Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister for his response and indicating that he will provide for a USO. I hope his departmental officials, in their discussions with ComReg, will stress the urgency of this matter. The Minister has mentioned that he has raised it with his colleagues at the Council of Communications Ministers. I hope progress will be made more quickly in this instance than in the case of roaming charges. I had exchanges with the Minister's predecessors a number of years ago on the prolonged time it was taking for the roaming charges decision to be implemented. The target date was the middle of 2014, but it was postponed. I stress the urgency of ensuring the regulatory framework is put in place so as to ensure a USO will be placed on telecoms companies. Whatever must be done at EU level should be progressed rapidly. Unfortunately, we are all aware that issues can be dragged out at European level for a long time before decisions are reached.

As the Minister well knows and as he will see from the other questions I have submitted for answer today, in the counties of Cavan and Monaghan there is an inadequate broadband telecommunications infrastructure. This is hurting farming, businesses and households.

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