The Communications Minister has defended the government’s record of rolling out badly-needed broadband infrastructure.
Independent Minister Denis Naughten is hitting back at Clare’s Fianna Fáil TD, who accused him of taking credit for the work of private companies.
But Timmy Dooley says the government has done nothing for over 540,000 homes who are in severe need of the National Broadband Plan.
Clare FM’s James Mulhall has more:
Opposition parties, including Fianna Fáil, are again frustrated by the delay in the rollout of the National Broadband Plan.
Deputy Timmy Dooley says there are around 540,000 homes in the country that are awaiting an indication as to when they will have high-speed access to the internet.
He also says it cuold be 2019 before there are any real developments.
He has hit out at the Communications Minister Denis Naughten, saying any progress to date is down to commerical providers and not the government.
The comments came after Minister Naughten told the Dáil that 25% of all premises in Ireland will have access to high speed internet in the next 18 months, under a deal with Eir.
However, he also suggested that little progress will be made in the next 18 months on connecting the half a million plus homes outside of that deal.
But he insisted this government would not repeat mistakes of the past.
