Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)

I thank the Acting Chairman for affording me the opportunity to raise this important issue. There is no doubt that one of the greatest issues facing society is the high level of unemployment and the urgent need for the Government and Opposition to work tirelessly together to implement policies and initiatives that will facilitate job creation. I acknowledge the Government's commitment to laying a jobs initiative before the House in the next month, but one of the most important factors in job creation is infrastructure and, without critical infrastructure, we will not be able to attract inward investment to an area. Who in their right mind will start up a business without the necessary infrastructure? Without doubt, broadband is a critical piece of infrastructure.

Looking at the Department's website I saw a press release from December 2010 welcoming the €223 million spent on the national broadband scheme. According to the website, the service has a minimum download speed of 1.6Mbps and a maximum of 6.8Mbps with a contention ratio of 22:1. It has been made available for 235,000 premises across every county in Ireland, creating 170 jobs in the process. Built into the contract is a provision that speeds will be increased to a maximum of 10Mbps by October 2012. This is most welcome but what about the areas outside the national broadband scheme or within that are just not been served?

I question the accuracy of the Department figure of 99% coverage through the country and would ask the Minister if the number of new sites established under the scheme has reached the target of over 400 stated previously on the website, and, if not, how many new sites have been completed and are functioning correctly at present. How many of those are masts supporting antennae in new locations? In my own constituency, there are numerous black spots, including Abbeyshrule and Ballynacargy, which is home to me and a Cabinet member. The village still has no adequate broadband and the Eircom exchange is not even enabled to provide broadband service. Other villages affected include Ballymore, Ballinalack, Ballinamuck in Longford, Cloughan and Coralstown, Coole, Collinstown, Dysart, Dring, Fore, Forgony and Gaybrook. Kenagh, where the recent electoral count was held, had a connection so bad that we found it hard to get out the news that I was elected.

As I said already, broadband is not a luxury but a necessity for both business development and households. We live in an age where more people are using the Internet to carry out daily tasks such as online shopping and banking. Students are using it as a research tool and firms need it to carry out their daily business. I know a case in Dring, County Longford, where a local bookmaker running a number of businesses from home has no broadband and cannot properly function. A friend who is a solicitor contacted me recently because after building a new house in my home village, she is unable to get any broadband or work from home, thus causing severe problems for her family life.

Despite the large-scale investment in the provision of broadband over the past number of years, areas remain without an adequate service. I understand the previous Government before leaving office had committed €18 million for a new rural scheme to ensure outstanding areas would be serviced. I conclude by asking if this scheme will proceed and, if so, how can the areas I listed qualify? Are there plans to discuss with Eircom its obligation to ensure that exchanges are broadband-enabled and whether the subsidy of ongoing charges for satellite service provided under the national broadband scheme will be maintained after the current contract ends in July 2014?

I would appreciate it if I did not get a history lesson on why this or that cannot be done because of what happened in the past 14 years. I have been here five weeks and I would like to know what will happen in future. I do not live in the past; I live in the present. I want to work towards a better future.

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