Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)

Does the Minister agree the industry has its interests, which are mainly shareholder interests, and also that some in the industry reputedly, from what we read in the media, have huge financial constraints in regard to what they can do or want to do? I would be interested in finding out what the Minister said the Government wants to do in this regard and the minimum that is acceptable to the Minister, whether directly done by the industry or done by the State.

Second, does the Minister believe in this idea that all technologies are neutral or does he agree that some technologies actually give better results than others? Does he agree that for a fixed premises it is very hard to beat fibre-optic cable? Specifically, has the Minister plans to ensure that, as was done in the 1940s when we decided to roll out electrification to every house in the country, fibre-optic cable is rolled out pervasively throughout the country to ensure high-speed access to both businesses and individuals?

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