Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the national broadband plan and the ambitious targets therein but my concern is for areas that lie in the bottom tier. In my own constituency there are areas which are covered by the NBS but most residents there struggle to access the 3 network. In may cases, they are on dial-up for internet access. However, because they are deemed to be covered under the NBS, they are not able to access the rural broadband scheme, RBS. Villages such as Calverstown and Narraghmore in my constituency are just two that spring to mind. Many residents of those villages work in Dublin and further afield but would have the option of working from home if they had high-speed broadband access. Small businesses in these areas also need a high-quality broadband service. The benefits to the economy would include a reduction in the numbers commuting to Dublin every day and the quality of life for those people would be greatly enhanced.

Will the mapping process take account of the varying levels of cover in those areas that are currently part of the NBS? Will it be possible to prioritise those areas that have little or no cover at present, such as those I have just mentioned?

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