Cecilia Keaveney (Fianna Fail)

I really appreciate the level of detail in the Minister of State's answer, and I am glad the scheme is moving on. The problem I find is that people are saying that if a particular company is covering an area and there is a tree or a rock in the wrong place there is no coverage for particular individuals, while to bring some other company in would distort the marketplace. From what the Minister of State said, if someone has proof from a service provider that he or she cannot get a service from that company, he or she would be eligible to find a positive alternative through this new scheme. That is where I am coming from. It is very much a case of the people who have been let down by the existing companies, for one reason or other, who need attention. Just because a company might provide 97% coverage does not mean the people who fall within the 3% failure rate should not be considered.

While I have the opportunity, I congratulate the Minister of State on his initiative as regards the seminars around the country. Last night we had a seminar in Letterkenny from 6.30 p.m. to 8 p.m., where these types of issues as regards taxation etc. to do with supporting small to medium-sized enterprises were addressed. The meeting was well attended and very informative.