Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

High speed broadband will be a lifeline for rural Ireland. Awarding the contract is a matter for the Minister, Deputy Naughten, and we work very closely together, so it is of great interest to me. The reality is the gap funding model approved by the Government will deliver rural broadband more efficiently and cost-effectively. To go for the public ownership model, as espoused by Opposition Deputies, would potentially delay the delivery of broadband to towns and villages throughout the country. Rural Deputies are very conscious of this and we know what it is like to be without broadband. I do not want to see any more delays. We can think about what it was like 25 years ago when we did not have mobile phones. Look at what we have now. Technology is changing.

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