Paddy Burke (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank Senator Dolan for sharing time with me. I welcome the opportunity to say a few words on the national broadband plan.

I must say, I think it was great foresight on the part of the previous Government to start the campaign and the roll-out of rural broadband. One would have to ask the question now of where we would be and where we would be going if some decision was not made a that particular time when we see the vast advances that have been made in online technology over the past two years in particular since the pandemic took place.

It is amazing, though, that everybody right around the country has the same story, one after another. Mine is no different either. I come from the fairly large town of Castlebar, which is a county town. The main street and main shopping area of the town is the worst part with the result that businesses have to move from the centre of the town to the industrial estates to get proper broadband because the speeds there are better. Something will have to be done fairly fast about it.

A number of very successful businesses have started up online in the last number of years such as Vaughan Shoes, Stauntons Pharmacy and our local newspaper, the Connaught Telegraph. They all operate online and are at a huge disadvantage because of the speeds at the moment. The quicker they can get this in place, the better for their businesses. They are not competing on a level playing pitch at the moment. They are competing with businesses that are living on the information highway while they are on the byroads. That is the way it is. The Minister of State will have to keep a closer eye on the roll-out. The Government must keep the pressure on to keep the milestones up to date and make sure the contractors that are in place deliver on what they are supposed to, and, if they can deliver it ahead of time, all the better.