Take-up of €80m broadband scheme remains low

Only 40,000 out of a possible 200,000 households and businesses have signed up to the National Broadband Scheme over four years after it was first launched.

The top civil servant at the Department of Communications acknowledged yesterday to the Dáil public spending watchdog that the numbers availing of the scheme were “substantially below” original anticipated levels.

Secretary general Aidan Dunning told the Dáil Public Accounts Committee that the internet access provided by the scheme was “not high-speed”.