Mr. Aidan Dunning:

In response to Deputy Mulherin, there is an onus on the service provider, under the NBS, to provide an acceptable level of service in the electoral district areas. There are sanctions to be applied, if necessary. We have not received a huge number of complaints. While there certainly were some at the outset, there have not been many recently in respect of the quality of service. The rural broadband scheme cannot operate in the national broadband scheme area. It must be for houses outside the NBS area for which problems still exist. However, we can only provide assistance where no other service provider is available to that individual. The evidence we are getting, having undertaken a highly comprehensive trawling exercise, is that service providers are making offers. Moreover, people who had applied to us via the rural broadband scheme are accepting offers. This is the reality of the position.