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

I would like to think the website does give that information. I have explained the process we must go through. There is no easy telephone solution for a small business in Dromahair that may have poor quality broadband. Without the network being available, there is no short-term solution. There are some parts of Ireland where, for topographical reasons, it is very difficult to deal with this phenomenon. That is the reason we are going for a fibre roll-out. Fibre is the Rolls Royce of connectivity. This end-to-end solution will facilitate even the most remote parts of the country, by virtue of the fact there may be alternative wireless solutions once the fibre is close by. I hope work will start on the ESB joint venture at the end of this year.

Following the mapping exercise, public procurement tendering and so on, I hope the European Union will permit us to start work on the direct State intervention, with whatever contractors are chosen, by the end of 2015.

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