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

I assure the Deputy that they are not being ignored and isolated. I am very conscious of each and every one of the 542,000 premises across the country. This is not just about sustaining existing jobs. There are also huge opportunities for new businesses to be created, not just with the provision of broadband. Broadband will only facilitate that. The new An Post parcel delivery and collection service means that in any location in the country one can provide an online service selling goods to customers across the globe and never have to leave one's own area. There are huge opportunities in that area. There are also huge opportunities in delivering health services which have not been exploited.

I assure the Deputy that I am actively discussing these matters with eir. A submission on a further build out was compiled by the broadband officers across the country and submitted to eir via my Department. We are also looking at how we can best exploit the existing infrastructure through both mobile and wireless services.

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