Patrick O'Donovan
Limerick County · Fine Gael · Ireland
“I agree with the Deputy. If anyone who has experienced any difficulties and has contacted the Deputy, I encourage him to pass any specifics on to me. We want to try to make it work.”
“To go back to a previous question, Coimisiún na Meán is self-financed in terms of the regulation. Regulation costs money and that is why levies are imposed. People do not like that, and the previous Deputy said she did not like it. That is a separate issue, however.”
“Failure by a platform to comply can also lead to significant sanctions. However, the developing nature of digital services requires continuing vigilance. The protection of children and young people in the online world remains of the utmost importance to the Government.”
“Gabhaim buíochas leis an Teachta as ucht an ábhair tábhachtaigh seo a chur os comhair na Dála ar maidin. Ireland's online safety framework includes the Online Safety and Media Regulation Act 2022, the EU Digital Services Act and the online safety code.”
“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.”
“It is expected shortly. As I said in my reply, I will bring the report to the Government and then publish it. I do not disagree with anything the Deputy has said. Restitution cannot be a one-way street. We need to see if there is anything in Irish institutions that is connected to, funded by or associated with colonial plundering.”
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“If I feel, having taken the chair of the Council of Ministers, that this is something being pushed back on by the Commission or there is a reluctance to move it forward, I will bring forward proposals for Ireland to deal with it unilaterally in our jurisdiction by implementing a digital age of majority, as other countries have done.”
“I agree entirely with the Deputy. For anyone who did not hear it, I restate that if a common approach is not possible at EU level, I will seek Government approval to take action at a national level. That is not mañana. If I feel, having taken over the Chair of the Presidency, that this is something the Commission or a significant blocking minority is resisting, we will go it alone like France, Spain, Germany, Greece, Luxembourg and a number of other countries have done. The sad reality is that the Commission and the European institutions have left it to individual member states to act unilaterally in this regard. That is not how Europe should work. This question should not be about anything other than the protection of the European child. At the moment, that is not the case.”
“Everything else the Commission wants us to do as a Government in the areas of communications, postal and everything else will be predicated on its commitment to working with us on this. If it does not work with us on this, we will not work with it on those other areas. That is the way I am going to play ball. There is no issue facing the European Union at the moment that is more pressing than the protection of our children. If people do not get that message the easy way, we will do it the hard way.”
“To go back to a previous question, Coimisiún na Meán is self-financed in terms of the regulation. Regulation costs money and that is why levies are imposed. People do not like that, and the previous Deputy said she did not like it. That is a separate issue, however. I am a parent as well and I am not happy with what is happening, particularly at EU level. This issue was raised at the EU Council meeting last week, and there was a shift in attitude on it. At the previous EU Council meeting, there was a view that the Digital Services Act was enough. It was very clear last week, maybe with the exception of one or two countries, that everyone now wants action taken on this. I had a bilateral meeting with the Commissioner at which I made my Department’s priorities clear. We have one sole priority, and I laid that out clearly.”
“I am exploring options for introducing restrictions on social media use for young people under 16. It is Government policy and my firm belief that there should be a restriction at EU level, and I have been engaging with EU counterparts in that regard. If a common approach is not achieved at EU level, I will seek Government approval to take action at a national level. Online safety for children is a priority for Ireland's Presidency of the European Union. The evaluation of the audiovisual media services directive, which will be published during our Presidency, may also yield proposals for other new measures to protect children online. I will be hosting a high-level Presidency conference in Dublin dedicated to this, which will review progress and discuss options for further measures.”
“Failure by a platform to comply can also lead to significant sanctions. However, the developing nature of digital services requires continuing vigilance. The protection of children and young people in the online world remains of the utmost importance to the Government. It is a key theme in our most recent national digital and AI strategy. Under the online safety code, designated platforms must use robust age assurance measures to prevent minors from accessing pornography or gratuitous violence. I am determined to make sure that this requirement can be implemented. Officials in my Department are working with the Office of the Government Chief Information Officer on an age verification tool within Ireland's digital wallet. This will meet high standards of privacy, confirming to platforms only whether a person is over 18.”
