I remind Members who indicated this morning that I gave a commitment yesterday that there would be a carry-over into today. All of those who are on it will be very happy. Please show some discipline and before the question is asked please make reference to the promised legislation or the programme for Government and do not try to circumvent.

About two years ago, after the general election of February 2016 there were many talks about different policy issues. The Independents were talking with various parties and we met with the officials in the Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment, Deputy Naughten's Department, to discuss the roll-out of broadband. That followed a general election in which Fine Gael made a commitment that broadband would be rolled out all over the country by 2021. I asked the officials not to promise something they could not deliver, but of course they proceeded to say that broadband would be rolled out by 2021. The tender document was to issue that autumn. The latest news is that it will be early 2018. There is no timeline for the award of the contract for bringing broadband to houses and businesses across the country. We are still in the procurement phase. Meanwhile, across the country businesses, SMEs and households are finding it impossible to grow. It is a huge hindrance to them and an inhibitor in terms of the capacity of business already in the regions of rural Ireland to grow and develop and indeed to attracting new business and investment into rural and regional Ireland. It really is farcical at this stage. I would like to know, in line with the programme for Government, when the procurement phase will end and when we can realistically have the extension of broadband by the State to homes and businesses across the country.

I can tell Deputy Martin that broadband is being rolled out across the country through the commercial aspect of the national broadband plan. Currently 300 farms a week are getting fibre outside their door. We are passing two premises every minute of every working day with pure fibre. On the issue of the procurement process, it is a complicated process, as I have explained to the Deputy in the past. It is a 25 year contract. It is important that we get this contract right so that it does not end up like electronic voting machines-----

Ah now.

-----or like the national broadband scheme which was obsolete the day it actually went live. We need to make sure that this not only meets the needs of the current generation but the generations to come. It is a very complex procurement process. I accept that. However, what we are doing currently is putting the mechanisms in place so that as soon as the contract is signed the roll-out can begin as quickly as possible thereafter and that by 2020, 90% of premises in this country will have direct access to high speed broadband.