Paudie Coffey (Waterford, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

We discussed this issue at length on Committee Stage. I can understand the thrust of the amendment, in fairness to Fianna Fáil. There are many service providers advertising the provision of broadband at the moment, but when it is installed it is not what was understood to be the package or the service. There is an issue with the quality of broadband, the way it is advertised and the way it is sold. However, as the Minister has stated, I believe this is a matter for ComReg, which is the regulator of the sector, and perhaps consumer agencies as well, to look more closely at this area. The amendment should not be enshrined in primary legislation.

This is not a cheap political shot at Fianna Fáil, but the reason we have a substandard level of telecommunications and broadband infrastructure in this country is due to the lack of investment into the existing Eircom networks, because those Eircom assets were sold. It was one of the biggest mistakes that this country has ever made, and it has put us at a serious competitive disadvantage in the telecommunications area. In fairness, Eircom has recently outlined plans to invest in its infrastructure and that is to be welcomed. That will increase competition, efficiency and quality in this area. The Bill will allow for increased competition in this area, and I hope that prices will drop because we will have a new efficient competitor in the market.

In support of Deputy Colreavy, any Deputy from a rural constituency would be concerned about the speed at which quality broadband on fibre networks can be delivered to all regions in the country. I understand that this is a commercial venture. The companies will target large urban areas initially, and when they capture a customer base, I hope this Bill will allow the new service providers to target less populated areas in rural Ireland. They will have the infrastructure available to them under this Bill, and I hope we will see quality fibre-optic broadband delivered to the regions as soon as possible. I know that many Deputies will pursue this matter and campaign for better services in the regions.

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