“Gabhaim buíochas leis an Teachta as ucht an ábhair tábhachtaigh seo a chur os comhair na Dála ar maidin. Ireland's online safety framework includes the Online Safety and Media Regulation Act 2022, the EU Digital Services Act and the online safety code. That code requires that designated platforms restrict access to certain categories of content that could cause harm, including to children. Those include cyberbullying and promoting eating disorders, dangerous challenges, self-harm and suicide. The code came into full effect in July 2025 and applies EU-wide in respect of platforms established in the State, including many of the larger platforms. Failure to comply can lead to significant financial sanctions of up to €20 million or 10% of turnover. The Digital Services Act includes obligations to protect minors.”
“B’fhéidir gur ceist í seo don Roinn gnóthaí eachtracha nó Roinn an Taoisigh mar tá sí an-tábhachtach. Mar atá leagtha amach i gComhaontú Aoine an Chéasta, comhaontaíodh go mbeadh TG4 ar fáil chomh forleathan agus ab fhéidir ar fud Thuaisceart Éireann. Tá stádas TG4 agus stádas tábhachtach na Gaeilge leagtha amach cheana féin. Tá a fhios ag an Teachta na deacrachtaí a bhí agam maidir le Foras na Gaeilge nuair a bhí mé i m’Aire Stáit le freagrachtaí don Ghaeilge agus do na Gaeltachtaí. Tuigim cé chomh tábhachtach is atá sé seo, ní hamháin do na gasúir ach freisin do stádas na Gaeilge. Le críoch a chur leis an ábhar seo, tá an Teachta ar nós "Bluey" ar maidin agus é ag caitheamh léine goirme, chomh maith le seaicéad gorm. Tá sé go hálainn an léine gorm a fheiceáil ar maidin.”
“Ar an gcead dul síos, is ceist í seo don Fheidhmeannas agus do Rialtas na Ríochta Aontaithe, ach tuigim cé chomh tábhachtach is atá an cheist seo, ní hamháin don chlár "Bluey" ach do stádas na teanga i dTuaisceart Éireann freisin.”
“Tuigim cé chomh tábhachtach is atá an clár "Bluey", an leaid gorm sin as an Astráil, don lucht féachana Béarla agus Gaeilge araon. Tá an clár tábhachtach do na gasúir óga agus iad sa bhaile. Ní hamháin go bhfuil sé tábhachtach do na gasúir, ach tá sé tábhachtach do na tuismitheoirí freisin. Is ceist thábhachtach í. Ní hamháin go mbaineann an cheist seo leis an gclár "Bluey" agus na cláir eile a chraoltar do na gasúir óga, ach baineann sí le stádas na teanga i dTuaisceart Éireann. Leagadh amach i gComhaontú Aoine an Chéasta a thábhachtaí is atá an Ghaeilge. Mar is eol don Teachta, bhí mé i m'Aire Stáit a raibh freagrachtaí na Gaeltachta air. Bhí an-chuid fadhbanna ag an Rialtas anseo ag déileáil leis an bhFeidhmeannas i dTuaisceart Éireann maidir le stádas na Gaeilge i dTuaisceart Éireann.”
“Mar sin is minic nach dtairgtear ábhar do RTÉ agus TG4, nó ní bhíonn siad in ann ábhar a fháil gur féidir a chraoladh i dTuaisceart Éireann nó áit eile taobh amuigh den Stát as Béarla nó as Gaeilge. Is minic a bhíonn cearta críche ar chláir, nó ar ábhair faoi leith, faighte cheana féin ag craoltóir sa Ríocht Aontaithe don dlínse sin ar fad. Cuireann sé seo cosc ar RTÉ agus TG4 iarracht a dhéanamh an t-ábhar sin a cheannach don oileán uile. I gcásanna áirithe, cé go bhféadfadh cearta uile-oileáin a bheith ag RTÉ nó TG4 maidir le craoladh líneach, tá cosc orthu ábhar a chraoladh ar sheirbhísí sruthú, mar a bhíonn acu ar na seinnteoirí, lasmuigh den Stát.”
