James Lawless (Kildare North, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister for his answer. The Minister listed several numbers of homes with various target dates. This is welcome but I am particularly interested in the potential for acceleration. I must confess that I was a sceptic in respect of the national broadband plan in the last Dáil but it is in progress, so I wish it Godspeed. We need to roll it out as fast as we possibly can. One of the reasons I was somewhat sceptical is that I believed, and still believe, that there are ways to achieve wider coverage in an accelerated fashion instead of or in parallel with the national broadband plan. One of those approaches, contained in legislation I published during the last Dáil, included a rapid roll-out broadband planning framework. This would allow site-sharing, the reuse of kit and the compilation of an inventory of kit, the standardisation of area plans and planning frameworks, consolidating planning regulations across local authorities and many other things. This legislation included a provision for new planning permission to require ducting to the threshold. From previous committee meetings I know the Minister probably shares my view on this. There are several ways this could be done. I may re-examine that Bill for this new Dáil. These measures can be taken in parallel with and as complements to the national broadband plan.

The Minister mentioned years six and seven. To be local about it, some of my constituents in places like Eadestown and Kilteel in north-east Kildare are 20 km from Dublin city centre. In terms of broadband service provision, however, they are as rural as the west of Ireland or parts of Connemara. They cannot wait until year six or seven for this to happen. There is a large contingent of people who are currently working from home or engaged in high-intensity activity. It is imperative that they receive the service as soon as possible.

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