Michael Fitzmaurice (Roscommon-Galway, Independent) | Oireachtas source

For too long broadband has been promised by all sides of the Dáil. We must work together to ensure it is delivered. There are obstacles. We must hope Enet stays in the game because we had two other engines on the plane and they fell off. I am very wary of Eir, and I do not deny that. I was even more alarmed when I saw who is buying Eir. I have read up a little on developments in France and I worry about where Eir is going, what it will try to do and what it would try to stifle. All politicians across the floor need to work together. Whatever legislation needs to be driven through here, be it at 12 o'clock at night or 7 o'clock in the morning, support must be given from all sides to put down the foundation that can deliver for us what is required. Whatever the consequences for some of these private operators down the road, it is broadband we want in all parts of rural Ireland and not to worry about them. Right across the floor support needs to be given to ensure we have no obstacle in our way, that we are ahead of any future obstacle that might come up and that we can plough through it without certain vested interests trying to hold the country to ransom.

This is about the north, south, east and west of the country and about delivery. The Minister said that since there is now one crowd in the game, he may be able to speed things up in certain circumstances. It is vital for every Deputy in the House and for the public that this starts rolling rapidly. The Minister knows as well as anyone the frustration that is felt. People are beginning to wonder whether the roll-out will ever happen. The Minister's Department needs to ensure we are forthright and honest that the work being done by Eir is being done by Eir and that no Government or anyone else will do it. I have questioned how Eir even got that contract. I have read up a little about it and about EU rules and so on and I see that, unfortunately, many times one cannot stop a tide when the EU holds a country to ransom. This is the flaw that seems to be the big problem.

My first instinct would be that whatever compulsory purchase orders, CPOs, or emergency legislation is required, and I know one can have problems in that regard and the Minister probably has better briefings on all this, must be brought in here. I urge him not to be afraid to say here if such a thing is to come and not to be one bit worried about what we must take on to ensure this is delivered. The sooner this contract is done, the better. Yes, it probably will cost more money, but my argument is always that if we are to spend €3 billion or €4 billion to bring people from Dublin Airport, which I think is needed, and I do not say it is not, we can bring broadband to the number of people we have talked about and 1.2 million people can benefit from it daily. That can make a country better and can allow people to work from home. We do not need too many more downers. There was trepidation the minute we heard Eir had gone. Perhaps it was a good thing, but the worry is whether Enet will stay in the game. It is very important it would do so, or else we will be left with nothing, we will be back to the grindstone and we will be two or three years again going through the process.

I ask the Minister and his officials to ensure that whenever this contract is signed, in the next few months, with a bit of luck, the ante is upped. I have done construction jobs and water jobs around the country, and there may be timeline pressures on them and one may have to put more resources and gangs into doing the work. It is vital that when we hit the ground, we do so firmly. I would have fairly big penalties for the people involved in the tender process if they did not deliver on time, but I would encourage them first. I do not like the word "penalties". I would nearly pay them a bonus to get it done in a 12 month or 14 month timeframe with more gangs rather than wear it out for the extra bit of time and have parts of Ireland left without broadband.

I ask the Minister to arrange for every Deputy and other Members of the Oireachtas to have a very frank meeting in the audiovisual room in order that everyone understands where we are coming from.

See this speech in context