Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour) | Oireachtas source

Again, I agree with the Deputy. As described, this is the equivalent of the rural electrification scheme of the 1950s and is hugely significant. As the Deputy noted, if we are not careful there is a danger of creating a digital divide. I hope the national plan for broadband, which I published immediately after the summer recess, will remain an objective within the lifetime of this Government and that by 2016 nowhere in the country will have less than 30 Mbps. It is an ambitious target but one we intend to meet. As I stated in my formal answer, it is ahead of the digital agenda for Europe and ten times better than what certain rural areas have to put up with at present.

I will be glad to draw Deputy Moynihan's second point to the attention of ComReg, which, as he will understand, is an independent statutory body.

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