Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy for raising this important issue about connectivity, particularly as it applies to rural Ireland, the economic life of rural Ireland and the quality of life in a modern digital era.

The main twin pillars of the Government's economic recovery plan were digitalisation and the green economy. The economic recovery plan has been particularly successful in its objectives. Consider the employment created since we published that plan and the actions on climate. It is quite dramatic. As a result of that plan we are close to full employment much earlier than anticipated. Without a doubt, the new national digital strategy is designed to advance the country into a better performer digitally speaking. It relates to the worlds of education and enterprise, and enabling people to be far more connected.

The Minister for Social Protection, and Rural and Community Development, Deputy Heather Humphreys, has set up with the Minister of State, Deputy Ossian Smyth, a national mobile phone and broadband task force.

It will be co-chaired by both the Minister, Deputy Humphreys, and the Minister of State, Deputy Smyth, to address and deal with the issues that Deputy Naughten has identified.

The Deputy mentioned and referenced collaboration with the private sector. There will be engagement with the private sector. We must also learn lessons from previous engagements and collaboration in terms of technology partnerships. Above all, what the Deputy said does dovetail with the Government's wider economic agenda of rebalancing the country economically to get greater development along the western seaboard and in particular the south west and south east. Connectivity is the key to that. It is important that we set targets and milestones. The Deputy is familiar with the national broadband plan and would have been involved in that at an earlier phase. Targets were set and so on and, obviously, Covid-19 intervened and slowed down some of the progress in that regard. It is important that we set realistic targets that can be achieved and that we do so as effectively and quickly as we possibly can.

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