Noel Dempsey (Meath, Fianna Fail)

The Deputy may be aware that the communications market in Ireland is fully liberalised and that the Commission for Communications Regulation, ComReg, is the statutory body with responsibility for regulatory oversight of this market.

The Government recognises however that a principal reason for the slow roll-out of competitive, affordable broadband services in Ireland, principally in the regions, has been a lack of investment by the private sector in the necessary infrastructure. The Government's regulatory and infrastructure policy has supported the private sector developing a competitive, affordable and rapidly growing broadband market that offers choice of products and providers to Irish consumers and businesses.

Ireland's broadband take-up is growing very strongly. By end-March 2006, there were 322,500 broadband subscribers in Ireland. This is equivalent to almost 8% of the population or approximately 22% of households. Broadband take-up here grew by 112% over the 12 months to March, which is more than twice the EU broadband growth rate.

It is estimated that there are already well over 350,000 broadband subscribers up to mid-2006, which is equivalent to approximately 8% of the population or one quarter of households with broadband. This compares to a figure of approximately three in ten households in the EU at the end of 2005. Ireland is now one of the fastest growing broadband markets in the European Union. Broadband take-up has more than tripled to date since I set a target of 400,000 in late 2004.

The combination of telecommunications regulation and competition is driving prices down for the benefit of Irish consumers and businesses.

The Government is addressing the infrastructure deficit in the regions by building high speed, open access metropolitan area networks in 120 towns and cities nationwide. These networks will allow the private sector to offer world-class broadband services at competitive costs.

My Department offers funding assistance for smaller towns and rural communities through the county and group broadband scheme, GBS. The GBS initiative is continually under review to ensure that it supports private sector roll-out of broadband services to new locations.

My Department's website, www.broadband.gov.ie, gives full details of broadband pricing and availability around the country. The website also lists the different products on offer and the contact details for each service provider. Almost 70 of these broadband providers offer almost 300 different types of broadband products. There is a choice of broadband services that can technically deliver broadband to any customer in Ireland at the moment.

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