My question is on the old chestnut of the roll-out of the national broadband plan, NBP. I am constantly asked by people in my constituency when broadband will come. Farmers, small businesses and residential houses are waiting for broadband. We were promised broadband would be rolled out by 2020, yet the plan is still not being implemented. We are being told it will commence in a month or before Easter. What is the status of that plan? It is of great importance to the people of rural Ireland and will allow them catch up with urban areas such as Dublin, Cork and Galway. We badly need the national broadband plan.

We have seen a large increase in the number of homes getting access to broadband under the NBP. There has been an increase from about 50% to 75%. There are a number of ways of dealing with this issue. There is a remaining issue, as the Deputy knows, with what is called the intervention area. That is the area where it is not commercially viable to provide a service. A tender has been received and is under intense examination in my Department and the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform. As the Taoiseach indicated to the House, he hopes that we can bring forward proposals for consideration before Easter.