Joe O'Reilly (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome my colleague, the Minister of State at the Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment, Deputy Kyne. It is great to have him back in this House. I also acknowledge at the outset the degree to which the Minister of Communications, Climate Action and Environment, Deputy Denis Naughten, has sought to brief, explain and meet with groups, how participative he has been and how thoroughly and democratically he has gone about his business over the last couple of weeks. It is very impressive how he sought to brief us and to meet us and listen to all of the interest groups. I am very proud to be on the relevant committee of the Oireachtas.

Providing broadband to every house and premises in this country is an ambition of mammoth proportions. It is a worthy ambition, and is something of which to be very proud. We should not be negative about this. We should be proud that we are setting such a high goal of achievement for the country. It is equivalent to rural electrification. The biggest roadblock it has encountered to date is the selling off of Telecom Éireann by the then Fianna Fáil Government. In retrospect, that is clearly one of the obstacles with which we are dealing. It is not an insurmountable obstacle. The plan is going ahead and I am confident we will deliver the goods.From listening to Senator Conway-Walsh one would almost get the impression that there has not been a huge amount of achievement. It is important to put on the record that at present, 71% of premises and houses right across the country have broadband. Moreover, 79% will have it by the end of this year and 87% of all schools have broadband. That is an extraordinary and good situation to be in.

It is also important to note that Eir is committed to delivering to the 300,000 premises to which it has a contractual commitment to deliver and we have been informed by the Minister that will go ahead promptly and is progressing as we speak. That is a very important aspect of the plan. It is important to note that Enet-SSE has already set out its prices to deliver to the missing 542,000 postal addresses in the country. I would like the Minister to clarify that situation. The public would like to hear that Enet will deliver. I am confident it will and it wants to set itself up as a success. The public also want to know that it will do it at the price stated in its initial procurement proposal. I understand that will be the case.

I mentioned the successes to date. I would like to record the successes in my native county of Cavan.