Dan Boyle (Green Party)

This Fianna Fáil motion welcomes Government support for the development of broadband across the country in the context of the programme for Government and the smarter economy document. There is no denying that with regard to broadband roll-out we are not where we should be. However, there is no denying either that the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources is committed to bringing us to where we need to be. A number of Government initiatives over recent months show the direction we are going in terms of broadband.

Senator McCarthy mentioned the need for broadband in schools. There is a commitment towards achieving a national roll-out and effective programme in that area. While there are criticisms of our broadband strategy because we are catching up so slowly, we should not forget that what makes us catch up may not be what we need in the longer term. The criticism I would make would be that while we need to provide broadband access to as much of the country as possible, to do so in the short term through satellite and WiFi technology is not what is required for the longer term. We need a physical infrastructure to provide a full broadband system. I am confident that will and can happen, but we also need to meet the short-term need. It is to the country's detriment economically that we do not have the infrastructure in place.

The real beneficiaries of a national broadband strategy would be rural communities. However, I am heartened by seeing rural communities that thrive despite this lack. A number of weeks ago I visited a small community in Waterford called Dunhill Ecopark, an initiative run by four community groups and villages in the local area. The combined population of the area is 1,700. Despite the minimal support received from State agencies, some 133 people are employed in the ecopark. The main activity is an excellent food processing business, but there are also services such as a local credit union. Bodies like Teagasc also occupy some of the units in the centre. What was surprising was that while an ecopark such as this or any kind of semi-industrial facility need technology to help them go further, there was no mobile coverage available while I was in that area. Not having even that level of infrastructure was an impediment. I was grateful because it allowed me, for the two hours for which I was present, to devote my full attention to what people were saying and to take lessons on board. It struck me that this was precisely the type of community that would benefit from realising the full potential in this area and of full broadband roll-out. The park has the necessary sense of initiative and is conscious of the need to marry technology with the effort and commitment that will result in progress for the local communities. If we can identify such communities and provide the technological links and resources to bring the components together, I will have a lot of confidence in the future of our communities.

When I worked very briefly for the National Rehabilitation Board, which was subsumed by FÁS, one of the jobs I was given was to consider information technology for people with disabilities, particularly those with hearing and visual disabilities. This was in the early 1990s. I must admit I failed miserably on the report, partly because technology was so badly developed at the time and partly because of my own ignorance of the field. It says something about the speed of progression of technology that we now take for granted what was non-existent then. Not only do we need to put in place the desired infrastructure, we need to put in place a plan to get us to where we need to go regarding the technological advances that are likely to happen over the next five, ten or 15 years. This is the real challenge for our economy.

We have depended on actions that seemed easy, such as the over-lending of money and building of property. What we need to do is plan an economy that considers the technological possibilities of 2020 and 2030. This is the real importance of this debate. It is not so much a question of determining what we are lacking and what is not being done but of determining collectively where we need to go. The wider community does not sense this is occurring. People realise how far we have come technologically but it will require an exponential leap forward to go where we ought to go technologically. This will require a lot of resources and a particular type of commitment. Ultimately, I wonder whether there is political interest in achieving this. Both Houses operate in a parliamentary system in which, it is sad to say, there are many Members who pride themselves on their ignorance of technology and its use as a tool for politics, information and communication. Until there is sufficient intelligence and usage in this regard, it will be harder than it ought to be to make progress on national policy in this area.

I support tonight's motion because it is a call for stating there is intent to make badly needed improvements and a commitment to take us to where we need to get to. If we can identify our destination, the future of our country will be better as a result.