Michael Moynihan (Cork North West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I do not accept that. It is before the European Commission. When will the Commission approve State aid? We have been debating this for the last year and a half across the floor and, before that, with the Minister's predecessor.

Figures for broadband are being trotted out but there are parts of this country that do not have any kind of Internet connection, good, bad or indifferent. The residents are disadvantaged. A disadvantage is being developed in these parts of the country because it is costing young people to live in those communities, and costing people to set up businesses in those communities. There is a crisis that needs to be looked at, and we have debated it across the floor. There is constant movement and no doubt the Department is looking at it, but not aggressively enough, particularly for parts of both rural and urban areas.

There are residents in parts of Ireland, 15 to 20 miles from O'Connell Street, who contact me about their broadband coverage. Right throughout my own constituency, across the western seaboard and in parts of nearly every county in the State, people do not have a proper broadband service. At this stage, it is beyond talking about.

See this speech in context