Timmy Dooley (Clare, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

There is somewhat of a recurring theme to the response the Minister has issued. It is a theme that preceded his arrival into the office he now holds, an effort on the part of the Government to take credit for the work being done by the private contractors in the overall roll-out of broadband. The facts remain that the Government committed back in 2012 to roll out high-speed broadband to areas that were not commercially viable. People made decisions in this regard but there has been little or no progress since. It is the case that a final tender was submitted in September. However, back when the Government negotiated the programme for Government, the projected date for the signing of that contract was June 2017. We are no closer to it now than we were then. What we need from Government is a clear timeline of completion of its work. I have some issues with the Smyth report but it is completed. I cannot understand, nor can most people, the necessity of these ongoing discussions within the Minister's Department. He knows what is required. This has been ongoing for a very considerable period. What we now need is action and timelines in order that we bring some certainty to the people who have waited far too long for this really important service. The work the Department agreed under an arrangement with Eir to roll out broadband to 300,000 homes throughout the country has infuriated as many people as it has resolved issues for them. A house that is one house beyond an area that Eir has committed to serving will not get broadband. There is no sign of it happening. The Department's work has created almost as many problems as it has attempted to solve.

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