Michael Moynihan (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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70. To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources his views on the timeline to connecting premises in counties under the national broadband plan; the future-proofing of the minimum broadband download speeds to be provided that has been carried out; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39036/15]

Michael Moynihan (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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Following the previous question, I ask the Minister to comment on the timeline to connect premises in counties under the national broadband plan and what future-proofing of the minimum broadband speeds will be provided. Will he make a statement on the matter?

Alex White (Dublin South, Labour)
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The Government’s national broadband plan aims to ensure that 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. On 29 September the Government approved an allocation of €275 million for the national broadband plan, NBP, which will provide the initial stimulus required to deliver the Government's intervention. Combined with commercial investment, this will ensure that 85% of Ireland's premises have high-speed broadband by 2018, with 100% coverage by 2020.

Some 40 responses were received following the publication of the NBP proposed intervention strategy in July last. Non-confidential versions of these submissions have been published since last week and can be accessed at www.broadband.gov.ie. Meanwhile, my Department continues to review the technical and financial detail relating to potential new commercial investment proposals, with a view to updating the intervention area map originally published in November 2014. I expect to publish an updated version of this map showing commercial investment proposals out to 2020 as well as finalising the intervention strategy and moving to formal procurement phase before the end of the current year.

As indicated in the published draft intervention strategy, we have set a minimum download speed of 30 Mbps, with an obligation on bidders to demonstrate clearly how they propose to future-proof the network to meet anticipated future bandwidth demand. This is considered the optimal approach, rather than the Department prescribing future speeds which might not reflect future market developments and technology evolution. The Government is determined to ensure that the network is built out as quickly as possible and engagement with industry stakeholders has indicated that this could be achieved within three to five years of the contract award.

Michael Moynihan (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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In 2011, the Government's programme for Government, one of the greatest books of fiction ever written, promised to make significant investment in next-generation broadband over the following four years for every home and business and to deliver it to 90% of homes. That has clearly failed on both levels. In the replies to various parliamentary questions the Government has said the network build will start in May 2016 and that it will take three to five years to be completely operative. The Government is kicking the can to 2021. According to one of the replies we got recently, parts of Counties Clare, Cavan, Donegal, Mayo, Monaghan, Galway, Kerry, Leitrim, Kilkenny, Offaly, Roscommon, Sligo and Tipperary will have to wait until 2021 for high-speed broadband. This is one of the issues I have raised consistently on the floor of the House with the Minister, and even at committee level. He is saying the documentation is before the European Commission and all that. It has to be a priority for Government. In 2015, facing into 2016, broadband is one of the basic requirements for living in any part of the State, whether urban or rural. I know the State has built the population growth on the east coast, but forgetting about the other parts of the country is not acceptable and there should be a crisis Cabinet sub-committee set up to deal with the broadband issue, because nothing is happening.

Alex White (Dublin South, Labour)
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The Deputy mentioned 2011, which is the year he is interested in. Only 300,000 addresses had high-speed broadband when his party was in office, just before the 2011 election. He can talk about works of fiction all he wants and he can criticise us if he wishes, but the lamentable failure of the Government of which he was a supporter is manifest for all to see. The situation now is that high-speed broadband is available to approximately 1.3 million addresses, and by the end of 2016 it is envisaged that high-speed broadband will be available to 1.6 million addresses. By 2018, we aim to have 85% of the population covered.

There is no need to set up crisis committees, because this work is being expedited by Government, by my Department and by me on a daily basis, ensuring that this critical piece of infrastructure is put in place for the Irish people, and for all of the Irish people, not just those who live in cities and towns where they have access through the commercial sector, but right across the country. It is this Government that will deliver high-speed broadband. It is this Government that will achieve this important piece of infrastructure for the Irish people and it is this Government that will keep to that plan and ensure it happens.

Deputy Alex White: The Deputy raises 2011, which is the year he is interested in. Only 300,000 addresses had high speed broadband when his party was in office, just before the 2011 election. He can talk about works of fiction all he wants, and he can criticise us if he wishes, but the lamentable failure of the Government of which he was a supporter is manifest for all to see, because the situation is now that we have high speed broadband available to approximately 1.3 million addresses and by the end of 2016 it is envisaged that high speed broadband would be available to 1.6 million addresses and by 2018, we hope to have 85% of the population covered. There is no need to set up crisis committees because this work is being expedited by Government, by my Department and by me on a daily basis, ensuring that this critical piece of infrastructure is put in place for the Irish people and for all of the Irish people, not just those who live in cities and towns where they have access through the commercial sector, but right across the country. It is this Government that will deliver high speed broadband. It is this Government that will achieve this important piece of infrastructure for the Irish people, and it is this Government that will keep to this plan and ensure it happens.

Michael Moynihan (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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I do not accept that. It is before the European Commission. When will the Commission approve State aid? We have been debating this for the last year and a half across the floor and, before that, with the Minister's predecessor.

Figures for broadband are being trotted out but there are parts of this country that do not have any kind of Internet connection, good, bad or indifferent. The residents are disadvantaged. A disadvantage is being developed in these parts of the country because it is costing young people to live in those communities, and costing people to set up businesses in those communities. There is a crisis that needs to be looked at, and we have debated it across the floor. There is constant movement and no doubt the Department is looking at it, but not aggressively enough, particularly for parts of both rural and urban areas.

There are residents in parts of Ireland, 15 to 20 miles from O'Connell Street, who contact me about their broadband coverage. Right throughout my own constituency, across the western seaboard and in parts of nearly every county in the State, people do not have a proper broadband service. At this stage, it is beyond talking about.

Michael Kitt (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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We are over time. The Minister to conclude.

Alex White (Dublin South, Labour)
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It has been beyond talking about for quite a while because, as the Deputy is well aware, we are achieving and moving on this important project. It is exactly the same point he makes each time he comes in here, but he knows perfectly well that all of the timelines that I set and that I indicated in the House when I became Minister in July of last year have been kept. We published the map, but it is not merely a map because it is an assessment of where the commercial sector will deliver and where we will have to go. We stated that we would produce an intervention strategy with all the detail - I hope the Deputy has read it - of what that will incur, including the technical, financial and legal analysis. That all happened on time in the summer.

We also stated that we would have a further period of consultation to ensure that we had those numbers right and that we could go to procurement by the end of this year. To the extent that the Deputy is trying to give the impression that there have been delays, that there has been foot-dragging or that we have missed targets, the point is we have not missed any targets. Everything that he has asked me about in this regard since I became Minister and had the honour of dealing with this issue, through oral parliamentary questions and otherwise, has been kept to and there has been no failure at all.