Carol Nolan (Laois-Offaly, Independent) | Oireachtas source

Tá áthas orm labhairt sna ráitis seo ar leathanbhanda. Is tubaiste mhór í agus tá a fhios ag gach Ball nach bhfuil na moilleanna seo go maith. Tá sé dochreidte go bhfuil daoine ag feithimh ar feadh na blianta chun an t-infreastruchtúr seo a fháil, agus is infreastruchtúr bunúsach é ag deireadh an lae.

The following comments were made by a Minister regarding the roll-out of the national broadband plan, "The Government’s National Broadband Plan aims to radically change the broadband landscape in Ireland by ensuring that high speed services ... are available to all of our citizens and businesses, well in advance of the EU’s target date of 2020, and that significantly higher speeds are available to as many homes and businesses as possible." That was the then Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources, Pat Rabbitte. It was 2013, one year after the national broadband plan was originally published, in August 2012, and two years after the publication of the next generation broadband task force report in 2011, yet he we are, at the start of 2022, more than one decade after that report was published, and many parts of both rural and urban Ireland are still without access to basic infrastructure, namely, high-speed fibre connections. That is incredible.

Several Government Deputies have argued this project is gathering pace. What do they mean exactly by "gathering pace"? I quoted an announcement as far back as 2013, and here we are in 2022. It is shameful and there is no excuse for such a delay. It has certainly hampered businesses. I have heard directly from many small employers, one of which, in Rosenallis, County Laois, has 30 employees. He cannot get high-speed broadband in the area and was told it will take a number of years. If that is how employers are treated, it is no wonder we do not have enough jobs or enough job creation in rural Ireland. We are being let down by this so-called plan. It is not a good plan and it is not credible. It is not credible to leave people waiting years for such basic infrastructure.

We in the Rural Independent Group have sought a briefing with National Broadband Ireland to discuss the many issues and to ask the questions that need to be asked because we need proper constructive engagement and firm commitments we can stand over. To expect Deputies to tell their constituents they must wait until 2025 or 2026 for basic infrastructure such as national broadband just does not cut it. It is not acceptable in the least. So much for gathering pace. I do not call it "gathering pace" if we have to wait that long. Surely something can be done here, given that in all our communities, areas and employers are affected. Businesses throughout the country are affected. It will hamper our chances of bringing in foreign direct investment or of encouraging local enterprises to set up in a particular area or community. Not having this infrastructure in place is holding back our local economy and holding back potential. There is something radically wrong, and we all need to ask questions about the national broadband plan.

In respect of my constituency, Laois-Offaly, National Broadband Ireland has confirmed to me that, while areas in Offaly such as those in and around Clonygowan are within its intervention area, the anticipated connection date is between January 2025 and December 2026.

As I said before, that is totally unacceptable, particularly when the Government is talking about legislation allowing people to work from home and we are hearing this sort of spin. How can people work from home if they do not have basic broadband? It is certainly going to put paid to that notion for many families, who will just not be able to do it and will have no option but to commute. Even if their employer is willing to let them work from home, it cannot happen unless the infrastructure is there.

There is too much delay and there is acceptance around that from the Government, which is very concerning. I would have thought the Government would be more critically evaluating the whole process and asking the questions, as elected representatives. I believe that is the proper way to pursue the issue.

It is a long time since the report of the task force I mentioned, some 15 years. I have serious concerns with regard to the cost of the project. This is comparable to the National Children's Hospital, given it is €2.1 billion. That is very concerning and we need to ask questions, as public representatives.

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