Liam Twomey (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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Question 32: To ask the Minister for Communications; Energy and Natural Resources regarding rural areas which do not have access to DSL or fibre cable, the proportion of the population that have no access to fixed wireless, mobile wireless or satellite broadband; if he will provide figures for the proportion of persons accessing these three services; if he will give details of the average service quality in terms of megabytes and latency; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15714/11]

Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)
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I am happy to report that thanks to a combination of significant private and public investment in broadband provision, the vast majority of premises here, including many hard-to-reach rural premises, can now avail of at least a basic broadband service. The provision of telecommunications services, including broadband services, is a matter in the first instance for private sector service providers operating in a liberalised market regulated by the Commission for Communications Regulation, ComReg. The State will also intervene in the market where there is evidence of clear market failure.

The national broadband scheme and the recently-launched rural broadband scheme are examples of such intervention. These interventions must be on a technology-neutral basis to comply with EU competition law. Completion of the national broadband scheme roll-out last October means that all premises in the national broadband scheme target areas now have access to broadband services. The recently-launched rural broadband scheme is specifically aimed at targeting those few remaining premises in rural non-national broadband scheme areas that for whatever reason are still unable to avail of a service from a commercial provider.

My Department is currently accepting applications under this scheme and will continue to do so until 29 July next. I encourage all Deputies to make constituents aware of the existence of this scheme and my Department will undertake some further promotional work in this respect between now and the end of July. I am satisfied, therefore, that Ireland will comfortably meet its EU's target of having basic broadband available to everyone by 2013.

Additional information not given on the floor of the House.

My Department does not collect or possess the type of statistical data referred to in the Deputy's question. However, ComReg, in its role as regulator and promoter of competition in the Irish market publishes quarterly data on a national level which provides a wide range of information in regard to broadband penetration by technology platform. This statistical information on the Irish electronic communications market and benchmark data from other countries is collected and analysed by ComReg's trend unit and is available on its website, www.comstat.ie

Liam Twomey (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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It is not just those on the last mile who are having major problems at the moment. The fixed wireless-mobile wireless is excellent in some areas, but is non-existent or of uneven quality in many other areas. Even copper wire or DSL Internet access can be of uneven quality in many rural areas. When another €18 million is being spent on getting broadband to customers on that last mile, the Minister should ensure we have minimum standards and that the Department drills down to where the problems are so that we get broadband to every house in the next two years.

Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)
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I am aware of the Deputy's interest in the subject because he has been in contact with me on more than one occasion about it. I am fairly convinced that we will have 99% penetration if not by the end of this year, certainly by next year. The problem, as he pointed out, often relates to the last mile and often relates to the bandwidth and speeds rather than the availability of basic broadband. I am considering a number of measures in this regard. I have recently convened a task force, chaired by me and comprising the chief executive officers of the telecommunications companies and Internet providers. Its purpose is to set down a roadmap for the future with the purpose of having a national broadband plan with effect from as early in 2012 as we can, that will deal with the undoubted issues of quality, to which the Deputy refers. Where there are still outstanding premises throughout rural areas, but not exclusively in rural areas, that for reasons of topography or not being able to reach the Cabinet or whatever, do not have broadband, I would like colleagues to advise them of the existence of the rural broadband scheme, which closes on 29 July. If there are such areas in rural Ireland, I would appreciate Deputies promulgating the fact that the scheme exists and counselling people to make application.

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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I welcome the Minister's recognition that the national broadband scheme was just a basic scheme. It has ensured that a wide swathe of the country without service has received service. However, I am perplexed that the Minister has become a great proponent of the liberal private sector in his conversion to liberal economics. I would have thought the Minister would have set a national minimum standard to which everyone would have had access.

Michael Kitt (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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A question, please.

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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In terms of megabytes, what would the Minister consider an acceptable minimum standard for every house to have in three years' time? Everybody would agree that while the national broadband scheme has provided a basic level, there are still issues because the demand for it has been so great.

Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)
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My conversion to the merits of private sector involvement in this area is as nothing compared with the conversion that has befallen the Deputy since he went into opposition. He seems to expect that in 14 weeks I can remedy the mistakes his governments made in 14 years, which is stretching it a bit.

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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It is a simple question that requires a simple answer: what number of megabytes?

Michael Kitt (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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The Minister without interruption.

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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The Minister is a great man for avoiding the question.

Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)
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We did not recover from the disaster of the privatisation of Telecom Éireann and the fact that it was ripped off successively purely for the purpose of asset stripping and taking money from it, meaning that the investment was not made when we had competitive advantage. While that is history now, it is something that must be corrected. The EU targets are that every household would have 30 megabits by 2020 and I am satisfied that we will easily achieve that. I am satisfied that by 2013 every house will have broadband. The private sector is making an investment of €400 million to €500 million going into the enhancement of quality at the moment. I am satisfied that we will comfortably beat the targets. I accept Deputy Twomey's basic contention that there are parts of the country where the quality is not yet good enough. I had the opportunity to launch the metropolitan area network in Claremorris on Friday night. Deputy Ó Cuív's Government spent €177 million in putting in the fibre optic networks in 94 towns, but all these years later only approximately 30 of them are lit. Was it the most prudent investment? I accept it was well intentioned, but based on the experience, it is a matter of some concern. I am working with e|net to improve it.

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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The Minister is a great man for not answering questions.