“I measc na n-aidhmeanna atá ag RTÉ agus ag TG4 is ea go gcuirfeadh an dá chraoltóir seirbhíse poiblí a gcuid seirbhísí ar fáil, a mhéid agus is féidir é, don phobal uile ar oileán uile na hÉireann. Tá RTÉ agus TG4 araon ar fáil i dTuaisceart Eireann ar an ardán Freeview, chomh maith le hardáin síntiúis eile, ach is féidir bac a chur ar ábhair áirithe ar bhonn cearta. De réir mar a thuigim, nuair a cheannaíonn an dá stáisiún cearta ar ábhar craoltóireacht, ar nós imeachtaí spóirt, déanann siad iarracht cearta a cheannach ar bhonn oileán uile nuair is féidir. Ní bhíonn sé seo éasca i gcónaí. Is é an gnáthnós sa saol craoltóireachta ná cearta a dhíol ar bhonn críche.”
“There are some museums that contain nothing belonging to the state in which it is located but rather a mixum-gatherum of stuff that was literally stolen from all over the world. In 2026, any right-thinking democracy needs to take a long look at itself and say that now is the time to begin the process of repatriation as part of restitution and an overall recovery package for what was done during colonialism. I certainly support the Deputy's point. I look forward to the final report, which I will publish. Once I publish it, I expect our national cultural institutions and those institutions funded by my Department that are not NCIs to act appropriately.”
“His methodologies may have been a bit different and might be a bit unorthodox for a Deputy of Dáil Éireann to be advocating. However, I do not disagree with the sentiment. If there are materials in other museums, particularly in countries that were formerly colonial powerhouses, including the one that occupied this State, in the modern world of 2026 there is a compulsion on them to look into their hearts and recognise that this stuff was taken against the will of the people from whom it was taken and that it really does not belong where it is. That is particularly the case where it is archived and shoved into presses or cupboards but it does also apply to stuff that is on permanent display that clearly does not belong to the country in question.”
“There is a compulsion on European Union countries that are funding museums they know to contain loot that was taken from people against their will to recover it and return it to those people's countries. That includes Ireland.”
“It is expected shortly. As I said in my reply, I will bring the report to the Government and then publish it. I do not disagree with anything the Deputy has said. Restitution cannot be a one-way street. We need to see if there is anything in Irish institutions that is connected to, funded by or associated with colonial plundering. I do not disagree with that term. I believe the Deputy is being very mild-mannered in using it. We cannot ask others to do as we say and not to do as we do. In a similar way, if other countries, particularly European Union and former European Union countries, have plunder from here, restitution needs to be examined. There are post-colonial museums scattered all over Europe like feathers out of a bag and these contain plunder from all over the place, including from Ireland.”
“I received the committee's interim report early last year and I am due to receive its final report shortly. I will bring this to Government at the earliest opportunity and I intend to then publish it without delay. I will give full consideration to the advisory committee's recommendations and I will then bring a plan to the Government to seek support for implementation.”
“In 2024, the Heritage Council undertook a national survey to understand the scope and the scale of cultural heritage collections in Ireland. These findings have significantly informed the advisory committee's work and will also be of great interest and benefit to the cultural heritage sector. Through its work, the advisory committee will provide guidance to support cultural institutions and other bodies that have responsibility for managing historic collections, on associated matters, including collections management and provenance research. I am very pleased with the progress that the committee has made in this regard to date. The committee as a whole met most recently in November 2025 with significant strands of work also being progressed between meetings.”
“The advisory committee has been expertly chaired by Sir Donnell Deeny, chairman of the UK Government's Spoliation Advisory Panel and member of the Court of Arbitration for Art in The Hague. The Heritage Council provides the secretariat, and the committee's membership brought together diverse experiences, expertise and perspectives from potential claimant communities, the national cultural institutions and other collecting institutions, and the fields of law, ethics, academia, public policy and cultural heritage. As part of its work, the advisory committee considered the associated legal, ethical, policy, procedural and institutional issues and reviewed the international best practice research available in this area.”
“I thank the Deputy for raising this important question. The issues of restitution and repatriation are complex and sensitive matters which have significant impacts on families and communities of origin, as well as more broadly on the cultural landscape. I am aware of the legislation recently passed by the French National Assembly which creates a legal framework for the return of cultural objects taken from former colonies, replacing the previous requirement for separate, case-by-case legislation for restitution. In Ireland, the advisory committee on restitution and repatriation was established in 2023 to advise the Government on matters relating to restitution and repatriation of culturally sensitive objects held in collections in Ireland.”
