that Covid-19 has increased pressure on our mobile and fixed telecommunications networks. Now, more than ever before, we need to ensure our citizens have access to reliable mobile phone networks as well as the fixed broadband network. The committee notes that during the recent lockdown one of our fixed broadband or mobile networks went down every second day yet the mobile phone and broadband taskforce established by Government to liaise with the telecom sector did not hold a single meeting to discuss the Covid impact on our telecommunications sector. The deterioration in these networks must be rectified irrespective of how the public health emergency pans out in 2021, not just to facilitate remoter working which is so essential to employees, employers, families and communities but also to ensure the delivery of new technologies into isolated rural areas. This includes, for example, Garda drones that cannot only be used for policing activities but illegal practices such as fly tipping, replacing the limited availability of the Garda helicopter and for emergency calls and medical treatment in isolated areas that will require reliable connectivity.

Members of the committee and of the Houses have absolute privilege in respect of the statements made to either House of the Oireachtas or before the committee. By virtue of section 17(2)(l) of the Defamation Act 2009, witnesses are protected by absolute privilege in respect of the evidence they are required to give to the committee. If, in the course of the committee proceedings, witnesses are directed by the committee to cease giving evidence on a particular matter and they continue to so do, they are entitled thereafter only to a qualified privilege in respect of their evidence. They are directed that only evidence connected with the subject matter of these proceedings is to be given and they are asked to respect the parliamentary practice to the effect that, where possible, they should not criticise or make charges against a Member of either House of the Oireachtas, a Member outside the House, or an official by name or in such a way as to make him, or her identifiable.

I call on Mr. Neary to make his opening statement, which will be followed by questions and answers.