Some of the spin in advance of the upcoming budget is that it will enhance people’s ability to work from home. Spin in advance of budgets has become customary and is not a new thing. One of the big obstacles to working from home is poor Internet connectivity. I have raised this with the Tánaiste before. Not alone are there issues with broadband connectivity but people who nominally have a broadband connection get a poor service from their telecoms providers and there is very little that can be done about it.

When I raised this with the Tánaiste previously, he stated there would be a Bill to give additional powers to the Commission for Communications Regulation, ComReg, to tackle those providers. He told me last year that the Bill would be introduced in February. I brought the issue up again and he told me that it would be introduced before the Dáil rose for the summer. I have not seen this Bill yet. Where is it and when will it be put before the Dáil?

I thank the Deputy and that Bill is on the priority list for publication this session. There were some delays; it involves the transposing of an EU directive and involves the making of some changes both to ComReg and the remit of the Competition Act but it is on the priority list for publication this session and I expect it will be published then.