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

I, again, thank the Technical Group for allowing me some of its speaking time on this important Bill, which I welcomed last night.

The Electronic Communications Network Bill 2013 will be a major benefit, particularly to rural areas. With the ESB entering the broadband market, and the Government's decision to allow it to use the electricity distribution network to provide telecommunications services, the Minister is doing a good service to the countryside. By putting forward this opportunity, the ESB, in seeking joint venture partners to provide this much needed service, is certainly moving in the right direction. The introduction of this Bill, which will allow use of the electricity network for communication purposes, is most welcome and I look forward to further details being published by the ESB with regard to what exactly will be its next move after the introduction of this Bill.

I certainly do not want a situation where commercial telecommunications providers will cherry-pick service areas in Ireland, as we must have fair distribution of telecommunications services throughout the entire country. Whether one lives in Valentia Island or Blackrock, in my book one must have the exact same type of services if we are to give fair and equal employment opportunities to all.

At present, many townlands and villages, and even towns, have poor services and commercial operators are not willing to invest the funds required to improve these services. I stated last night that having an adequate broadband service is now as essential as the road going up to somebody's house, and that is no exaggeration. People would have never believed that such is the way the world would go, but that is a fact. Having proper telecommunication services and fibre-optic capacity going to areas is as important as the road network.

I welcome the proposed amendment by Deputy Michael Moynihan, as it is only right that the speed and quality of services advertised by broadband providers are reflective of the actual speed and quality of the broadband the consumer receives. In many instances, and this comes back to the issue of cherry-picking, service providers like to give the impression that they are providing a service to all, but they are not. For example, in south Kerry, there is an excellent fibre-optic cable going to Caherciveen which was put in place for the great company, FEXCO. I take this opportunity to compliment and thank FEXCO for the significant amount of jobs it has provided, not only in County Kerry but throughout the country. It is a great employer. We are proud that it is a local businessman who started that business many years ago and has really done his best at all times to keep jobs in County Kerry in places such as Killorglin and Caherciveen. Surely it is not beyond the realms of possibility to put loops off of the fibre-optic cable going to Caherciveen which would provide an excellent service to all of that area. There are employers below, in Valentia, Ballinskelligs, Portmagee and Mastergeehy. In all of these places, residents want to run small businesses from their homes and cannot do so because of the lack of proper broadband facilities.

It is very nice to live in these rural locations which have a great deal to offer. While the tourism business was good last year and the Gathering was particularly successful, we need sustainable jobs because we cannot eat the scenery. We want our young people who are going to school to have the same facilities as those living in cities and larger towns where there are excellent broadband services.

I take the opportunity to thank the Minister for being here again today to take the Bill. I want to speak briefly about the Shannon LNG project. I welcome very much the statement made by the Minister last night, albeit belatedly, given that when he was asked on many previous occasions to intervene in this matter, he said he could not do so, but now he has said he can. I genuinely look forward to his intervention which, to me, is a no-brainer. Jobs can be created in the Ballylongford area and I would like to see this happen under the Minister's watch. I would like him to become more involved and take a leadership role. Obstructions are being put in the way of the company in that it is being asked to pay for something it is not going to use. That is not fair; it is not right and would discourage any person from coming to that location. The Minster knows that we desperately need these jobs which would offer a lifeline to County Kerry. The Government should intercede and intervene in any way it can. This would happen in another country if there was a fear of a loss of jobs, particularly in an area like County Kerry. The people living in the Ballylongford area have been crying out for this development to go ahead for many years. The only reason obstacles are put in the way is for people to remove them and use their heads to think of a way around them. What the Minister said yesterday was quoted on our great radio station, Radio Kerry, this morning. I thank him for what he said, but now I want him to act on it. Surely there are mechanisms whereby a Minister can intervene to allow this project to go ahead. The difference this would make to the local economy in terms of a spin-off from the project would be massive. If it was to go ahead, we would nearly put up a statue to him.

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