Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)

I move amendment No. 17:

In page 10, line 33, after "information" to insert "and make provision by way of directive".

Amendment No. 21 seeks to insert the following: "(c) the level of investment required to provide the level of service expected". This relates to the need to ensure ongoing investment in the infrastructure so it is upgraded in keeping with the requirement of the services expected by the community. We have discussed at length on Committee Stage the need to recognise the interests of the consumer.

Amendment No. 22 deals with the necessity for regular upgrades to infrastructure, a matter which Deputy Broughan and other Members have raised in the past. There is little sense in crying about the dark if the ways and means are available to light it. If insufficient investment in upgrading infrastructure is the cause of the failure to provide the level of service expected by consumers, we should address the issue by making legislative provision for upgrades. The Minister will say the legislation already makes sufficient provision for this but unfortunately the issue has not been addressed despite the existing legislation.

Telecommunications services are being exposed to competition, deregulation and different circumstances to the monopoly and direct State involvement of the past. We will have to face similar issues in respect of other utility services and it is important to decide how best to proceed. We should be certain the financial structures are correct, service providers are capable and the utility service is used as a service deliverer in the first instance and not solely as an investment project. It should operate in the interests of consumers, be they commercial or domestic.

Amendment No. 23 provides for similar matters. With regard to amendment No. 24, I referred earlier to the need for modern infrastructure. Technology has a short lifespan, so it is necessary to modernise on a regular basis. I do not want to revisit our discussions on the last group of amendments, in which we referred to places such as the Black Valley, but there are similar problems in other parts of the country. Given recent technological advances, it is not credible to have telecommunications blackspots. I thought it was possible to do anything with modern telecommunications, which is what the experts tell us. It was technically possible to provide broadband services throughout the country three years ago but they were not put in place. The technology is available to provide a high quality service similar to that in the parts of Europe which have passed us by. I do not blame the Minister or his officials for that because we have not yet become accustomed to the changes which have taken place in this country's systems. In the US, these services have been provided for many years by putting the onus on the service provider to develop strong company structures and by fostering competition. An integral part of competition is that the customer benefits from lower prices and continuity of service.

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