Seán Kyne (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

We rightly acknowledge the work of National Broadband Ireland, NBI, and the intervention by the State to ensure high-speed broadband coverage across the country. It is great to see connections taking place up and down the country. In some areas, high-speed fibre broadband is available for order or preorder. In some other areas, the network build is in progress. In other areas, the surveys are complete and in still other areas, the surveys are under way. There are, of course, many areas where the survey is pending. I ask the Leader to contact the CEO of NBI to see whether we can increase capacity to ensure a wider geographical roll-out of fibre broadband. There are areas of north Connemara, areas towards Ballinasloe in east Galway, and in south and north-west Mayo, south Donegal, south Sligo, west Clare and large parts of Cork and Tipperary that are evidently lacking those services.Large areas of the country, therefore, have not got to the first stage of surveys pending in respect of high-speed broadband. We talk a lot about geographical and regional balance, but it is important that this is evident in the work of National Broadband Ireland. I am proud that we initiated and signed the contract and that work is ongoing in this regard. This must be spread out across the country, however, to ensure there is geographical balance in respect of the roll-out. Increased capacity, as I said, would enable the company to start surveys in more areas to ensure we get quicker coverage of broadband services geographically.