Broadband Announcement Welcomed

The announcement made this week by the Government that Vodaphone and the ESB are to be involved in a 450 million Euro project that will see high speed broadband rolled out to over 50 towns and villages nationwide is very welcome and it is an issue that I have been highlighting at every available opportunity since I was elected. We know that there are many areas locally who are struggling for an adequate broadband service and this will hopefully address that problem. Now the Government has announced this plan with a promise with an adequate broadband service for every house in Ireland by 2020. I would just say that it is one thing to make these announcements but it is another thing to roll it out on the ground and I will be putting on pressure on the Government to fully complete this commitment. This scheme has still to be approved at European level, and while that is expected to happen, I will be following it up as a matter of urgency. Small businesses in rural areas deserve to have a workable and efficient broadband service and hopefully this will be the outcome of todays announcement.