Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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I am surprised that Deputy Luke 'Ming' Flanagan is not present. He seems to believe that when he is speaking, everyone must be in the Chamber. He must not have a monitor in his office like the rest of us do. While we might not be sitting in the Chamber, we are aware of proceedings.

Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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There are always more of us present, though.

Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael)
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It is whoever got the most votes.

Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Acting Chairman for affording me the opportunity to raise this important issue. There is no doubt that one of the greatest issues facing society is the high level of unemployment and the urgent need for the Government and Opposition to work tirelessly together to implement policies and initiatives that will facilitate job creation. I acknowledge the Government's commitment to laying a jobs initiative before the House in the next month, but one of the most important factors in job creation is infrastructure and, without critical infrastructure, we will not be able to attract inward investment to an area. Who in their right mind will start up a business without the necessary infrastructure? Without doubt, broadband is a critical piece of infrastructure.

Looking at the Department's website I saw a press release from December 2010 welcoming the €223 million spent on the national broadband scheme. According to the website, the service has a minimum download speed of 1.6Mbps and a maximum of 6.8Mbps with a contention ratio of 22:1. It has been made available for 235,000 premises across every county in Ireland, creating 170 jobs in the process. Built into the contract is a provision that speeds will be increased to a maximum of 10Mbps by October 2012. This is most welcome but what about the areas outside the national broadband scheme or within that are just not been served?

I question the accuracy of the Department figure of 99% coverage through the country and would ask the Minister if the number of new sites established under the scheme has reached the target of over 400 stated previously on the website, and, if not, how many new sites have been completed and are functioning correctly at present. How many of those are masts supporting antennae in new locations? In my own constituency, there are numerous black spots, including Abbeyshrule and Ballynacargy, which is home to me and a Cabinet member. The village still has no adequate broadband and the Eircom exchange is not even enabled to provide broadband service. Other villages affected include Ballymore, Ballinalack, Ballinamuck in Longford, Cloughan and Coralstown, Coole, Collinstown, Dysart, Dring, Fore, Forgony and Gaybrook. Kenagh, where the recent electoral count was held, had a connection so bad that we found it hard to get out the news that I was elected.

As I said already, broadband is not a luxury but a necessity for both business development and households. We live in an age where more people are using the Internet to carry out daily tasks such as online shopping and banking. Students are using it as a research tool and firms need it to carry out their daily business. I know a case in Dring, County Longford, where a local bookmaker running a number of businesses from home has no broadband and cannot properly function. A friend who is a solicitor contacted me recently because after building a new house in my home village, she is unable to get any broadband or work from home, thus causing severe problems for her family life.

Despite the large-scale investment in the provision of broadband over the past number of years, areas remain without an adequate service. I understand the previous Government before leaving office had committed €18 million for a new rural scheme to ensure outstanding areas would be serviced. I conclude by asking if this scheme will proceed and, if so, how can the areas I listed qualify? Are there plans to discuss with Eircom its obligation to ensure that exchanges are broadband-enabled and whether the subsidy of ongoing charges for satellite service provided under the national broadband scheme will be maintained after the current contract ends in July 2014?

I would appreciate it if I did not get a history lesson on why this or that cannot be done because of what happened in the past 14 years. I have been here five weeks and I would like to know what will happen in future. I do not live in the past; I live in the present. I want to work towards a better future.

Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Deputy opposite for his noble words. I am reminded of the line from the poem, "i mBaile na Muc, Dé Sathairn, chailleamar an lá". Sibhse a chaill an toghchán deireanach. Cháin an Teachta cúrsaí leathanbhanda na tíre agus dúirt sé nach bhfuil leathanbhanda ag daoine ina cheantar féin. Ta súil agam go dtuigeann an Teachta gur ar a phairtí atá an milleán faoi sin.

I welcome very much what the Deputy has said about identifying the issues and the needs concerning broadband in his area. It is an important issue and in the past five weeks I have spent as much time as possible on the matter. The Deputy is correct in that it is unacceptable for people, whether living in his village or mine, not to have a proper broadband service. The history lesson takes in the Deputy's party; it is a history of a failure to deliver broadband or the services which people want. The difference between us is that this Government is committed to NewERA, which is a massive investment in broadband. Together with private enterprise, State and semi-State agencies, it will ensure that the Deputy's village and the other townlands mentioned will have a proper broadband service.

A note from Department officials has been circulated but I am happy to debate the key question of the rural broadband scheme in the time we have. It is my intention in the next number of weeks to announce a new rural broadband scheme to reach those locations with no broadband whatever. Depending on terrain, there may or may not be a broadband service. With business and enterprise, the Government must work with everybody to have an efficient and effective broadband service around the country so that everybody can compete.

The European target is that by 2020 there should be a 30Mbs broadband service in as many places as possible. In the circulated response there is mention of three towns in the Deputy's constituency that have a metropolitan area network. These are working but I point out - as I am sure the Deputy will - that we need everybody that can have a service in a metropolitan area network to avail of it. I hope to work with the Deputy and our colleagues in the House to bring that about. I am working with my Department officials on that plan as it is very important for us to have connectivity around the country and in metropolitan area networks to meet obvious needs.

If the fibre optic cable is in the ground, it should not be forever unused, as it was under the previous Government. We want to use the equipment fully. The Deputy can read the rest of the circulated response but I hope he found this contribution helpful.