Joe O'Toole (Independent)

I thank Senator Ross for asking me to second the Broadband Infrastructure Bill 2008, which is a fine piece of work. In welcoming the Minister, Deputy Eamon Ryan, to the House, I ask him to consider the essential aims of the Bill, which are to establish targets and put in place structures to measure those targets.

This morning, as I listened to the comments made by the Minister for Education and Science during his visit to China, I wondered how honest he was being with the Chinese people. As a representative of western democracy, did he tell his hosts that schools in Ireland cannot get broadband? Did he mention the cutbacks in education? Did he mention that over the last ten years, Ireland has dropped down the European information technology league table?

I have used information technology for many years. I would like mention an experience I had today in that regard. I phoned Eircom to cancel one of my telephone lines. I never thought it would come to that, but I have finally given up. Even though I live just 15 miles from the centre of Dublin, I have accepted that I will never get broadband via the copper wire from Eircom. I used a dial-up service until recently. I have managed to overcome my broadband problems at home. As somebody who avails of various IT structures to do everything, I use broadband all the time. Believe it or not, I now have a full broadband service at home for the first time.

This issue crosses some of the Minister's departmental responsibilities. I have a full satellite broadband service, without a need for a telephone line. If I like, I can use the satellite facility to get full television reception and unlimited free local and national telephone calls to fixed lines in Ireland. Such a system would help the Minister to overcome many of his difficulties. It would solve the problem in the Black Valley, for example. It would deal with many other issues.

Section 3 of Senator Ross's Bill deals with the need to provide access to broadband. We have now reached a point at which that can be done. Two parties are affected by access issues — the final end user of the service in his or her house and the party providing the service at the point where it comes from. It is now possible for any house in any place in Ireland, unless it is underground, to receive satellite broadband. If we are to implement Senator Ross's legislation, all we need to do is help people to get the necessary set-top box or decoder. It is that easy. We should ensure that we do what is needed.

At least 15 years have passed since I contributed to a debate in this House on the proliferation of telephone masts throughout Ireland. I am sure the Minister participated in that debate in another place. At that time, I asked why our mobile telephone service was not being delivered via satellite. That was over 15 years ago. I am asking the same question now. Why are telephone, television and broadband services not provided via satellite, which is the easiest way to do it? I ask the Minister to consider supporting those who want houses, schools and other places to access broadband services in this manner. It meets many of the requirements and targets of Senator Ross's Bill in an easy way. Not only can people get unlimited broadband under this system, but they can also get a new local telephone number at no extra cost. These issues need to be examined.

The State could save a great deal of money by adopting the approach I am advocating. I may have written to the Minister on this issue today. Many people have satellite reception to receive RTE, TG4 and TV3. In Ireland, Sky is the only satellite supplier of RTE. I did not have enough information when the Broadcasting Bill was coming through the House and it is the same issue here. Many in this House pay Sky up to €60 or €70 per month. Sky rebroadcasts RTE as well as many other channels. We pay VAT on that, and since Sky is based in the UK, that VAT goes to the British Government. More than €100 million in VAT payments goes out of this country every year, apart from the fact that the company is unregulated because it is UK-based. I want the Minister to try to release the grip Sky has on the satellite rebroadcasting of RTE. It is anti-competitive, and I am writing to the Minister on that. It is certainly losing us money and there is no gain in the situation.

I was delighted that in his Bill, Senator Ross takes the opportunity to establish two new quangos. I welcome that because there are times when quangos can do a worthwhile job. The Bill contains specific aims and targets of which I approve. I want to qualify one point which I have raised many times. Section 14 contains an exclusion of Members of Parliament from one of the boards. There is a very good reason for this in that the board is established through one of the joint committees of Parliament. That is a classic example of where there would be a conflict of interest. It is quite in order to do that in this situation. I discussed with Senator Ross that we would bring forward one amendment on Committee Stage to add the word "school" to "household and business" in section 3, with which I am sure the Minister would have no disagreement.

Here is an attempt to facilitate what the Minister is trying to achieve. He can disagree with none of Senator Ross's objectives and targets. I ask the Minister to do the decent thing. If he has difficulties with our Bill, he should take it on board and bring forward all the changes he wants to make to it. Senator Ross has indicated he would be open to whatever level of amendment needs to be implemented. It is important we put ourselves on the line here and that people line up and say this can and will be done. We have given the Minister a solution that meets targets and is implementable. I have given examples such as the satellite provision that would create money for the State, and I could give many more examples. How many times in the past two weeks has the Minister heard anybody in the Dáil or the Seanad propose a way the State can gain at least €100 million in VAT annually, as well as providing better reception and stopping nasty letters coming from the Black Valley where they cannot get telephone, television or any other reception? This deals with all those issues. I am proud and privileged to second Senator Ross's Bill and I ask the Minister to take it on board and implement the proposals in it.