Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire (Cork South Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I have significant doubts about how this will work in September next year. I have doubts about capacity and what this will mean for prices. The Minister and the Department have said that they do not expect there to be any issues but are keeping it under review. The Department states that it expects the scheme to improve labour market activation and participation but a degree of contradiction is inherent in not expecting a significant rise in capacity but expecting labour activation to increase.

It is important that increasing capacity and capacity planning are not market led. Such an approach was a disastrous failure in regard to broadband and has been a failure in many other areas. It has to be led by the State and the community sector. There has to be serious capital investment and while the Minister has outlined the capital allocation my recollection is that it has been reduced from the previous year's budget as a result of everything that is happening in Oberstown. I believe it needs to be increased.

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