Duncan Smith (Dublin Fingal, Labour) | Oireachtas source

The website is useful up to a point, and has been for a number of years, in identifying the townlands. The issue is knowing how long these townlands will remain amber or when they will go live with broadband. That is a big job for the Minister to deliver on. Throughout the pandemic we have seen the benefits of working from home, but we have also seen the challenges. Some households in the constituency I represent may have two adults along with one, two or three children all needing broadband to work or study from home.

People have often had to use the mental health services. Yesterday the Covid committee heard a presentation on the challenges that poor Internet provision brings to online mental health provision. North County Dublin is as rural as areas in counties Mayo, Kerry, Wicklow, Meath and others. Similar to those areas, it needs a broadband service. Those townlands will need timelines as well as their colour coding.

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