Eamon Ryan (Dublin South, Green Party)

The figures are OECD figures, which are used most commonly, although many people would criticise them as not providing an accurate picture. However, there are various distortions with whatever statistics one uses. In general, we must aim to be at the top of the international league, regardless of the measures, and we should not concentrate only on narrow percentages. We should aim to have as widespread availability as possible.

The group broadband schemes, numbering approximately 120, were set up to provide local community-based services, often through small local providers. The thinking in the Department was that this did not provide a proper, comprehensive or efficient response to the problem of connectivity in rural isolated areas. That is the reason for the advancement towards a new scheme, the national broadband scheme. It is far more comprehensive and covers all the areas that would not otherwise have coverage. It is a more effective and innovative scheme which I believe will be successful. It involves a competitive bidding process which, hopefully, as we go through that process will allow us to raise the level of service in terms of the speed of broadband and technical capabilities, while reducing the costs.

With regard to the funding, there was a re-allocation within the Department. There is a multi-annual funding scheme available to the Department for metropolitan area networks, which are a long-term investment and the correct investment for the future in terms of putting fibre in the ground.

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