“If the Deputy is claiming people are washing their hands in here, she should stand in front of mirror. She is attempting to place me in a position where she knows I cannot be. Hers was the very party a couple of weeks ago when I asked a question - I just asked a question; I did not make an assertion - that jumped up and down, which of course it does very regularly. Nobody jumps up and down higher than the Social Democrats when it comes to indignation. I am simply saying what the legislation allows for. I have also said that I have had engagement with Coimisiún na Meán and I have relaid to Coimisiún na Meán the need for it to engage more clearly-----”
“Again, nice try. The Deputy fails to recognise one fact, and I think she was connected previously to the tech sector so she will know the role that Coimisiún na Meán has played with regard to the tech sector. Only this week Coimisiún na Meán has announced further investigations into the tech sector. The Deputy is right: this Government has been in office for a long time. It has been in office thanks to the votes of the people of the country. We have won successive elections. We have put together programmes for Government, manifestos and mandates that the people have voted for. We have also put forward legislation through the House that the Deputy's party when it was a lot smaller and the party beside it when it was a lot bigger supported in relation to Coimisiún na Meán.”
“This is a statutory organisation that is independent of the Government and that makes its decisions independent of the Minister and of any political interference. The Deputy wants it both ways but she cannot have it both ways.”
“I have already outlined what I have been doing. The Deputy cannot have her cake and eat it. It is not that long ago that her party and the party that sits beside it were very quick out of the traps, when I asked a question about Coimisiún na Meán, to remind me of my role under the Broadcasting Act and the independence of Coimisiún na Meán. The Deputy cannot have her cake and eat it. She cannot come in here one day and tell me to keep my nose out of Coimisiún na Meán and the second day come in here and tell me to tell Coimisiún na Meán its job. That is opposition politics for opposition's sake. The Deputy is good at it, fair play to her, but I remind her of what her party and the party that sits beside it said.”
“The importance of this role is recognised by ongoing support which is provided to the sector through a range of schemes, funded by both Exchequer and television licence revenues, which are designed to support the continued provision of a diverse range of public service content to audiences. Between 2020 and 2025, the commercial radio sector was supported with over €13 million in funding through Sound and Vision. In addition, the number of support schemes has increased significantly over recent years. In 2026 to date, the commercial radio sector has been awarded €4.3 million under a range of media fund schemes. This represents a very significant increase in funding for the sector and shows the Government's commitment to supporting independent media in Ireland.”
“The Act also vests authority and responsibility for the levy in Coimisiún na Meán. As such, as Minister, I have no role in either determining the cost of regulatory activities or setting the levy. I did, however, meet with two commissioners from Coimisiún na Meán last week in order to seek clarity from Coimisiún na Meán regarding its approach to implementing its statutory responsibilities with regard to the levy. It was also an opportunity for me to impress upon Coimisiún na Meán the need to take the opportunity to more clearly communicate such matters to its stakeholders and the wider public. I am conscious of the very important role independent broadcasters and outlets play in the wider media sector, particularly at local and regional level.”
“A diverse, independent and trustworthy media sector, operating in line with appropriate media codes and rules, plays an important role in supporting our democracy, fostering our national identity, heritage and culture, and ensuring access to free and impartial news and current affairs. However, it is equally important that any supervision or regulation of the sector is also independent. As such, the independence of Coimisiún na Meán is provided for under section 10 of the Broadcasting Act 2009, as amended. There is a long-standing principle that costs of regulation are met by regulated sectors, particularly commercial operators. Therefore, provision is made in section 21 of the Broadcasting Act for the imposition of levies to meet the costs of media regulation, supervision and licensing.”
“I ask the Deputy to bear with me. Our bona fides in this have been well established and we have had a very good engagement with the Opposition. Once 12 May has passed, and once I have a full read-out of the number of applicants, which I will publish, I will come back to the Deputy.”
“If there are specific issues the Deputy or any other Deputy in the House has encountered regarding the application process, they should let us know and we will endeavour to make sure everybody gets a fair crack at this.”
“That is very helpful and I will certainly relay that back to the team in the Department to see if we can adjust the home page to address the points the Deputy has made. I am not sure whether that is possible or not but we will certainly try. If there are people who have nothing better to do at 9.05 a.m. than listen to the Deputy and I having a chat in the Dáil and who have specific problems accessing the service, I encourage them to contact the Department. We do not want to leave people behind. I do not want a situation where people say they could not apply because the system would not allow them. That is no good to me, no more than it is no good to the artist.”
