The programme for Government gives commitments on the roll-out of the national broadband plan. I ask the Taoiseach to advise the House what developments have occurred with regard to yesterday's Eir announcement. What is planned for the hundreds of thousands of homes across the country that have been left outside the latest expanded area, including large portions of Sligo-Leitrim, south Donegal and west Cavan?

The Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment gave a full interview on this yesterday following the Government's meeting and decision. Eir said that it will do a further 300,000 houses in an area that it was not originally intended to include. The commercial body will do 300,000 more houses than it had originally intended. That means that the nature of the contract and tender for areas outside that, to which Deputy McLoughlin refers, is now the subject of an increased focus. The Minister has pointed out the timescale for the bringing of fibre to each home over the next years, which will ensure that every region of the country, however spread out, will have the opportunity to avail of what is the equivalent of electricity in this day and age.