Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Ceann Comhairle for selecting this very important matter. It not only impacts on the rural parts of south Kildare but also is an issue throughout the country. I thank the Minister for attending to address the matter personally. I start by acknowledging the role the Minister and his Department have played in addressing the structural deficit in certain parts of Ireland outside the larger urban areas and the deficiency in certain areas which lack high-speed broadband. I acknowledge in particular the recent capital programme of State expenditure which is the first in which we have seen significant direct Exchequer funding for broadband provision. Normally, capital plans cover only schools, hospitals, physical buildings and roads, but this is a real recognition that broadband, which is perhaps invisible, is equally important infrastructure for the State. The money is required for the Minister to do his job because this is very frustrating for those who have not benefited from high-speed broadband. I have been frustrated by the amount of time that has been wasted in the past and the years of underinvestment in this area.

I raise this matter today because it is timely to do so. A year ago today, the Minister published the national high-speed coverage map for 2016 which marked out areas in blue and amber depending on whether they were going to get commercial high-speed broadband from the private sector or needed State-led intervention.

I note from recent responses by the Minister to parliamentary questions that his Department intends to publish an updated version of the map before the end of the year and hopes to proceed to formal procurement, which would be welcome. The updated map will take account of details relating to proposed new commercial investments that have been unveiled during the year.

I have concerns about specific areas in my constituency, including Narraghmore, Calverstown, Kilmeage, Brannockstown and Maganey, which were marked in amber on the Minister's map one year ago and were due for State-led intervention. Subsequently, they were included in Eircom's fibre broadband roll-out plan last June. This was met with much local enthusiasm, as something was finally going to happen. However, despite my repeated requests of eir, as it is now known, I have been unable to get a clear timeframe for this. That worries me. I am afraid that those areas will be excluded from the updated version of the map of State-led intervention that the Minister is about to publish because we will not have a commitment from the private sector on when it will invest in broadband.

We must ensure that an area that has been removed from the map is not adversely affected by a delay. Private operators may try a land grab, take as many areas from the State as they can and stockpile business for themselves in the years to come without being held to clear timelines for roll-outs. Will the Minister assure me that the areas removed from the State intervention map will receive high-speed broadband roll-outs in a shorter timeframe or, at the very least, in the same amount of time as those areas covered by the map? Other areas in my constituency, such as Moone, Allenwood, Ballitore and Ballymore Eustace, were included in previous Eircom plans but are still awaiting commencement.

As the Minister knows, broadband is no longer a luxury. It is a daily necessity for most adults and children. It is used for work, education and social purposes and is one of the first services that we look to when moving to new premises. It is crucial that we get this process right. Before the Minister publishes a new map and we move to procurement, we should have clear commitments.

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