Joe McHugh (Donegal North East, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

That is a fair question. We have outlined the time period. We will seek to move the procurement process forward towards the end of this year. In 2016, we will start to roll out broadband in the areas that are not commercially viable for private companies. People do not want to hear about a three to five year period for the provision of broadband. Deputies live in the real world and when companies approach them with an idea for locating in a rural area, when they tell them there will be no broadband for some time that is not what they want to hear.

Deputy Durkan's question is critical. It is important that we continue to seek creative solutions in the interim in terms of what we can do with private companies. Private companies can work with each other. For example, Vodafone and the ESB worked together on projects in the 50 largest towns. There will be a further roll-out in that regard in the second phase and third phase. A lot will happen at that level. As Minister of State with responsibility for the Gaeltacht, I am pushing very strongly the agenda that we would provide broadband in Gaeltacht areas where we are trying to attract investment. There is a sense of urgency in that regard. I appreciate the Deputy's position. He is correct that he has heard it said previously that we will get it right. He heard that years ago. However, it is about getting it right, and it is also not just about providing a solution of 30Mbps because children in the Visitors Gallery will be going to secondary school in a few years and their expectation will be akin to that of Paddy McGilligan in the 1920s, namely, that they will just press a button on the wall and they will have access to broadband-----

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