Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)

We have received some new information, which is of benefit. The Minister is now saying that we no longer have blue areas on the map. Until recently, the Minister promised that if people could not get broadband by 1 July, it would be provided to them through the national broadband scheme. The Department drew up a map of the country in which all areas in red had acceptable broadband coverage; blue areas were those where broadband was promised and white areas were those where broadband could not be provided commercially. The Minister is now saying that broadband has either been provided in blue areas by now or not and that all white areas will be provided with broadband in the national broadband scheme. That directly contradicts information I received through a freedom of information request which states that a reasonable timeframe has been promised to broadband service providers who were proposing broadband in the blue areas. Is the Minister saying that the response to my freedom of information request is incorrect?

When can we expect the national broadband scheme to be in place? The Minister has repeatedly stated that it would be in place by 1 July. We are now halfway through that month. There is an ongoing court battle. When is that likely to finish and when will we see the benefits of the scheme?

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