Eamon Ryan (Dublin South, Green Party)

The national broadband scheme is working. It is delivering services to areas week by week that would not otherwise have had coverage. We will go further than that. My officials are in Brussels today with the European Commission to work through arrangements as to how we will go beyond the national broadband scheme to provide that any further houses that cannot be covered for local reasons are covered by way of European support under the stimulus package to ensure that every house will have access to broadband. We are at the point where 65% plus of our houses have broadband connection. Some 70% of households have a computer. We must develop this technology in our schools, health system and businesses so that it becomes commonplace. However, to allow this to take place one must ensure there is ubiquitous coverage. That is why my Department entered into very complex and detailed contractual arrangements with 3 Ireland to provide these services and that is why we have reverted to the European Commission so that we can go further. We are determined to cover every house in the country. Having done so we will continue to work to roll out broadband services.

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