Gerry Horkan (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

We are the committee dealing with transport and communications and the Minister is also responsible for communications. There is much money from the national development plan going to National Broadband Ireland, NBI. We saw the report at the weekend that Eir is rolling out much of that infrastructure. Will the Minister touch on, either now or later, how much other commercial operators are getting involved? Are we duplicating work and State money in areas that will be commercially viable? If commercial operators get in before NBI, is there any point in NBI going to such places at all?

We referenced in our private session electric scooters. The committee received a letter about battery size arguing the current limit of 250 W is too low and not viable. There is an argument for a higher limit for the battery of 500 W or 600 W. One needs greater battery capacity using a scooter on a hill compared with flat ground. There is the possibility of using geofencing to slow them in different areas and control speed but there is a requirement for a higher-capacity battery. Will the Minister reflect on those points?