Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I totally accept that this is a genuine question which arises from a genuine concern on the part of both Deputies. There is an absolute commitment on the part of the Government to deliver broadband to the households and businesses that do not have it. Some 74% of premises in the State now have access to high speed broadband, which represents a dramatic improvement in terms of where we were in recent years, but it is not enough. We cannot have a rural divide in broadband provision, which means investing public money to fix the problem. We are committed to doing so and have been through a long process. The Minister, Deputy Bruton, needs to bring recommendations to the Government on how we can move forward, having fully assessed the issue of value for money and all of the other matters raised by Deputies. I understand he will do so shortly.

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