Jennifer Murnane O'Connor (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I, too, have been inundated with calls from my constituents about the poor state of broadband in County Carlow. This is especially true in rural parts of the county. Now more than ever, a robust Internet connection is required for all constituents working from home and also to prevent isolation in these challenging times. It is important for us to keep connected, and there is an urgency around this matter. There are parts of Carlow where people are really struggling to get basic-level Internet to carry out normal day-to-day tasks, and this needs to change. I welcomed the announcement in June of €32 million for broadband in Carlow, and I know that National Broadband Ireland has requested a licence from Carlow County Council for road openings and that it is now surveying parts of Bagenalstown, Borris, Tinnahinch, Myshall - that whole area. That is welcome but, again, there is the problem of communication and information. I see a website has been set up with a search tool to enable the public to check whether their premises are within the roll-out area and to show the dates for the areas being surveyed. The website can be updated and there are numbers people can ring. It is so important now that every house has broadband. If we have learnt anything from Covid-19, it is the importance of having good broadband for working from home, whether for students, teachers or anyone else. They need proper broadband. Is there a timescale as to when this work will start for Carlow? How long will it take? I would like an update for the people of Carlow in order that we know it will happen. My concern is that there will be problems; for example, that one house down a road will have broadband while half a mile down the road someone else might not have it. What can we do to make sure that every house gets broadband as soon as possible, that there are no mistakes, that there is no confusion and that anyone ringing up about his or her account gets the necessary service? It is all about service.

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