My offices in west Cork are being inundated lately with queries about broadband and people are being directed to a plan with a high speed broadband map. Much of west Cork is dotted in either light blue or amber, which indicates on the plan what will happen but there is no timeframe given. Could a realistic timeframe be put on this plan rather than just indicating what will happen? We need to know when it will happen. Broadband is no longer a luxury and large parts of west Cork have no coverage.

On the same issue, I refer the Tánaiste to page 46 of A Programme for a Partnership Government. It is worth reading out the paragraph because it shows the abject failure we have had in this area. It reads as follows:

One of the biggest challenges facing rural Ireland is to bridge the digital divide with urban areas. To remedy this situation for at least the next 25 years, we will guarantee the delivery of next - generation broadband to every household and business in the country. No town, village or parish will be left behind under the National Broadband Plan. Once the contract is awarded the rollout phase will begin immediately and, in conjunction with commercial investment, 85% of premises in Ireland will have access to high speed broadband.

It goes on to state that the targeted date for awarding the contract is June 2017. This is February 2019. When will this broadband contract be signed and rolled out, given it is almost two years later the Government's proposed schedule in A Programme for a Partnership Government?

The national broadband Bill is listed. Will it be possible to bring the Bill to the House in order to generate discussion and debate on what is an important issue?

It has been outlined that a commitment was given that the tender process and the contract were targeted for June 2017. Page 46 of A Programme for a Partnership Government states: "...the new Government will work with the winners to accelerate the roll out of the infrastructure next year". That was 2018. This was first announced in 2012 and it is having a great effect on farmers, students and the self-employed. In my constituency alone, 12,721 households in Laois are waiting for this while in County Offaly, 12,420 households are waiting. There are 11,600 people commuting out of Laois every day to work outside of the county. Many of them would not have to do so if they had a broadband service and many self-employed people also tell me that. What in the name of God has happened to the national broadband plan? Where is it? When the former Minister, Deputy Naughten, resigned-----

We will find out now if the Deputy lets the Tánaiste answer.

-----he said it was only ten days from being signed up. He said there was ten days of work left on this contract to complete it. Here we are in the month of February so what has happened to it?

What has happened, Tánaiste?

What has happened is that we have a new Minister in this Department who is preparing to bring recommendations to Government. There are three-----

We heard that a year ago.

The Deputy did not hear a year ago that there is a new Minister in the Department. This will be a significant spend by the State when it happens and we need to make sure that we are getting value for money and that the controls are in place to ensure that we protect the interests of the State in terms of expenditure. We need to make sure it works. The former Minister, Deputy Naughten, did an extraordinary volume of good work preparing the way for getting this done and I want to recognise that. My understanding is that the Minister, Deputy Bruton, is now close to being in a position to bring a recommendation to Government, which will involve a significant decision by the Government if we choose to proceed.