Jerry Buttimer (Fine Gael)
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This is an important discussion. Deputy Lowry summed up for many of us the importance of the national broadband strategy. It is akin to rural electrification. Our country requires this national broadband plan to be successful. The rebirth of our country in a post-Covid world hinges on the national broadband plan being successful. I am not trying to be dramatic. If we are looking at a new working from home strategy and a new way of doing business, connectivity domestically, regionally and internationally is important. All of us recognise that in a world where our corporation tax regime is being questioned, we require a high-quality national broadband plan to sell our country.

I commend our witnesses on their engagement with the committee.

What they did during the summer with members of the committee was very successful. They brought members to on-site locations to explain, show and engage. I propose that the Chairman write to the Working Group of Committee Cathaoirlaigh and recommend that other agencies adopt the same model of engagement. It allows for greater transparency and gives us greater confidence in dealing with queries and issues and it shows us the work that is being done, notwithstanding the roadblocks relating to many issues about which we have heard today.

We made reference to the website and engagements. Will the witnesses present to us, not today obviously, a county-by-county and, with counties, area-by-area breakdown of the work and activity in train? That would be important for our work in dealing with people. I could list places like Ballygarvan and Waterfall in my area as examples of places where there is a lack of clarity, but I will not do that today.

The issues of the delays relating to and the symmetry with the councils need to be ironed out. We have all experienced delays in getting contractors, whether it is builders or tradesmen. There are rising costs in construction from the point of view of work and materials. What effect will that have on the national broadband plan? Is there a contingency plan in the context of rising costs?