Jerry Buttimer (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I will roll on. Some 77% of our people will have broadband connectivity by the end of the year. That is not a bad achievement and there has been a 19% increase in connectivity since the Minister, Deputy Naughten, came into office.

Senator Boyhan has requested a debate on Coillte and I would be very happy to facilitate that. The chief executive officer of Coillte, Mr. Gerard Murphy, was interviewed on "Morning Ireland" this morning. He is committed to working to regain the trust of landowners, to issuing an annual statement and he agrees there is a need for transparency and proper communications. The Minister of State, Deputy Doyle, is happy to come to the House in that regard.

Senator Gavan raised the issue of section 39 agency workers. I agree with him that there is a pay differential with respect to those workers which needs to be addressed. That is why the Minister for Health, together with the HSE, has set up a process to examine that and they will come back with a review. That process must examine the case of the workers and it must be evidence based. I agree completely with the Senator. We have a wonderful institution called Marymount in Cork and the workers there are treated different from the workers in the HSE. Unfortunately, the problem is that they are not designated as public servants, as the Senator will know. Therefore, the Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest, FEMPI, legislation-----