Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)

I thank the Deputy for his questions. I also thank the Deputies who referred to my recent appointment, which is an honour for me and particularly for the country. It is a testimony to the ability of this small nation to punch above its weight on many occasions, something to which Kofi Annan alluded. I will liaise as much as I can with the House regarding the issue and we can return to it.

With regard to Deputy Durkan's point about the availability of broadband, I spent two and a half years at the Department which has responsibility in that regard. Ireland has the highest rate in Europe in terms of the growth and increase in uptake of broadband. We are starting late because of structural issues in that many European countries already have cable systems whereby it is easy to drive broadband into homes. That is one of the reasons the US is one of the world leaders in terms of broadband services.

There is some benefit in being behind in the race. This was evident when I visited South Korea and Japan. Technology is changing dramatically day by day and one could invest substantial amounts of money in infrastructure. The Deputy is incorrect to shake his head.

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