Tipp TD McGrath unhappy with revelations of slow broadband rollout

A Tipperary TD says it’s not good enough that a target won’t be reached for delivering high-speed broadband to rural homes and businesses.

National Broadband Ireland, which is in charge of the rollout, has cut its target for this year in half, as only 4,000 customers have been reached by the plan so far this year.

This means that they’re very likely to fall short of the total target for 2021 of 115,000.

Independent deputy Mattie McGrath says people in rural Ireland need good broadband:

“Students at the moment are trying to fill out their CAOs, business people, farmers, you name it, people trying to work from home during the pandemic. It’s impossible, some people have no broadband at all, others may have patchy broadband, and then if there are two or three trying to use it, it collapses.

“It’s totally unfair. It’s like trying to drink a cup of tea with a blindfold on.”