Robert Dowds (Dublin Mid West, Labour)
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I welcome Mr. Griffin and his team to the meeting. It is difficult to know where to start because the Department is so diverse and deals with such a variety of areas. I will begin with an aspect of its work which I regard as very important. I refer to the question of the roll-out of broadband services. I am fortunate in that I am an urban Deputy in Dublin so I am not as familiar with what some of my rural colleagues refer to as bog band. I understand that the high speed broadband will be rolled out to everybody by 2020. What is the current situation? It is obviously a matter of great urgency for people outside the major centres who need to be able to compete and have good access to something which is essential nowadays.