We rightly acknowledge the work of National Broadband Ireland, NBI, and the intervention by the State to ensure high-speed broadband coverage across the country. It is great to see connections taking place up and down the country. In some areas, high-speed fibre broadband is available for order or preorder. In some other areas, the network build is in progress. In other areas, the surveys are complete and in still other areas, the surveys are under way. There are, of course, many areas where the survey is pending. I ask the Leader to contact the CEO of NBI to see whether we can increase capacity to ensure a wider geographical roll-out of fibre broadband. There are areas of north Connemara, areas towards Ballinasloe in east Galway, and in south and north-west Mayo, south Donegal, south Sligo, west Clare and large parts of Cork and Tipperary that are evidently lacking those services.

Large areas of the country, therefore, have not got to the first stage of surveys pending in respect of high-speed broadband. We talk a lot about geographical and regional balance, but it is important that this is evident in the work of National Broadband Ireland. I am proud that we initiated and signed the contract and that work is ongoing in this regard. This must be spread out across the country, however, to ensure there is geographical balance in respect of the roll-out. Increased capacity, as I said, would enable the company to start surveys in more areas to ensure we get quicker coverage of broadband services geographically.

I welcome that we have the next stage of the Galway-to-Athlone cycleway. Public information events will be announced the week after next. We had a preferred route corridor. We are now going to have an actual preferred route. This is thanks to engagement with landowners, community groups and using publicly-owned lands where possible. It will transform our communities.

I have spoken on this issue several times. It is phenomenal to see that this cycleway will be coming to the town of Ballinasloe. It will transform this route into a safe space for families to walk and cycle and just to allow them to be outdoors in a public safe space. This is what this cycleway is going to bring. It is a world-class infrastructure that will be coming into the west. These public information meetings will be happening from 27 March, that is from next week onwards.

I also highlight that the new schoolbooks programme provides free schoolbooks for schools and special schools. Funding has also been allocated to primary schools to hire an administrator to manage this programme. It is another load for primary schools to bear, but this support will be offered to them on the administrative side of things. This programme has emanated from a pilot scheme run through the DEIS when Fine Gael was previously in Government. It is great to see this programme being expanded now.

I request that the Deputy Leader ask the Minister, Deputy Ryan, to come into the House at the earliest opportunity to discuss the report published yesterday by the so-called independent commission on the North-South interconnector. As Members will be aware, this is a high-powered electricity connection which will link the networks in the North and the South. We have been talking about this project for the last 15 years, as the Deputy Leader knows well. My colleague, Senator Cassells, also mentioned this subject today. The one constant disappointment over these last 15 years has been that the Department has continued to refuse to listen to the communities that will be affected by this project.

Yesterday, we were given three or four hours' notice of a briefing to be given to us at 4 p.m. This was disrespectful, but this has also been a constant as well in how the Department has handled this project from the get go. It has shown consistency in this regard. We were also told the plan is to have this project completed by the middle of 2026, which I think is wishful thinking, to put it mildly. After 15 years, the opposition to this project is as strong, if not stronger, than ever. Unless and until representatives of the Department sit down and speak to the communities affected by this project, we will still be having this conversation, those of us who might be here, in another 15 years. I ask the Deputy Leader to ask the Minister, Deputy Ryan, to come into this House so we can discuss the outcome of this report.

It is good to see the Cathaoirleach back. I am pleased that €50 million has today been allocated to the primary schoolbooks programme. This scheme, which was started by the former Minister for Education and Skills, Deputy Joe McHugh, several years ago has evolved since then. The current Minister, Deputy Foley, deserves full commendation for bringing it to the level it is at now. Access to information, the written word and the syllabus is extremely important, appropriate and should happen.

Unfortunately, one group of people will not be able to access the syllabus with any great ease. I refer to people with print disabilities, including people with dyslexia, those who are blind and visually impaired and those who have other mobility issues in terms of accessing information. This situation can be resolved. A project called Bookshare is providing books within 24 hours in a format accessible to people with print disabilities who need them. It is operating extremely successfully at third level. It can operate at primary and secondary levels as well. It will cost the Department of Education €100,000.

I commend the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, Deputy Harris, for making the money available this year to allow Bookshare to be provided and made available at third level. Another €100,000 would secure the service for primary and secondary levels. This would mean every book issued by a publisher in this country for the education syllabus could be available in whatever format would suit, including in large print, in a readable option, in Braille or on a particular screen designed and suitable for somebody with other print disabilities. A sum of €100,000 out of €50 million is a small amount of money and I implore the Minister for Education to rectify this situation as soon as possible.