Thomas Gould (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

There are large parts of Cork North-Central, my own constituency, that are without high-speed broadband and there is no timeline for delivery. I recently contacted Eir about River Towers, an apartment block on Lee Road in Cork city that is waiting for a fibre to the home connection. Eir informed me it could not give me a date for delivery but that it will be done by 2026, which is four years from now. That is astounding. In Cork city, the second city in this State, there is an apartment block without fibre high-speed broadband. Eir could not give me a date for connection because of ComReg's decision D10/18. I think it is fair to say that when ComReg came up with these decisions, we were not in the same space or time as we are now. We are now reliant on broadband to allow people to work from home or engage in education, as my colleague, Deputy Tully, said. Will the Minister of State instruct ComReg to look at that and review it, given the impact the lack of broadband has on jobs and people's ability to work from home and move employment? There also needs to be an investigation into whether a compromise can be found to allow people to get a timeline for delivery so they know they will be waiting for six months or a year. Four years is not good enough.

Not having access to high-speed broadband has a considerable impact on people's lives. It limits job opportunities, isolates people from family members who are abroad and reduces their entertainment possibilities. In particular, during the pandemic, we found out how important broadband is for students, whether in primary school, secondary school or third level. That is why broadband is vital and needs to be delivered.

From household security systems to baby monitors, so much technology now relies on a high-speed Internet connection and yet many of my constituents are being told they are going to have to wait until 2026 to have proper Internet in their homes. It is 2022. People cannot use Zoom for work, education or involvement in community groups and services. The NBP is failing people. They are so frustrated. I have heard other Deputies talking about the lack of high-speed Internet in their own constituencies.

This is not just a rural Ireland problem; it is a national problem. We can have an apartment block in the city without broadband. There are many other areas. In Clogheen and Kerry Pike, which are 2 km from Apple, one of the biggest computer companies in the world, there are areas with no Internet coverage or limited coverage. The town of Blarney, which is 6 km from Cork city, is the same, as are Watergrasshill, Donoughmore, upper Glanmire and Whitechurch. I have a list of areas in my constituency that either have no broadband connection, or parts of those areas have no broadband connection.

I am asking the Minister of State about this because the current system for the provision of broadband and Internet connections is failing people. Something needs to be done. I ask him to speak to ComReg to see whether we can give people proper timelines. It is all about information. This is the information age and we cannot give people the information they need. I ask the Minister of State to pass that on.

See this speech in context