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

I know the issues involved because I am dealing with them on the ground. One of the Acting Chairman, Deputy Eugene Murphy's constituents, my mother, is at me continually and persistently in that respect. She is less than one mile from the existing fibre network and within a few yards of the local primary school. My own nieces are missing out on it. I am, therefore, very conscious of the impact on a personal as well as a political level. The Deputy is right; it does not just affect young people. There is massive potential for the provision of medical services in isolated rural communities which would avoid putting additional pressure on health services. An issue was raised by a county-man of the Deputy's on a series of radio programmes broadcast in the last fortnight. His solution to the broadband challenge was the roll-out 4G broadband to rural areas. Adrian Weckler in his article in the Sunday Independentlast Sunday clearly made the point that this would not solve the problem, not only because of the monthly caps that applied but also because of the excessive cost that would be involved. It would discriminate against people living in rural areas. The only long-term, sustainable, future-proof solution is mainly fibre based, which is what I am determined to deliver to ensure we do achieve the future equivalent of the rural electrification scheme through broadband provision.

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