Seán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour)
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41. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment to outline the steps that have been taken to improve mobile telephone coverage in rural parts of the country in the past six months; the number of times the mobile phone task force has met in the past six months; the mobile telephone operators the task force has met; and the number of officials and their Departments dedicated to work on the task force. [49410/17]

Seán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour)
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We are speaking a good deal about broadband today, but I want to move the agenda on to the fact that in large swathes of the country, people cannot get mobile telephone coverage. I want to speak for those people. I have specific questions about the work of the mobile phone task force. Will the Minister outline when the task force met? How many officials in the Departments are working on the task force? When can people who do not have coverage expect to have coverage? What are the timelines? When we can expect delivery of a 100% rate of penetration for 3G coverage in the country?

Denis Naughten (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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I specifically included in the programme for Government a commitment to a mobile phone and broadband task force. In July 2016, I established the task force to identify immediate solutions to broadband and mobile telephone coverage deficits and to investigate how better services could be provided to consumers prior to the full build and roll-out of the network planned under the national broadband plan State intervention phase. The task force worked with key stakeholders to produce the December 2016 report which contained 40 actions to alleviate some of the deficits. The report is available on my Department's website.

The implementation group I co-chair with the Minister of State, Deputy Kyne, is overseeing the implementation of the actions. The group comprises all key stakeholders responsible for delivery. Meetings were held in March and July and the next meeting is scheduled for tomorrow, 22 November. Three officials in my Department and three in the Department of Rural and Community Development are immediately engaged in managing the task force actions. Several other officials and experts from various Departments and State bodies are working with key stakeholders to assist in the delivery of the actions.

Achievements to date by the task force include funding of all local authorities to assign a broadband officer and close co-operation with local authorities to develop local digital strategies. This includes the Government working closely with local authorities to identify approximately 320 high-speed strategic community access hubs that will be connected at an early date after the national broadband plan contract. Other achievements include the development by ComReg of a testing regime to check mobile handset performance. This will inform consumers in choosing products and network services. ComReg will also develop a new network coverage map. Moreover, most local authorities apply waivers in respect of development contributions for telecoms development. Transport Infrastructure Ireland has constructed 80 km of ducting on the M7-M8 corridor and 14 km on the N25 in Cork, with more to follow in the coming months to help expedite infrastructure roll-out. Transport Infrastructure Ireland is also reviewing the cost of duct access for telecoms operators.

Seán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour)
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I conducted a straw poll today of people I know throughout the country. Cushenstown in rural Wexford has little or no mobile coverage. Maryborough Hill, Douglas in the heart of Cork has little or no mobile coverage. North Meath outside of Kells and Navan has no coverage. Other places, including the area west of Carrigrohane in Cork, have no courage. Wolfhill in Laois, Balgriffin in north Dublin and Knocknacarra in the heart of Galway city have no coverage. North-east Kilkenny has no coverage.

We must get the basics right. I am asking the Minister the question in simple terms. Will he ask the mobile telephone operators specifically to ensure that they provide coverage? It is all well and good to talk about tender processes for selling bandwidth and so on. The Minister referred to the 3.6 GHz band spectrum and so on. If people in the places I am talking about cannot use their mobile telephones, then we are on a hiding to nothing in respect of the roll-out of broadband. I am simply calling on the Minister to give some impetus to getting ComReg and the organisations I have referred to, including the mobile telephone operators, to ensure a 100% rate of penetration throughout the country. If we can start at that basic point, we will have done a good day's work.

Denis Naughten (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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Deputy Sherlock has given me a day's work with those questions. As Deputy Sherlock knows, I cannot bring in ComReg. The only body that can bring in ComReg is Deputy Sherlock and his colleagues who are members of the relevant Oireachtas joint committee. ComReg is answerable to the committee, not to me.

Seán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour)
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The Minister can bring in the mobile telephone operators.

Denis Naughten (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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While I am on the issue of ComReg, I wish to point out that since January, ComReg has received a little more than 5,000 complaints, a total of 163 of which relate to mobile telephone coverage. People are not complaining.

I do not disagree with Deputy Sherlock. This is a problem. Far too many times I have had to turn off the data on my mobile telephone to try to get telephone coverage. I should not have to do that but that is the only way I can get coverage at the moment, and that is not good enough. More and more frequently, people are seeing the "no service" notice when they look at their handsets. Whether we are in Kiltoom, Ballymore or other areas, the problem is the same throughout the country.

Part of the problem has been the phenomenal increase in mobile data. That is why we released the 3.6 GHz band spectrum. It provides an 86% increase in capacity throughout the mobile telephone networks. This allows for more data to be carried and improves the quality of mobile data and mobile telephone coverage as well.

I believe the mobile telephone operators should be brought in, along with ComReg, before the committee to deal with these issues.

Seán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour)
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The Minister is shifting it back onto the committee. The committees of the Houses of the Oireachtas have discussed these issues ad infinitum. The Minister acknowledges that mobile telephone coverage in his experience is patchy in part. He has acknowledged that he has had to turn off his own data service. It is a sad indictment on the House when the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment stands before the House to answer questions from people like me and says that it is simply not good enough.

Will the Minister bring in the mobile telephone operators? As part of his armoury, the Minister has the power of persuasion as a Minister. He has the facility to be able to nudge or cajole mobile telephone operators to provide a rate of 100% penetration for 3G services at least.

Denis Naughten (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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Sadly, the problem dates from before I came in-to this job. I am unsure who was the Minister at the time. We will not go into it, but I understand one of Deputy Sherlock's colleagues was in the Department when the last auction took place for the 4G spectrum. That auction sought 85% population coverage throughout the country. I do not think that is good enough. That is why I am committed, in respect of 5G, that the licence will be for coverage throughout the country and that it would be done on a geographic basis.

Seán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour)
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People cannot even get 3G, never mind 5G.

Denis Naughten (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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The problem is that under the licensing in place, those companies are compliant. I have spoken to the companies and I will be speaking to company representatives again tomorrow. I will continue to do that. What I am dealing with is unacceptable; I am not disputing that. That is why we have released the 3.6 GHz spectrum.

The committee has a role as well. The communications regulator is answerable to the committee. When did Deputy Sherlock and the committee bring the communications regulator before the House and talk to those responsible in ComReg about mobile telephone coverage? I am not simply talking about the current committee. I am talking about the previous committee as well. The communications regulator is not answerable to me. The law states that the communications regulator is answerable to the committee. I am actively encouraging the committee to bring in ComReg.

Timmy Dooley (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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The Minister was well able to take the credit for SIRO and Eir and so on.