Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I wish to focus on two areas, the first being broadband. Most people outside the major cities were profoundly worried about the impact of the delay in the rolling out of broadband. Obviously, I was directly involved in the previous Administration in examining this issue and setting out clearly what would be commercially available and the areas in which the State had to step in. We had every expectation that the tender would would have been out by now to fill the gap in order that provision would be made for the entire country, to be completed in the next 18 months or so, but we have not even got to analysis stage to determine what the tender will look like. This is a really important issue.

My second question relates to regional rebalancing. The Taoiseach has been around the country campaigning to be leader of his party. He will know, just as I know from travellling around the country, that there is a real need for somebody with a big idea, the big idea of rebalancing the country. Bluntly, that will not be done with the rural plan we have of making sure every county receives something. We need to have concrete action to have a focus on the mid-west, the south and west to rebalance away from the east in order that not all economic activity will be sucked into the east. Considering that the Taoiseach is a big admirer of both the Canadian Prime Minister, whom he is hosting today, and the French President, Mr. Macron, who present themselves as big ideas persons, does he have a view on developing a big idea to have true regional rebalancing in the State?

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