Shane Ross (Independent)

I would like to make a plea, which stems from my disappointment in one respect, before I give the Minister of State a chance to endorse what I have said, which he will undoubtedly do. While the Government has used the tax regime to give tremendous encouragement to multinationals, it has missed an opportunity in this budget to allow for a free-for-all on broadband. I thought the Government would give a compete and utter guarantee in this budget or in subsequent measures that every household in the State will get broadband, as they do in Northern Ireland. The Government's failure to give such a guarantee may deter multinationals and jeopardise our future prosperity.