Rose Conway-Walsh (Mayo, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Economic recovery in Mayo, the west and many other parts of the country relies on the roll-out of broadband. That is why we welcomed the €2.7 billion contract. There is a disconnect between the talk from the Government on the future of work and the potential of more remote working, and the reality on the ground in Mayo. In the first 18 months, only 4,378 homes and businesses have been reached out of a target of 115,000 and only 632 of these have actually been connected. Given that contractors were allowed to continue working on the roll-out over the past year, it is necessary for the Taoiseach to explain what has happened and why so little progress has been made. People in my constituency of Mayo want to know what is going on. For them to see such a shocking low number of connections is completely discouraging. There has not been an adequate explanation of the situation. What is the new agreed downgraded target for the connections this year? What penalties will National Broadband Ireland face for falling so far behind schedule? Does the Taoiseach share our concern? The Minister, Deputy Eamon Ryan, has said he hopes to negotiate a new contract and he will invoke the change control procedure in the broadband contract. Can the Taoiseach tell us what is going on because we are very concerned at this point about the contract and all of the promises that have been made around broadband for rural Ireland?

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