Eamon Ryan (Dublin South, Green Party)

I will give some more OECD statistics to illustrate the extent of our catch-up. In the third quarter of 2006, when the average OECD figure was some 15.6 broadband subscribers per 100, we had 10.3 users per 100. In the third quarter of 2007, the average OECD figure was 18.8 subscribers per 100, and our figure was 18.4 per 100. Even though the Deputy is saying that we were coming from a low base, he cannot ignore that this represents a catch-up. Our levels are now similar to the OECD average. That is not to say we should be self-satisfied about it, but it is a recognition of the reality.

The OECD statistics are difficult not just because they do not take into account certain technologies in which we tend to be further advanced — in fact, in which we are definitely further advanced than the other leading industrialised countries — but also because they are slightly skewed by the basis of the statistical analysis. By taking the number of subscribers from different households and then equating this to a number per capita, this method ignores that fact that different countries have different average household sizes. Denmark, referred to by Deputy Coveney, is a good example of a country with fast broadband access but the per capita size in that country is completely different. I must find the precise figures before tomorrow night but families in Denmark are smaller than in Ireland. One is not comparing like with like and the Deputy must be careful when using statistics. To give a further example——

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