Dáil debates

Thursday, 29 January 2015

Other Questions

Broadband Service Provision

10:25 am

Photo of Charlie McConalogueCharlie McConalogue (Donegal North East, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

9. To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if fibre or satellite broadband will be provided to the 78 areas that have been identified as requiring State intervention in County Donegal; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3857/15]

Photo of Charlie McConalogueCharlie McConalogue (Donegal North East, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

This relates to the provision of appropriate broadband facilities to the areas in question under the national plan. What timeline does the Minister expect for the work's commencement?

Photo of Alex WhiteAlex White (Dublin South, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The national broadband plan will deal conclusively with rural connectivity issues so that current and future generations will have guaranteed access to high-quality, high-speed broadband. The network we wish to see built will, therefore, have to be scalable and capable of meeting future anticipated traffic growth. Whatever the technology used, it must ensure that users have a minimum service of 30 Mbps.

In line with EU competition rules, we must observe a policy of technology neutrality in any State intervention in a competitive market. However, the scale of the Government's ambition regarding the level of service we wish to see available in rural areas, the step change in broadband quality demanded by the European Commission's state aid guidelines, the exponential growth in demand from consumers, the ongoing significant improvement in services that are now available to many urban dwellers and businesses through commercial investment, and the current fibre deficit in much of rural Ireland all point to a major role for fibre in resolving this issue.

In line with the provisions of the state aid guidelines, we are likely to adopt an approach that will see fibre networks as close as possible to end users. Through a variety of technology platforms, retail telecommunications providers would then be able to use this wholesale network to offer services to the final customer. Last April, the then Minister, Deputy Rabbitte, announced that as a first step it was clear that at least 1,100 villages, 78 of which were in Donegal, would require fibre backhaul connectivity. Since then, Eircom has announced that two of these villages, Carrick and Gweedore, will be covered under its eFibre roll-out. The remainder of the villages in Donegal remain firmly part of the programme. There are 2,644 townlands in Donegal and 52,004 premises, of which 52% will be covered by State-led intervention and 48% will have received high-speed broadband from the commercial sector by the end of 2016.

Photo of Charlie McConalogueCharlie McConalogue (Donegal North East, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister for his reply, but he did not outline a timeline for the roll-out. People outside the main cities are increasingly frustrated because broadband is not being delivered and there is not a realistic timeline for its delivery. As the Minister stated, 52% of households in Donegal will require State intervention in order to have a sufficient level of broadband connectivity, but they do not see any light at the end of the tunnel.

Broadband should be bringing traditionally peripheral counties such as Donegal more towards the centre in terms of their connectivity with the world. If one has proper broadband facilities, one can work from anywhere, yet we are actually falling further behind as the broadband era develops because we are not achieving connectivity. I will cite an example. In recent months, Moville town has experienced regular outages of a couple of days at a time in its limited broadband. This is the environment in which we expect growth and business development. If the Government does not ensure delivery-----

Photo of Seán BarrettSeán Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, Ceann Comhairle)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I am sorry, but I will allow the Deputy to contribute again.

Photo of Charlie McConalogueCharlie McConalogue (Donegal North East, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

-----that will not be feasible.

Photo of Alex WhiteAlex White (Dublin South, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I did not quite pick up the Deputy's last comment. Be it in Donegal or any other county, broadband has been and is provided by the private sector, not the State. However, the State will intervene to fill the gap in those areas that the commercial sector will not service. This is an important role for the State.

Regarding the timeline, we launched a mapping consultation process in November. It allows all citizens and businesses to determine where they will feature in the likely future availability of broadband. The private sector will handle the so-called blue areas and the State will have to handle the rest. Some 52% of Donegal will have to be, and will be, handled by the State.

The overall programme is the equivalent of building a road network of 100,000 km. We must get state aid approval this year. That will take a number of months. We will have addressed a list of questions by the summer. Once we have state aid approval, there will be a competitive tendering process and a contractor or contractors will be in place in 2016. Even then, it will take three years to build the 100,000 km, but we will get on with it.

Photo of Charlie McConalogueCharlie McConalogue (Donegal North East, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The best-case scenario is that it will be 2016 or 2017 before anything starts to be delivered. As such, it will be 2020 or beyond before many regions get proper fibre broadband. This is an unfortunate story to have to tell them while the rest of the country is moving ahead. Little can happen in those areas in terms of developing business or enjoying the types of service for which broadband is essential.

We are nearly four years into the Government's term, but it is only now doing a mapping exercise. Matters have moved exceptionally slowly and there will be little further movement over the next year. For a long time, it has been clear that broadband will not be delivered in many parts of the country without State intervention. There were plenty of places, such as urban centres, where it was debatable as to whether the private sector would become involved and the Government was to see what happened. It is important that broadband be provided without delay, as areas are falling further behind without it.

Photo of Seán BarrettSeán Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, Ceann Comhairle)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The time is up, so Deputy Colreavy should ask a quick supplementary question.

Photo of Michael ColreavyMichael Colreavy (Sligo-North Leitrim, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I see little in the documentation that has been published relating to the national broadband plan that outlines the links with metropolitan area networks, MANs. Has a detailed analysis of the potential for such links been done?

10:35 am

Photo of Alex WhiteAlex White (Dublin South, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I want to assure both Deputies that this is a priority for me and the Government. We are expediting this matter, but as I have already told colleagues, if anybody has an idea how we can do it more quickly, I am all ears. We are pressing this literally on a daily basis in my Department where I am consulting with my officials. This is a huge priority for me and we will deliver it. In fairness, I must say that it has not been delivered in the past. This comprehensive plan to deal conclusively with connectivity issues in rural Ireland will be delivered by this Government.

I can understand, and agree with, the frustrations of people who are experiencing delays. They can see the digital divide between rural and urban Ireland but our job is to fix that, which is what we are doing.