Mr. Fergal Mulligan:

We must go in November with the map we will publish. We will publish a map with every townland that requires an intervention, which we refer to as white areas, and this will allow every individual to see on the Department's website whether his or her house is included. This will include everyone outside the border of Caherciveen's footprint. The European Commission will have to review this and see whether we have done a proper job and ensure no issues arise with regard to state aid and the State intervening where it should not. We will go through the first stage of the state aid process in November, which is mapping, and in the middle of next year we will go through the second stage, which is telling the European Commission how we will do it. It needs to know exactly what we plan to do with the State's money for broadband before it gives approval. At present we are not in a position to go to the Commission with this, and we have the next six months to identify exactly all of the issues outlined by Ms Licken on ownership, governance and how we will identify the priority areas mentioned to ensure jobs are brought to the areas through the availability of high-speed broadband. We expect to obtain state aid approval at some point in 2015 but I cannot say whether it will be mid-2015 or late 2015.