Alex White (Dublin South, Labour) | Oireachtas source

There are constraints on State intervention and in funding or subsidising activity other than in circumstances where there is clear market failure, as the Deputy is well aware. That said, he raises an interesting issue about infrastructure that is already in place and asks if it is being used in the way intended for which funding was provided. I take his point. As I said in my introductory remarks, from what I can see, having prepared the response to this question, most, if not all, of the areas covered by the metropolitan area networks, MANs, are in the so-called blue area under the national broadband plan. Therefore, the expectation and the assurance is that the commercial sector will provide high-speed broadband in all of these homes and premises by the end of 2016. In that context, we must decide what is the best and most appropriate intervention. Should we make a new state aid application on the basis of a perceived market failure related to the MANs or should we proceed with the national broadband plan? The Deputy raises a very interesting question and I am very happy to engage with him further on it. I will do as he asks and take a closer look at the issue to which he has referred, particularly as it affects County Wicklow. He makes a fair point and I will be happy to discuss it further with him on another occasion.

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