Seán Kyne (Galway West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank Deputies for their contributions, particularly their constructive input to the debate.

It is clear those who spoke see the importance and relevance of dark fibre and ultra-high speed broadband to rural Ireland and in particular to the Galway and Mayo region. As they pointed out, it relates to all areas in Ireland.

The support of Members of this House, as was mirrored in the Seanad, has allowed the Bill to pass to the next Stage and it is certainly very welcome. During their contributions Deputies raised a number of issues and they discussed the possibility of putting down amendments on Committee Stage, as is their right. We will engage with those at the time or before that if there are specific matters that Members wish to discuss with officials from the Department. That can be arranged as well.

The premise of the Bill is about ensuring that the infrastructure already in place is retained in State ownership. The short section 2 of the Bill states:

All the right, title or interest of any person to or in the ducting and cables laid on, over or beneath the surface of land that consists of any part of the route shall, on the coming into operation of this section, stand vested in the Minister.

It is quite clear the purpose of the Bill is to ensure that the ducting in question is retained in State ownership. It is quite specific.

Both Deputies mentioned other areas in the country. I know we recently launched the mobile phone and broadband task force for 2017 and a work plan for 2018. There has been cross-party engagement with entities such as Transport Infrastructure Ireland and the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport, and it is acknowledged that there are areas in the country where new ducting was laid as part of new motorway construction or upgrading where there were gaps in infrastructure. Ensuring that the State has control of vital infrastructure such as ducting is very important, and that task force is dealing with that matter.

To extend this legislation to the national broadband plan would require a Bill to provide access rights to all lands in the country, effectively. Subject to obligations around compensation payments and reparation for damages etc. this would appear to be the "nuclear" option, giving rise to huge costs and having an unnecessary impact on property rights and the implications far beyond the current Bill. This Bill deals with a specific section of cabling between Bellanaboy and a location in Galway. The ducting and cabling is there and in use so this is about ensuring the State has control over that. It is why we are progressing with the managed service entity and we will go to tender to allow this entity to manage the cable in the interests of the State.

The plan will be for the managed service company, MSC, to operate and manage the State-owned Galway to Mayo telecommunications ducting and cables network via concession agreements. The Bill before the House is the missing piece of the jigsaw that will enable the tender to progress. The Bill's enactment will ensure the managed service company will be able to gain the necessary access to the ducting and cables infrastructure to maximise fully the benefits to the network. It is important that this is acknowledged.

With regard to ducting in other areas, anything operated by a State or semi-State company is in State ownership. We can get further clarification on rail-----

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