Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)

I have a concern about the provision of broadband. There is a serious decline in the construction industry, which is evident in and affects so many areas. There will be less money coming into local authorities from development charges. This means it will be difficult for local authorities to implement local authority programmes.

One of the fundamental criteria for the attraction and retention of industry is the provision of quality broadband. The Taoiseach is aware that only 15.4% of the population subscribes to broadband and that the average speed is only 3 megabytes. This is the third lowest speed of 35 OECD countries, with only Mexico and Turkey lower. Our speed is well below the OECD average of 13.7 megabytes. In France, it is 44 megabytes. I have travelled around the country like the Taoiseach and I have spoken to chambers of commerce, leaders in communities and businesses, and they believe this is sacrilegious. In many cases there is no connection and speeds are so far below the average European speed that it is impossible for them to compete. The Taoiseach is as interested as I am in attracting and retaining jobs. He should have the cross-departmental infrastructure team get the lead out and make a drive to deal with this issue. Deputy Simon Coveney produced a realistic set of proposals, launched two weeks ago, on the provision of broadband and progress to the next generation of capacity and communications. I suggest the Taoiseach should drive this on in his capacity as Taoiseach and as chairman of this cross-departmental group.

The Taoiseach referred to looking back on his years in the office. He could look back on many aspects of it. He stated that he would have preferred to have invested more in infrastructure. I agree with that. We are still short of school buildings. With the decline in the housing end of construction, could the Taoiseach prioritise the building of far more than 30 new schools? There is a reconstruction programme but there is a need for new school buildings. This is the key to the next generation. If the cross-departmental infrastructure team does not appreciate it, we have failed the young people in the primary school system.

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