Séamus Healy (Tipperary South, Workers and Unemployed Action Group)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

12. To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the position regarding the roll out of high speed broadband to rural areas of County Tipperary; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31290/14]

Séamus Healy (Tipperary South, Workers and Unemployed Action Group)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The question of the availability of quality, high speed broadband, particularly in areas outside the major urban centres, is crucial for job creation and job retention. I ask the Minister the position on the provision of those services in County Tipperary.

Alex White (Dublin South, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The Government’s statement of priorities for the period 2014 to 2016 reaffirms our commitment to delivering a State-led broadband intervention in rural areas. The Government’s national broadband plan aims to radically change the broadband landscape in Ireland by ensuring that high speed broadband is available to all citizens and businesses.

Since publication of the plan, investments by the commercial sector have accelerated with commercial operators investing, or committing to invest, approximately €2.5 billion in networks and services. I understand that at least one network operator has published a programme to roll out 43 fibre-based broadband networks in County Tipperary by July 2016. In addition, the recent announcement of a joint venture between ESB and Vodafone includes a proposal to provide high speed broadband in Clonmel, County Tipperary.

The Government has committed to an ambitious plan which involves ensuring the delivery of broadband services to those parts of rural Ireland that will not be served by the commercial sector. Services will be delivered over a network, with fibre at its foundation, which is sustainable and guarantees a quality service to rural consumers into the future. This will be the key element of an intervention strategy that will ensure that all citizens and businesses can access high speed broadband services regardless of location.

Under EU state aid guidelines, member states cannot intervene where commercial investors have plans to roll out services. A comprehensive mapping exercise is under way in my Department to identify those areas that require a State intervention. An initial list has already been identified and I can tell the Deputy it includes 79 areas in County Tipperary.

A stakeholder consultation on the implementation of the State-led intervention has recently been launched and will feed into the mapping exercise, which I expect to conclude in the autumn. It is my intention to conduct a full public consultation on the outcome of the mapping process and the proposed intervention strategy, and we will need EU state aid clearance also regarding those matters. This will flow into a detailed procurement process with a view to commencing the roll out of high speed broadband services as quickly as possible. I repeat that I regard that very much as a priority.

Additional information not given on the floor of the House

I believe that it will address current connectivity challenges in a sustainable and meaningful way and will ensure that rural Ireland can enjoy comparable levels of quality and service as those experienced in urban areas.

Séamus Healy (Tipperary South, Workers and Unemployed Action Group)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I welcome the statement from the Minister on the various initiatives he mentioned. These are vital for County Tipperary because we have significant levels of unemployment, with more than 1,500 people unemployed in the county. That figure has increased in the past two consecutive months. The IDA announced 100 investments in the past 18 months, not one of which was in County Tipperary. The creation of 8,000 jobs were announced, but not one in County Tipperary. This Government, and successive Governments, have favoured the east coast and major urban centres for job creation and investment, therefore, the provision of broadband is crucial for Tipperary to create and maintain jobs. I hope the details the Minister has given will happen in the very near future.

Alex White (Dublin South, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I repeat that this is a priority. The mapping exercise is under way to identify locations. I have given the Deputy and the House indicative information relating to County Tipperary. There is a need in that county but there is an identified need across the country, particularly in rural areas and in areas where there is no real prospect of commercial involvement.

In many areas of public policy, particularly in the economic field, it is the role of the State to intervene where the market fails. That is what we intend to do in this vital area of public infrastructure.

Alex White (Dublin South, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

We want to ensure that the entire country gets the service and to the extent that there is commercial involvement in areas of the country where that occurs, that should be allowed to occur. I agree with Deputy Wallace that it is always best that any project, whether it is in the public or private sector, should be expedited, but all State resources are scarce. Decisions must be made about priorities in relation to any State resource, not only in this area but right across the board.

Deputy Ó Cuív asked me a question about my philosophical approach. The most important, although not the only, objective for the State in terms of public economic infrastructure is to ensure that areas where the commercial interests will not go do not lose out. That arises in the area of public transport and in all sorts of other areas. It seems that would be the key objective, to ensure that somebody living in a particular area or wanting to business in a particular remote part of the country does not lose out simply because there is not a commercial reason for an operator to come in and provide broadband.