Declan Breathnach (Louth, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The delivery of modern instant communication, be it mobile phone coverage or high-speed broadband, is a necessity in this day and age, not a luxury as some people seem to think, particularly for people in the countryside. Whether for a farmer, for a schoolchild, for someone who does not want to have to commute to the city, or for a rural school, it is essential. The announcement yesterday reminded me of the old colloquialism about buying a pig in a poke. It is a phrase used around the world, or it may be called a cat in a bag, to describe looking at the face of the object, not the quality of what is in the bag. When we hear the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform say that it is not credible, that it is concerned about the level of risk, and that clarity is needed, I have no doubt that we will be back here within three weeks of the European and local elections, still procrastinating on this issue. I agree with many of my colleagues that this is an election stunt to pacify or attempt to pacify rural communities in particular.

Where will we get the €1.4 billion to bring us up to the €3 billion when we have allocated only €1.6 billion in the national development plan? The Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform can say what he likes about not cutting projects but the Department and others have been saying that Dundalk Institute of Technology will lose its €19 million. That worries and concerns me greatly. We all want to see rural broadband delivered to every house. Anyone from across the House looking at a map of my county can see the areas not covered, and we are living on the east coast.

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