Pádraig O'Sullivan (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

We all know the importance of a good quality high-speed broadband connection in modern times, particularly in remote rural areas. None of us here could do our jobs successfully without such a service and many businesses and jobs across the country depend on a stable, reliable Internet connection to ensure their competitiveness in a global market.

I welcomed initial funding for digital hubs across the country last year as I felt it would spread the benefits of the national broadband plan, NBP, and accelerate access to much sought-after broadband, particularly in areas where the broadband roll-out was a little slower. This morning, I was disappointed to hear that the plan is not likely to meet its targets for this year and Covid-19 is cited as the main reason for this delay. With that in mind, has the Minister any plans to increase the roll-out of digital hubs in our communities in addition to any of those initially planned?

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