“If there are IT problems the Deputy is aware of, I ask him to send them on to me. I also encourage anybody who has experienced difficulty to contact the Department directly or contact my office and we will endeavour to make sure that everybody gets a proper service. I am acutely aware there is a vulnerable cohort here as well who might not be as tech savvy as other people are who we do not want to be excluded.”
“I agree with the Deputy. If anyone who has experienced any difficulties and has contacted the Deputy, I encourage him to pass any specifics on to me. We want to try to make it work. It is in our interest that we get the maximum number of eligible applicants because we are only around the corner from the next round of negotiations on public expenditure for the next budget. The success or otherwise of this scheme will be demonstrated not just in relation to the output of the artists but also through the number of eligible applications we receive. The greater the number of eligible applicants we receive is a good thing as far as I am concerned. Whether I am able to give them a grant or not is kind of secondary. It will demonstrate very clearly to the Department of public expenditure and reform on my behalf that there is pent-up demand.”
“This is a groundbreaking support for the arts in Ireland and recognising the importance of supporting artistic practice and makes Ireland a world leader in how we support our artists and culture and will help to sustain the careers of those who receive it and retain their talent into the future. I encourage artists from every background and every corner of the country to apply for the scheme as is currently laid out.”
“There has been a high volume of email queries, which are being triaged depending on the urgency of the matter. Our officials are also providing over-the-phone assistance for those who have specific accessibility needs and for queries that cannot be dealt with via email . A voicemail service to book these sessions has been in operation since the scheme opened with priority given to those with accessibility needs or who are vulnerable. Assessment for eligibility and the selection of successful applicants for the scheme will begin once applications close on 12 May. I expect payments to begin before the end of the year.”
“This is a major milestone for the arts in Ireland and I am particularly pleased that the research my Department conducted provided Government with a clear evidence base upon which to make that decision. The research clearly demonstrated both how precarious and difficult it is to be an artist and the positive benefits for society as a whole if we invest in it. The Department has seen strong demand so far with over 3,000 applications submitted. Over 8,200 eligible applications were received under the original pilot scheme. We expect that number to grow substantially before the end date. My officials are providing assistance with making applications in a number of ways, including an email mailbox, an online video providing information on filling out the form and a telephone helpline.”
“I thank the Deputy for raising this question and for his ongoing support for the basic income. In February, I announced that the Government had agreed to a successor scheme to the basic income for the arts pilot. Guidelines for the new scheme were published by my Department on 1 April. The applications portal opened on 15 April and will remain open until 12 May, which is an important date given the fact we are still in the middle of that application process. The BIA will provide 2,000 artists with a weekly payment of €325 for a period of three years. The focus of the successor scheme is to support professional artists whose creative practice is based in Ireland.”
“The reality is that for older people especially, where the conventional landline is their mode of communication and where the pendant and the wristband are their form of protection, we have to make sure through work we will do with the Minister in the Department of rural and community development, Deputy Calleary, that whatever we do is in an orderly fashion and we do not in any way cause distress to end users who are reliant on the copper network as it is at the moment.”
“I agree with the Deputy. A lot of parallels can been drawn from this with regard to when the former Minister, Pat Rabbitte, initiated the Saorview switch-over. When Saorview was being switched over, a large amount of investment was put into public awareness and many vulnerable people, especially the elderly, received assistance to make sure they were not left behind. This is being discussed at EU Council level. We are far more progressed than a lot of our colleagues in the European Union thanks in no small way to National Broadband Ireland and the investment we have made in rural broadband. However, in Dublin, for example, a lot of people are very reliant on copper. I do not in any way take from what the Deputy O'Donoghue said with regard to copper, which is slower than fibre.”
“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.”
“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.”
“The DNA proposal is currently being negotiated at official level in Brussels and copper switch-off is one of several significant issues including spectrum, resilience and satellite connectivity being discussed. While it is expected the negotiations will not be concluded during Ireland’s Presidency, Ireland will aim to submit a progress report by December 2026.”
“The Government remains supportive of an orderly transition to fibre-based networks, while ensuring that any copper switch-off is carried out in a proportionate manner and in the best interests of consumers and the wider market. In January 2026, the European Commission published its proposed Digital Networks Act, DNA, which is a substantial file and contains several new policy proposals for regulating the electronic communications market. In relation to copper switch-off, the proposal sets out that member states must mandate copper switch-off in all areas where sustainability conditions have been met and it is commercially viable to do so by 31 December 2035. By 31 October 2029, each member state should prepare a national transition to fibre plan and notify it to the Commission.”
