Denis Naughten (Roscommon-Galway, Independent) | Oireachtas source

Twelve months ago, 52% of premises had access to high-speed broadband. My focus is on delivery and not dates. In 77 weeks' time, 77% of premises will have access to high-speed broadband. During my short period in office, I have ensured that one in every four premises in Ireland, the vast majority of which are in rural Ireland, will have access to high-speed broadband. Many of those premises will have access to speeds of 1,000 Mbps. What we are talking about is a rate of 300 farms every single week getting fibre to their door. That is happening as we speak.

I am a bit disappointed with Deputy Dooley's comment to the effect that the 541,000 premises in rural areas will not be getting anything in the short term. Imagine is rolling out its infrastructure as we speak, providing up to 70 Mbps right across rural Ireland. Last week I was in Longford to launch a new initiative by Eurona Ireland which is providing high-speed broadband to rural areas too. Investment is going on in rural areas and through the mobile and broadband task force, we are assisting the companies that are currently spending €1.7 million per day to ramp up that investment right across rural Ireland in terms of mobile data and wireless broadband services.

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