Following an admission by Minister Eamon Ryan that the Government’s scheme to ensure nationwide access to broadband will not be completed until 2010, Councillor Patsy O’Brien has again raised the issue at a local level.
“The Government had promised that broadband would be universally available by 2005 – instead of that rural areas are still suffering, and in regards to the Ballinrobe electoral area, several villages such as Hollymount are still on the waiting list.”
While Kilmaine is shortly to gain access to broadband services, several people from other areas have contacted the councillor in recent times concerned at the delay in enabling broadband access in their own areas. Hollymount is of particular concern to the councillor since, due to a lack of the necessary cabling, Cllr O’Brien has been informed that it is currently not “economically viable” for Eircom to enable broadband there at the moment. “Rural businesses are suffering, schools and other local services are finding themselves at a serious disadvantage without broadband – and in the current climate it is particularly frustrating that the government has been so slow to respond,” said Cllr O’Brien.
He is also concerned that Minister Ryan has slashed the capital budget for broadband investment by 25 per cent for next year, which he believes suggests that the improvement of the telecommunications network in rural areas is not a priority for this Government.
“It is essential that the rollout of broadband is not put on the back burner by this government,” said Cllr O’Brien. “We need to ensure that rural areas are on a level par with the rest of the country, particularly during the current financial crisis.”
Cllr O’Brien has said that he will be speaking to Simon Coveney TD, the Fine Gael Communications spokesperson, on the matter.
