Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry South, Independent) | Oireachtas source

He would be entitled to a sound bonus because he has it well earned. Any man who has had only one day off since the week before Christmas is remarkable. Eircom was up against it and it was the height of bad timing that so many people who had a wealth of experience left on 31 December. I do not blame them for going and I know the Minister does not either. If the package is available, people must make up their minds whether it is the right thing for them and their families. Age also affects whether it suits them, but it left us with a massive problem. We are talking about improving fibre-based telecommunications, but some people do not have their phones connected after the storms. It is not the fault of the management or the workers but the fact that so few people are trying to do such a massive amount of work. It is no one's fault, but it is what people must live with.

I refer to the debacle in which Eircom was packaged and sold. It was not the fault of the current Minister but of a previous Government. It was an excellent service at one time, as the Minister remembers, but unfortunately Members travelling the country see poles and wires hanging down because of a lack of investment. It was bad and then it was made good, but now it is in disrepair. The workers in Eircom are struggling and they work morning, noon and night in harsh conditions. They must be up on poles in all types of weather doing very awkward and contrary work, which is very precise and must be done in open circumstances. I thank them sincerely from the bottom of my heart for the work they do. The speed of broadband is vital and ensuring high-speed connectivity is important. The world we live in is very fast-moving. While there is a social aspect, such as holiday bookings or access to information by children, we must have the best service available to people.

Things have changed so much over the past few years, and the advances have been great. The Minister's Bill deserves cross-party support. I am the first person to criticise the Government if things go wrong but when I see something right I am the first to welcome it and thank the Minister and his colleagues. The Fianna Fáil proposals for a complaints procedure are welcome, and I see merit in the amendment, as can the Minister. It may need to be tweaked but the Fianna Fáil viewpoint warrants debate. In any system, a proper system of complaints is important.

Running a small business in rural Ireland is extremely difficult. Every obstacle is thrown at people. Since becoming a Member of the House, I have continuously said that I welcome the efforts of the Minister, who works hard at attracting overseas investment, but we must look at what we have ourselves. We must look at small business people who have created jobs over the years in shops, manufacturing or the service industry. We must look at what they are doing. The Minister is a practical man and in my opinion he is what I categorise as the acceptable face of the Government. He is a person we can all relate to and get on with.

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