Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)

The Deputy is right in the sense that any of these private sector companies have a duty to their shareholders - there is no doubt about that. However, they also have a vested interest in serving the largest segment of market they can get in this marketplace and, in the process, encouraging a competitive dynamic that does exist, in all fairness, despite the small marketplace. I do not see any point in the State doing what these companies can do well. The problem is that there are areas in which they are less than keen and interested, and there is less of a return for their shareholders. That will leave the Government with a challenge.

It is not a question of whether I believe technology is neutral or that all technologies are neutral. All I am saying is that a guiding principle of the task force is that it will approach the problem from a technology neutral point of view. It would be very difficult to bring together the heads of the telcos operating in Ireland, who have a different interest, and tell them I am only going to roll out fibre-optic cable to homes. If I were to do that, apart from the wisdom-----

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