Paudie Coffey (Waterford, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I offer a view on this amendment and this is an matter we discussed at length on Committee Stage. While I might understand, or try to understand, from where Sinn Féin is coming on this, and I know it is ideologically opposed to privatisation and all the rest of it and that is fair enough, I cannot figure out why its members will not accept numerous reassurances from Ministers that the critical infrastructure is not for sale. They have been given such reassurances about Irish Water and the electricity networks and now they are being told the same about the telecommunications that might be installed on these networks.

There is no doubt in my mind that we have learned from the mistakes of the past where essential infrastructure of Eircom was sold which literally set us back decades in terms of the development of broadband and telecommunications infrastructure. It is only now that we are seeing Eircom beginning to invest in its infrastructure again after many years. In the interim period we have seen the substandard state and degradation of the telecommunications networks that were managed by Eircom, which was not the fault of the staff of Eircom but the fault and the lack of investment due to the sale of that asset.

As I said on Committee Stage, this legislation is a game-changer in terms of the potential to deliver quality broadband to the regions of this country again. Sinn Féin's attitude on this is quite cynical. Deputy Colreavy mention the possible creation of a golden circle and enriching the shareholders of the ESB and otherwise but the shareholders of the ESB are the Irish Government and the Irish people and reassurances have been given. I cannot understand why the Deputy continues to pursue this amendment.

As a result of this legislation we will see increased competition in the delivery of broadband. I hope this service provider, in partnership with the ESB, when it goes to market will be able to offer high-speed, quality broadband to regional areas at far less cost. It is obvious that they will have far less overheads in delivering this infrastructure. I cannot understand why it did not happen before now. I know there are telecommunications networks wrapped on transmission lines going across the country. Now we are going to the next level where it is intended to hang telecommunications lines on existing ESB distribution networks where there are already existing routes and pathways to the regions and at far less cost in terms of capital costs and overheads. If we want to bring a fibre network to a region it can be literally strung along existing networks with no additional costs incurred in terms of excavation, access to land, the cost of ducting and the cost of reinstatement of land. This initiative will have the potential to deliver broadband to the regions in a far better and more cost effective way and it is something I encourage.

I have already expressed the concern to the Minister on Committee Stage that the service providers will cherry-pick some of the larger urban areas. It is obvious from a commercial sense that this service provider would target the larger urban areas initially. However, I still believe this legislation empowers them and offers the potential, once they go beyond that step where they can capture a commercial customer base, to reinvest the funds raised and extend this to the next phase, which will go out into rural Ireland, where quality fibre is needed. We are predominantly a rural nation. Agribusiness in this country is growing at an exponential rate and we will be exporting food and dairy products around the globe. With all of that production will come business needs in rural areas, where people can work from home on their farms and in their villages. I believe this legislation will give the potential to this service provider to reach those customers.

Given I have the opportunity on the floor of Dáil Éireann, it would be remiss of me not to commend ESB Networks on behalf of the Members of Dáil Éireann and to thank its staff for the extraordinary work they have done in recent weeks and continue to do in terms of addressing the storm damage that has hit the country. Vast areas of the south and south-east were hit by hurricane winds yesterday, as well as having been hit previously. Hurricane wind speeds in excess of 141 km/h were recorded at the Waterford Institute of Technology campus yesterday. More than 260,000 customers were without electricity last evening. I know that ESB Networks, with the help of colleagues from Northern Ireland who have come down this morning, are working with the emergency services, the local authorities, the fire services, the Garda, the Civil Defence and many others to restore power to people's homes. Electricity is a fundamental requirement in any society. I ask the Minister to pass on my compliments to ESB Networks workers and contractors, as well as anybody who is assisting at this time, for their courage and for the work they have done.

I offer my support for this legislation. I hope Sinn Féin can accept the continual reassurances that have been given by the Government side that we recognise critical infrastructure. We have learned from past mistakes, where critical assets in Eircom were sold and it suffered from a lack of investment. What we are seeing now is further opportunities for the people. I will certainly be supporting the Minister on this legislation.

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