Eamon Ryan (Dublin South, Green Party)

I move amendment No. 1:

To delete all words after "Dáil Éireann" and substitute the following:

Recognising that:

broadband is a key enabler of the knowledge economy and a driver of balanced regional development and social equity;

Ireland has experienced the fastest growth in broadband penetration in the OECD in the last year;

broadband in Ireland is now offered over a multiplicity of platforms including fixed, cable, wireless and mobile networks;

a variety of companies offer numerous broadband products in the Irish market at a range of speeds, at different price points and aimed at all market segments including small medium enterprises (SME) and residential, indicating a strong market dynamic;

the Commission for Communications Regulation now has significantly enhanced powers under the Communications Regulation (Amendment) Act 2007, to enable it to enforce regulatory obligations;

agreement has been reached on local loop unbundling;

an innovative approach has been taken to wireless broadband licensing, with the higher take up of mobile broadband solutions in Ireland and our potential to promote greater access to spectrum for wireless broadband services;

there have been significant improvements in backhaul availability and pricing in recent years; and

high-speed broadband connectivity has vital importance for the economic future of Ireland, and acknowledging the potential for next generation broadband;

commends:

the Government for its positive interventions, such as supporting the construction of metropolitan area networks, through investment of €175 million for networks built or under construction in 93 regional cities and towns and providing capital grants under the county and group broadband scheme;

the Government for the initiative in bringing broadband to almost every school in the country under the schools broadband programme; and

the planned national broadband scheme, which will facilitate the delivery of scalable broadband services to those areas in Ireland where it is currently uneconomic for the telecommunications sector to provide broadband connectivity;

notes:

the work of the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources in the preparation of a policy paper on next generation broadband (NGB) to establish a framework for the development of access to next generation broadband services;

the purpose of this paper is to set out a clear policy framework for the roll-out by the private sector of NGB at an ambitious level and how Government action will support and complement this;

the establishment of an expert international advisory forum on next generation broadband to advise on the proposed approach;

that the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources intends, following the consultation with the advisory forum, to circulate the NGB paper for consultation with stakeholders with a view to urgently finalising the policy framework; and

that the Minister will engage with the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Communications, Energy and Natural Resources as part of the consultation process on the NGB paper.

I welcome the opportunity to debate this crucial area of our economic and social development and I thank Deputy Coveney for putting down this motion. For certain reasons I decided to put down a counter-motion from the Government, which I will return to later in my speech. However, this in no way indicates a lack of ambition or sense of importance on this side of the House with regard to the development of this crucial infrastructure for the benefit of our society.

It is crucial for us, in this fast-evolving digital economy, that we have the best available infrastructure to allow Irish enterprise to compete, export and provide services here. It is important, as this new digital economy develops, that we do not leave sections of our economy behind and that we do not have a social or regional divide in accessing services to establish such businesses. It is crucial that the development of the new economy is not just in the private sector but also involves the State, whether it be in the provision of health care, education or other Government services. We can realise major efficiencies and competitive advantages in the provision of public as well as private services where we provide the right infrastructure to allow people to carry such digital services.

As Deputy Coveney mentioned in his opening remarks with regard to environmental issues, society will need to undergo a complete turnaround. The development of an efficient digital system for doing business and providing services is a crucial element in the radical about-turn that will be achieved in our society during our necessary rapid retreat in the use of fossil fuels. For all these reasons, the development of a broadband infrastructure is important and deserves to be centre stage in the consideration of this House.

I appreciate Deputy Carey's point about setting out the role of Government in providing broadband services. The world has changed since the 1970s and things are different. Unfortunately, my constituency colleague, Deputy Mitchell, is wrong — I am long enough in the tooth to remember those times when one would have to wait forever and a day for the provision of a telephone line from a centralised State service. We are now in a more competitive market with a range of private sector operators. The world has changed. The role of Government naturally moves towards establishing the appropriate regulatory system to ensure that we have an effective and competitive market, providing, where necessary, the backup infrastructure to support such development. That is an outline of what the Government is doing.

The debate tonight and tomorrow night is beneficial because it helps us to establish some facts. The area of broadband is complex and fast-moving. It is an industry in which the technology changes almost every year, so that what prevailed a year ago quickly becomes out of date. In the Joint Committee on Communications, the Marine and Natural Resources two years ago, where I was on the Opposition benches, the debate revolved around the fact that there was not enough demand for broadband services. That has changed completely over the last year. This is why it is important for us to know exactly what is going on.

There is clear recognition that we are not all happy. Deputies on both sides of the House are unhappy with progress in the area of broadband. In addition, there is reasonably widespread recognition that one of the main reasons we are not at the top of the league — in fact, we are only catching up — is the delay in 2002 to 2004 due to changes in our incumbent telecommunications provider and the lack of competitiveness in the market. This did not encourage investment in the area of broadband. We must now catch up with and then overtake our international competitors.

Any rational analysis of what has taken place in the last year would recognise that changes have been occurring. There has been progress. There is now broadband availability in roughly 85% of the country. It is changing, and there are areas in which——

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