“Any decision in this area must take account of a range of additional factors, including the protection of end users, the continuity of essential services, affordability and the availability of appropriate wholesale access arrangements. It is also necessary to ensure that competition in the market is maintained and that consumers, particularly vulnerable users, are not adversely affected. As indicated previously in response to Question No. 966 on 18 March 2026, the process by which Eir can retire this network is laid out in the Commission for Communications Regulation Decision D09/23, Framework for the Migration from Legacy Infrastructure to Modern Infrastructure.”
“I thank the Deputy. The Government’s digital connectivity strategy, DCS, aims to have all Irish households and businesses covered by a gigabit network by 2028. A fibre network is faster, consumes less energy and is more reliable than a copper network, and the transition away from legacy copper infrastructure to modern fibre is consistent with that objective. In this regard, the Department supports the prioritisation of a managed transition from copper to fibre-based broadband. The widespread deployment of fibre infrastructure across the State represents a significant step towards the transition from copper-based networks. However, the acceleration of the switch-off of the legacy copper network cannot be determined on the basis of infrastructure availability alone.”
“He is the only Member of the Opposition to turn up to talk about something as important as national infrastructure. It is the biggest investment in State infrastructure since rural electrification. It says an awful lot about the rest of the people who will be crowing about rural Ireland that they are not even here tonight.”
“I put on the record of the House that I am totally and absolutely opposed to that because many elderly people living on their own, including on my road, have ash trees and everything else that are half dead. If the Sinn Féin position is that people have to pay for the cost of cutting them down, that is news to me. In general, I welcome the responses from Senators with regard to the progress that has been made. When I came into the Oireachtas 15 years ago, the first word out of everybody's mouth was "broadband" and people asked when they were going to get it. The success of the programme means that very few people now mention broadband. That is attested by the fact that Senator Andrews, and we might have our differences, at least turned up.”
“If we want to transfer liability for dangerous trees to vulnerable older people living on the side of a mountain in south Kerry or west Limerick, I am sure that would not go down well. I am not so certain that is his party's position. If it is, it is certainly a new one on me that he wants landowners to be responsible for taking down trees. There are millions of them and it will cost people a lot of money. I do not know how the Senator will fund that, unless he levies landowners. I urge him to be cautious. It would not do his popularity in rural County Limerick any good.”
“People understand that when isolated places, such as the areas I represent in County Limerick, are left without power for a long time, a power source is needed to provide a telecoms service, notwithstanding the fact that thousands of poles in the telecoms sector were flattened by the storm. Since its establishment in 2025, the group has agreed a number of measures to prioritise resilience across the sector through the national emergency co-ordination group. This year the group will examine prioritisation within the fixed fibre network to ensure a similar level of resilience can be progressed. As a rural Deputy, I would be very slow to take on board the suggestion Senator Andrews made about landowners. Many are isolated rural and vulnerable people and, as the Cathaoirleach knows, many are elderly.”
“While Senator Andrews might say we are sitting around, sitting around involves a bit of work every now and again, as is happening at the moment. I would not care if anybody said Senators are just sitting around. They are actually at work. The Department established a telecoms resilience group, which is a voluntary Government regulator and industry forum chaired by the Department to promote resilience and the high availability of telecoms infrastructure. The group was formed to drive collaboration and co-ordination between industry and State entities in the event of incidences. Atlantic hurricanes are landing in Ireland. These are no longer just storms and the winter is particularly difficult. The first thing that is needed for a telecoms network is a power source.”
“I advise Senator Comyn that County Louth, which also has a relatively small land-mass, is attracting a big investment of €33 million. The intervention area is just short of 9,000 and the total number of premises passed is 6,817. The work will be finished in August. The first counties to be finished in their entirety will be Kilkenny, Longford and Westmeath, which will be finished in June. I thank people for their remarks on the impact the project has made. On weather, following the devastation of Storm Éowyn, the Government committed to improve resilience in the telecoms sector. I should point out that the Government does not own the telecoms sector, but is an important player in it. The Department continues to engage with a broad range of stakeholders.”