Eamon Ryan (Dublin South, Green Party)

I will check my information but I understand Thurles is included in the third phase of the MAN scheme. At the same time as it is intended to publish our next generation broadband report, I intend publishing the value for money report on the metropolitan area networks which assesses exactly the question asked by the Deputy. We must decide how these metropolitan area networks are used where there is not strong connectivity between the town and the network and the crucial issue of how to connect those fibre-optic rings into the house or into the business. This is a real expense. It costs approximately €10,000 at least for any short connection from a fibre-optic ring into a house and this cost makes the development of fibre broadband connection prohibitive except for a very large business.

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