Government’s Commitment to Rural Ireland Questioned by Decision to Row Back on Broadband Plan – IFA

IFA Environment and Rural Affairs Chairman Thomas Cooney has described the decision by the Department of Communications to delay the rollout of broadband in rural areas as “a backward step that will undermine the enterprise potential of rural Ireland and impact on thousands of farm families and rural dwellers.”

“The current reality is that over 40% of the country does not have a basic broadband connection. The unacceptable delay proposed by the Department of Communications means that the digital divide will continue. Over 750,000 rural households across the country continues to be denied a modern fibre broadband network. This is impacting on the access to services via the internet and the competitiveness of many rural micro-businesses.”

Concluding he said, “There is an urgent need for a new incoming Government to demonstrate their commitment to rural Ireland to review and reverse this decision.”