Neale Richmond (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

With regard to that commercial service and how it overlaps with the national broadband plan, this is an increasing phenomenon, particularly over recent years with so many people working remotely. The Minister of State mentioned Stepaside, which, as he will be aware, is where I live. In the cul-de-sac where I live, there are 40 homes and, during the pandemic, only two of us, namely, a nurse and I, were going into work. The rest all worked from home. Many of them will continue doing so, and rightly so because it is a great option for them.

Nevertheless, we have seen the impact on the strength of the connection. When between 60 and 80 people in a small cul-de-sac are all online at the same time, there will be a drain. This is an area with nominally strong coverage but the issue will become a phenomenon. We want people to work remotely and from home, not just outside Dublin but in suburban Dublin in particular. What efforts can be made to partner more effectively with the commercial providers to ensure those gaps will be filled? There is a cul-de-sac in Ballinteer where the connection is perfectly fine for houses on one side of the road, while on the other side, there is zero chance of making any calls with video and so on, something that is increasingly important to so many people working in a range of areas for global employers. That is a great concern as we come out and, I hope, stay out of this pandemic.

Where can the national broadband plan work with commercial partners not just to identify those gaps but to fast-track their resolution? This is an immediate problem and, indeed, an historical one for many people over the past 18 months. The Minister of State talked about efficiency and it is great to hear announcements that broadband has arrived in X or Y but, in the places that have connectivity, if that connectivity is not fit for purpose, it will cause much more damage and do so more immediately.

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