Gerry Horkan (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

We all agree that everybody should have access to decent broadband. At this stage, broadband is as essential as electricity to people in every part of the country. However, it is important that we get value for the money being spent. If one divides the number of households potentially gaining access, some of which will not take it up, by the cost involved, it is a very significant figure per household. Effectively, we seem to be subsidising a private operator which ultimately will take ownership of the entire service. If we were doing it this way, colleagues in Fine Gael would be complaining about it. Will the Leader arrange for the Minister to come to the House for a comprehensive debate while, as yet, nothing has been signed? We all support the provision of broadband for all areas but the technology is changing all the time and this may not be the most cost effective way of doing it. To go from a projected cost of €500 million not so long ago to €3 billion is an enormous jump.

I am aware of a secondary school in south Dublin whose insurance bill has increased from €27,000 to €34,000 this year, even though no incidents or claims were submitted. I support the calls by Senator Conway-Walsh and others for the Minister to return to the House to explain what reforms he is undertaking for the insurance industry. The issues have been discussed to some extent at the finance committee, but the need for clarification remains. We regularly see claims being paid out in very substantial amounts by the courts, and we are all paying for that. The Minister needs to articulate what he is doing and what he has failed to do or been unable to do. I do not doubt his willingness to try but there is a problem with the insurance sector in this country, with our claims culture and with the size of payouts.It needs to be debated in this House and I ask the Leader to organise such a debate urgently.