Frank O'Rourke (Kildare North, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the opportunity to speak on this motion, which has been proposed by my colleague, Deputy Dooley. I support the case that has been made for it this evening. The reality is that the Taoiseach acknowledged to me last year, in response to a question I asked about the programme for Government during Questions on Promised Legislation, that broadband is no longer a luxury but is an absolute necessity for people who want to work or study at home or run businesses. How quickly and urgently can the Minister get the contract signed so that the 540,000 homes and businesses which need broadband can be connected to it?

The big frustration in places I represent in Kildare North, such as Celbridge, Leixlip and Maynooth, is that people living beside Intel and Hewlett Packard have no access to broadband. There are problems where the service has been supplied through private entities. It is frustrating to hear statistics being churned out by the Taoiseach every week when he speaks about the number of homes that have been connected. To be fair, these figures have nothing to do with the national broadband plan, which we are discussing here this evening. It is frustrating and annoying for people who are waiting to be connected to hear statistics that are neither true nor accurate and to see private entities bringing cables a certain distance up the road before turning back, thereby leaving the people who live further up the road unconnected.

There is a problem in schools as well. Last week, I visited a school that has 20 fabulous computers but cannot turn them on because there is no broadband in the school. The broadband is 50 m. away. The school authorities have been trying to get in touch with the Department of Education and Skills since last September, but they still have no connection. I know the Minister is aware that this is a real problem. It needs to be treated as a matter of urgency. This contract needs to be signed so that these homes and businesses can be connected. This is really urgent.

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