Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)

If contracts are being signed in November and if there is a 22-month roll-out period, can we safely assume that the Government target for universal broadband provision across the country will now be the end of 2010 rather than the end of 2009? My question refers to a lot more than the national broadband scheme although there is significant frustration with that matter.

The Minister's consultation paper published during the summer made a number of commitments which were not related to the national broadband scheme and I ask for an update on a number of those commitments. The Minister said that all new premises will be required to have installed an open access fibre connection, that is, ducting must be provided in each new building to carry broadband fibre. The Minister said this would be in place by the end of this year and I ask where this stands now.

The Minister said that the Government will facilitate access to service providers for all publicly-owned ducting that can carry fibre and that this will be provided at competitive commercial rates. Where does this stand now? He promised a one-stop shop where service providers would be provided with information on broadband and broadband infrastructure which they could use on an open access basis. Where does this stand?

With regard to the management contracts for MANs phase 2, my understanding is that E-Net has been given preferential bidder status or tender status but the contracts have not been signed yet. Why is this the case? We have 66 MANs, metropolitan area networks, surrounding towns all over the country but which are not being used and are not lit up. They have cost the State approximately €50 million to put in place. It will cost a fraction of that amount to run them but we have not put the management contract in place to make that happen. Why is this the case?

The Minister has said repeatedly that he will use the purchasing power of the State to stimulate demand in terms of next generation broadband provision. What is he actually doing in this regard? I am not interested in more consultation at this stage, I am interested in action. Some 18 months of waiting is enough.

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