P J Sheehan (Cork South West, Fine Gael)
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Question 41: To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the progress made to date on the national broadband scheme; the percentage of the area that remains to be covered by the scheme; the timescale for nationwide broadband availability; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43332/09]

Jim O'Keeffe (Cork South West, Fine Gael)
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Question 63: To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the projected timeframe for the availability of broadband in the entire country; the percentage coverage projected at the end of 2009; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43234/09]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin South, Green Party)
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I propose to take questions Nos. 41 and 63 together.

Broadband services are provided across the country by private service providers over various platforms including DSL over telephone lines, fixed wireless, mobile, cable, satellite and fibre. Details of broadband availability throughout the country are available at www.broadband.gov.ie. Information contained on this website is provided by the service providers. Details of broadband penetration levels are available from ComReg at www.comreg.ie.

In general, the State intervenes in the provision of broadband where there is clear evidence of market failure. Where there are already existing service providers, such intervention is governed by EU state aid and competition rules. My Department entered into a contract with "3", a Hutchison Whampoa company, for the delivery of the national broadband scheme, NBS, in December 2008. The company is required to provide services, using a mix of technologies, to all fixed residences and businesses that are located within the NBS coverage area and who seek a service. The NBS is being rolled out on an electoral division basis with a total of 1,028 electoral divisions to receive broadband services under the NBS. 3 is progressing its network roll-out and, to date, NBS services have been made available in 38% of the electoral divisions. Under the NBS contract, 48% of the electoral divisions in the NBS coverage area are required to be enabled by the end of December 2009, while all electoral divisions in the NBS coverage area must be covered by the end of September 2010. The status of the NBS rollout is available at www.three.ie

My Department is intensively monitoring delivery of the NBS to ensure that all contractual commitments are fully met. It is accepted that even after the full roll-out of the NBS there will still be a small percentage of premises that will not be capable of receiving broadband services. This is primarily due to technical and other reasons such as the suitability of a telephone line, distance from an enabled exchange or line of sight issues.

The European economic recovery programme includes funding for access to broadband infrastructure in rural areas and my Department is considering the design and implementation of such a scheme. This work will include the identification of premises not capable of receiving broadband. It is hoped to commence this scheme in 2010 and have it completed by 2012. A notification of state aid has been made to the European Commission as part of the process of securing the necessary approvals for the scheme.

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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We have already touched on this issue and I want to ask the Minister specifically about the delivery of the national broadband scheme and how 3 is performing. The Minister stated the Department is monitoring it closely to ensure it is meeting the conditions of the contract. What is the average broadband speed and bandwidth delivery provided by 3 in the electoral divisions it has covered under the roll-out of the national broadband scheme? Will the Minister confirm that 3 is meeting the upload and download speed targets outlined in the contract? Will the Minister provide me with the figures on speed delivery that the monitoring has uncovered? Is any independent assessment of the roll-out being done by the Department or are we relying on receiving information from the company involved in rolling out the infrastructure?

Eamon Ryan (Dublin South, Green Party)
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The speeds mandated are 1.2 MB for download and 200 kb upload. I have been informed that to date the technology is working. It provides those levels of service and above. Obviously, it varies according to distance from a mast and the level of contention at any time but we have minimum standards and they are being met. The roll-out is proceeding along the projected target timelines. It has not been easy and many difficulties have arisen in planning provisions for masts so meeting the timelines cannot be absolutely guaranteed but based on what has happened to date, we expect the end of year target will be very close to, if not above, the 48% of electoral divisions roll-out that we seek to achieve.

As I stated in my response to an earlier question, funding is dependent on the targets being met. There is a real contractual commitment that gives us certainty on the basic service levels we have put in place. The advantage we have in this area is that the technology has been further developed since the first version of the mobile broadband systems. This is a major project involving an investment by the company and the State of more than €200 million and I am informed that the technology is working well and to plan.

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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What is the average download speed being delivered by 3?

Eamon Ryan (Dublin South, Green Party)
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I do not have that information but I will provide it to the Deputy. I will have to revert to the Department to get the precise figure.

Liz McManus (Wicklow, Labour)
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In light of our dependence on providers for information, concerns have arisen about whether the national broadband scheme is subject to rigorous scrutiny. The scheme is in effect working from a false premise, that is, the famous but inaccurate map. I can cite an example from my constituency involving an unemployed man who invested €20,000 in setting up a small business. Before he made his investment, he was given confirmation that he would have broadband but the company involved subsequently informed him that it was unable to provide him with a service. He is desperate because his business is completely dependent on broadband. He contacted the ombudsman, ComReg and six broadband providers but every road leads back to Eircom. He has logged 18 calls with that company but cannot even speak to the same person twice let alone get an answer. ComReg has finally lodged an official complaint but the response will take ten days to issue. On paper, it appears that broadband is being provided in certain parts of the country but there appears to be no oversight by the Department of the reality on the ground. In the case I have outlined, a man's livelihood is dependent on the provision of broadband.

Eamon Ryan (Dublin South, Green Party)
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The contractual documents for the national broadband scheme are four or five times the thickness of the pile of papers in front of me. Working out the details took time but we got them right in the end. The contractual arrangements give me the confidence that the scheme will provide the level of service we seek.

Liz McManus (Wicklow, Labour)
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I am not speaking about the contractual arrangements.

Eamon Ryan (Dublin South, Green Party)
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The specific example to which the Deputy referred pertains to a fixed line company. Difficulties have arisen in regard to split lines and distance to exchanges, particularly given that 40% of rural houses are once-off developments.

Liz McManus (Wicklow, Labour)
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The map makes it seem as if there is no problem.

Eamon Ryan (Dublin South, Green Party)
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It is more difficult to service such areas. We are delivering alternative solutions, such as wireless, WiMAX, mobile and fixed wireless, in addition to the crucial role played by fixed lines. Competition among these alternatives will deliver the best service possible.

P J Sheehan (Cork South West, Fine Gael)
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The Minister failed to fully address my question. I asked for the percentage that remains to be covered by the national broadband scheme. The map circulated to Deputies reveals that huge tracts of the country are not covered. I ask the Minister when the greater part of my constituency of Cork South-West will be completely covered by the scheme.

Eamon Ryan (Dublin South, Green Party)
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Every square inch of the country was examined and areas in which the majority of the population were unable to access any service were targeted for the national broadband scheme. In respect of areas in which a small percentage of the population lacked access, we are working with the European Commission to establish, subject to State aid rules, a final support scheme to give every house, be it in south-west Cork or north-east Donegal, the potential for getting broadband.

P J Sheehan (Cork South West, Fine Gael)
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Vast areas of my constituency are not covered by the map circulated to us two days ago. I am amazed that is the case. The tip of Sheep's Head peninsula will be covered but Kilcrohane, Ahakista and Durrus will not.

Noel Coonan (Tipperary North, Fine Gael)
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We will have to find the sheep's body to connect it to the head.

Eamon Ryan (Dublin South, Green Party)
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I am very familiar with Ahakista, Kilcrohane and Durrus. The Government has made a clear commitment that no house in any of those villages, or in any other village in the country, will be unable to access standard broadband services. We have put in a place a variety of mechanisms to cover the country in that regard.