Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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12. To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the extent to which he expects targets in respect of high-speed broadband to be achieved in all areas throughout the country in the short and medium term; if such provisions will bring the quality, speed and availability of broadband in the country up to best international standards; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10500/15]

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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This question seeks to focus attention on the urgent need to ensure the availability throughout Ireland of high-speed broadband services to facilitate modern industry and the domestic market.

Joe McHugh (Donegal North East, Fine Gael)
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The national broadband plan outlined the Government's commitment to deliver a high-speed broadband connection to every citizen and business in Ireland, regardless of location. It reflects the Government and European objectives to deliver new opportunities for jobs, growth and social inclusion. The digital agenda for Europe commits to the delivery of 30 Mbps broadband to all citizens by 2020. This was to be achieved through a combination of commercial and State investment.

The commercial telecommunications sector is currently investing approximately €2.5 billion in network upgrades. Approximately 1.6 million of the 2.3 million premises in Ireland are expected to have access to commercial high-speed broadband services over the next number of years. These very significant investments represent a step change in the quality of broadband services available.

While the enhanced investment by industry is very much welcome, it is exacerbating the divide between those areas benefitting from the accelerated commercial investment and other areas, predominantly rural, where available commercial speeds remain very basic. The Government's broadband intervention will ensure the availability of high-quality future-proofed broadband services to all other parts of the country. It is anticipated that speeds of at least 30 Mbps will be delivered through the Government's intervention and the network will be designed to cater for future increased demand from consumers and business.

To definitively address the broadband challenges faced by Ireland, the State intervention under the national broadband plan will present a long term future-proofed solution which will address those areas of the country identified in the mapping exercise conducted last year with no present or planned next-generation access services. Through the national broadband plan, it is our objective to ensure that all citizens in every part of the country have access to high-speed, high-quality broadband services that will put Ireland at top of the class in terms of access to broadband services throughout Europe.

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Minister of State for his reply. In regard to his statement that Ireland is at the top of the class in this area, that is the same response I was given to a similar question 15 years ago, although not by Deputy McHugh.

I want to emphasise the necessity of the completion of the plan at an early date rather than over a lengthy period. It is possible to have an industry providing lots of jobs in a rural area where there is no demand or pressure for housing or commercial development, provided there is good broadband service in the area.

Despite our best efforts to date, the provision of the broadband service we lack has not manifested itself yet. Could the Minister of State outline any initiatives that could be taken, apart from the national broadband plan, to co-ordinate efforts and to mark it in terms of achieving particular objectives along the way in order to make this a reality as quickly as possible?

Joe McHugh (Donegal North East, Fine Gael)
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That is a fair question. We have outlined the time period. We will seek to move the procurement process forward towards the end of this year. In 2016, we will start to roll out broadband in the areas that are not commercially viable for private companies. People do not want to hear about a three to five year period for the provision of broadband. Deputies live in the real world and when companies approach them with an idea for locating in a rural area, when they tell them there will be no broadband for some time that is not what they want to hear.

Deputy Durkan's question is critical. It is important that we continue to seek creative solutions in the interim in terms of what we can do with private companies. Private companies can work with each other. For example, Vodafone and the ESB worked together on projects in the 50 largest towns. There will be a further roll-out in that regard in the second phase and third phase. A lot will happen at that level. As Minister of State with responsibility for the Gaeltacht, I am pushing very strongly the agenda that we would provide broadband in Gaeltacht areas where we are trying to attract investment. There is a sense of urgency in that regard. I appreciate the Deputy's position. He is correct that he has heard it said previously that we will get it right. He heard that years ago. However, it is about getting it right, and it is also not just about providing a solution of 30Mbps because children in the Visitors Gallery will be going to secondary school in a few years and their expectation will be akin to that of Paddy McGilligan in the 1920s, namely, that they will just press a button on the wall and they will have access to broadband-----

Michael Kitt (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Minister of State.

Joe McHugh (Donegal North East, Fine Gael)
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-----in the same way that we take the electricity supply for granted.

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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I am ever hopeful for the people in the Visitors Gallery. I sincerely hope they are not applicants for the old age pension before it all becomes a reality. That is not a reflection on the Minister of State, but I want to emphasise that it would be very beneficial if the Minister of State and his colleague were to inquire of the service providers - the stakeholders - as to how quickly they can deliver in particular areas throughout the country. We are inundated with requests on a daily basis for services that are required now.

Michael Kitt (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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Deputy Stanton wishes to ask a brief question. We are nearly out of time.

David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)
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The Minister of State referred to the short term. Knockraha in my area is very close to Cork city. Eircom has said it is not commercially viable to provide broadband. Is there anything the Government can do in the short term to make it commercially viable for Eircom or another company to provide broadband as soon as possible?

Joe McHugh (Donegal North East, Fine Gael)
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We could do a number of things. I accept you have requested brevity, a Leas-Cheann Comhairle. I will respond to Deputy Durkan on the demands for the here and now. We must continue to engage with the private companies because they are looking at alternative solutions. If I hear from people within industry that there is a deficit in the number of apprentices, then the Government can help. One element we can deliver is to train up more people and give them the skills and expertise in order that they can be available to those companies.

In response to Deputy Stanton, Members across the House all hear the same thing every day from people with business ideas who want to go to a certain area where there is no broadband. The situation is reflected in the critical mass of oral parliamentary questions today which predominantly relate to broadband. That is the issue. Deputies have their ears to the ground. We must respond to the demands of the electorate in our constituencies and ensure people are not discriminated against in terms of service provision. That is why it is critical that the State-led intervention is done correctly. We do not want to be faced with a situation whereby once the procurement phase commences, things are not done right and we are back to square one. We are ploughing ahead. I am happy with the efforts, number of meetings and the work that has gone into it at an official level.