Michael Colreavy (Sligo-North Leitrim, Sinn Fein)
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116. To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the number of homes estimated to have no access to high-speed broadband. [23140/15]

Michael Colreavy (Sligo-North Leitrim, Sinn Fein)
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Will the Minister indicate the number of houses that require retrofitting? I would also like to know the number of houses and businesses that do not have access to high-speed broadband. Where are we at in terms of establishing that level of need?

Alex White (Dublin South, Labour)
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The national broadband plan aims to ensure every citizen and business, regardless of location, has access to a high quality, high speed broadband service. This will be achieved through a combination of commercial investments and a State-led intervention in areas where commercial services will not be provided. I will make the reply available to Deputies rather than read it all because time is short. As they will be aware, a mapping exercise is in place. As a matter of fact, every single home and premises can be accessed and identified on the map which is interactive. Of course, it does not have a facility to count all of them, which is the issue the Deputy is raising, but we think there is something in the order of 2.3 million addresses in Ireland, approximately 1.6 million of which are expected to be served, in terms of the indications the commercial sector has given, with high speed broadband being provided by commercial companies in the next 18 months. That is the commitment which has been given by the commercial sector. I understand high speed services are available to approximately 1.2 million addresses. As the Deputy knows and as I mentioned earlier, eircom recently made a further announcement on an investment to cover a further 300,000 addresses. I can tell the Deputy that my Department is rigorously examining the assurances from eircom and other operators in respect of their plans. This is a requirement to be met by all operators. While we take seriously what the commercial sector states to us, we do not take it at face value. We look carefully at what it is stating to us in order that we can ensure the private sector will do what is commercially viable and the intervention required to be made by the State will only be made in those areas where the commercial sector will not go. We want to minimise the cost to the Exchequer and the system of the broadband plan. As I mentioned earlier to Deputy Michael Moynihan, the plan is progressing very well. We will have a full intervention strategy going to the Government in July. I hope we will be in the pre-notification process in respect of State aid rules to get to the procurement process by the end of the year.

Michael Colreavy (Sligo-North Leitrim, Sinn Fein)
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I do not think we can rely exclusively on private companies to give us the information we need. I suggested five or six weeks ago that it would make sense to have an online system in order that, if people could not access high speed broadband, they could log the issue and the Department would have the information and a rolling count. It would be a simple, inexpensive solution to the problem. Of course, the private companies have a role to play, but members of the public are the ones who know whether they need and have access to high speed broadband. Has anything been done to develop this suggestion?

Alex White (Dublin South, Labour)
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As I understand it, the Deputy is proposing a database to monitor the availability of broadband services. It would not, in the first instance, be the responsibility of the Department. ComReg also has certain statutory duties and a role pursuant to legislation. My focus is on spreading access to high speed broadband across the country, in particular rural areas where the commercial sector ultimately will not go. I am concentrating on ensuring every home and premises in the country will have access to broadband. I am not sure setting up a database would be the best use of constrained resources in the Department, but I will take on board what the Deputy has said. It is important that we have information when we pursue these policy options.