Alex White (Dublin South, Labour) | Oireachtas source

Creating and maintaining employment, as the Deputy has stated, is one of the most important advantages that will accrue from the national broadband plan. I absolutely agree with the Deputy in that regard. I confirm that in Kerry, high-speed broadband services have been rolled out to over 27,500 premises to date, with a further 11,200 premises expected to be served by commercial operators. The remaining 51,200 premises in County Kerry will require coverage either by further commercial investment or they will be a target of the proposed State intervention under the national broadband plan. It is absolutely fair that the Deputy would make the case for County Kerry and there is a real case for whole areas of the county, as well as many areas in rural Ireland across the country, where broadband, or at least high-speed broadband, is unavailable and where the commercial sector is unlikely to invest. That is why the State must intervene and ensure we give people the same opportunities and access in rural Ireland as is available elsewhere. I dealt with the sequencing of how that will happen in my formal reply.

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