Frank O’Rourke TD has said that broadband must be delivered to rural parts of Kildare as soon as possible, as he criticised the Government’s lazy approach to the Broadband Roll-out Plan
There are many locations throughout North Kildare, even within a few kilometres of one of the world’s best known IT companies, where access to broadband is limited or even non-existent.
“High quality broadband is crucial for small businesses, and for many families and young people where there is an increasing opportunity to work from home or a requirement to access the internet for educational needs,” stated Deputy O’Rourke.
“The Government’s National Broadband Plan, which was designed to assist areas that were not commercially viable, should have been in place by now. However, the National Broadband Plan will now not take place until 2019 at the earliest. This delay is indicative of this Government’s dismissive attitude to the roll-out of broadband.”
“Considering the original deadline for completion of the National Broadband Plan was 2018, it’s a farce that many areas across Kildare will not even see preliminary work carried out until 2019.”
“As I have said before, broadband is not a luxury commodity – it’s an essential service. Kildare County Council has a senior official appointed as a Broadband Officer who I am liaising with on this important issue. This is bringing focus to the roll-out of high speed broadband across the county. However, the Government needs to act on the National Roll-Out Plan to address the gaps in the service,” concluded Deputy O’Rourke.