Broadband Infrastructure
Dail Éireann — 2026-05-07
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Patrick O'Donovan (FG), Limerick County

I do not disagree with the Deputy at all. He gave a good synopsis there as to why the investment in rural broadband is so important. I do not know whether any political party bar my own at the time actually advocated for it, but it has been transformative. I see it in my own home where the broadband that I have now in a rural location with fibre connectivity is a lot faster than in my constituency office and is nearly faster than what we have here in Leinster House. That has been transformative. When I first came into the Dáil in 2011, every second question asked of the Taoiseach and the Minister for communications at the time related to broadband. This is the first broadband question that I have been asked since being appointed Minister, which shows the level of roll-out and the impact that it is having. I raise copper switch-off with regard to vulnerable users, specifically around isolation alarms and alarms for older people where they have the pendants on the wrists. We have to be very conscious that whatever we do, we do not leave them behind, particularly older people who have pendants and wristwatches where they press the button.
There is a bit of work to be done on this yet but I fully understand and empathise with what the Deputy is saying.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/dail/2026-05-07/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-09-28T05:50:46+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-05-07