Denis Naughten (Roscommon-Galway, Independent) | Oireachtas source

The programme for Government included a commitment to establish a mobile phone and broadband task force to identify immediate solutions to broadband and mobile phone coverage deficits and to investigate how better services could be provided to consumers prior to the full build and roll out of the network planned under the national broadband plan State intervention.

The task force, which I co-chaired with my colleague, the Minister, Deputy Humphreys, was established in July 2016 and published its report in December. The report is available on both Departments' websites. In producing this report, the task force worked with Government Departments; local authorities; the Commission for Communications Regulation, ComReg; State agencies; the telecoms industry; and other key stakeholders. The membership of the group included my Department; the Department of Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural, and Gaeltacht Affairs; the Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government; the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport; the Office of Public Works; NewERA; Transport Infrastructure Ireland; Teagasc; Trinity College CTVR; the County and City Management Association; Irish Rural Link; the Irish Countrywomen's Association; businesses based in rural Ireland; the National Competition and Consumer Protection Commission; and an independent planning adviser. ComReg participated on the task force as an observer in order to provide advice and guidance in its capacity as the independent regulator of the telecommunications market. The task force met approximately 20 times with a number of helpful initiatives emerging in the areas of planning, local authority engagement, and consumer information and engagement.

The report of the task force contains 40 actions which will alleviate some of the telecommunications deficits across Ireland and the implementation programme on mobile phone and broadband access identifies 19 of the 40 actions as areas where immediate and direct action can be taken by Government Departments and State agencies to ensure accelerated benefits to consumers. The work of the task force will also assist local authorities in preparing for the roll out of the new national broadband plan network once the contract or contracts are in place. Each of the actions contained in the report and implementation programme has its own timeframe for delivery, which is set out in the report.

In order to maintain the momentum created by the task force, an implementation group is being established to drive and monitor the implementation of the actions. The implementation group will be led by my Department and the Department of Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs. The implementation group will formally report every 90 days to both the Minister, Deputy Humphreys, and me, who will in turn jointly brief Cabinet on the progress. I will be receiving regular updates from my officials in between these formal reporting periods. The implementation group will carry out a fundamental review of progress made after 12 months and will also be mandated to recommend further actions that would result in improved service for consumers.

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