Robbie Gallagher (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Many Members have raised the decline of rural Ireland. I do the same in light of a report presented to the members of the Monaghan County Council this week by a group called the Irish Central Border Area Network, ICBAN. Its research estimates that at the very best it will be the end of 2025 before County Monaghan has full broadband connectivity and the end of 2023 for County Cavan. The council debated the issue and concluded that this was shocking news. If rural Ireland is to have a future, broadband is a vital component. It is vital for business and for communities. When one considers the risk that Brexit poses for this country, I would claim as I often have that it potentially affects the Border counties worst. If ever there was a case for prioritising the Border region, it is now. The Government could prioritise the Border region for broadband because it is vital if we are to have a present, never mind a future. I ask the Leader to bring this to the attention of the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment and ask him to seriously consider prioritising the Border region with full broadband connectivity as soon as practically possible.