The Government’s National Broadband Plan (NBP) aims to ensure that every citizen and business, regardless of location, has access to a high quality, high speed broadband service. This is being achieved through a combination of commercial investments and a State led intervention in areas where commercial services will not be provided.
The commercial telecommunications sector has invested over €2 billion in network upgrades and enhanced services in the last four years, and is continuing to invest. These very significant investments represent a step change in the quality of broadband services available.
On 22 December 2015, I formally launched the procurement process for the State intervention to provide high quality, high speed broadband to all premises in Ireland that may not be served through commercial investment.
The formal procurement process commenced with the publication of the Pre-qualification Questionnaire and Project Information Memorandum. Five responses were received from prospective bidders to this stage of the competitive procurement process by the deadline of 31 March. The responses are now being assessed in line with criteria set down by the Department with a view to selecting qualified provider(s) to proceed to the next stage of the procurement. This second stage in the process will be a formal Invitation to Participate in Dialogue (ITPD) to shortlisted bidders.
The 2020 map is available at . The map shows Ireland with two colours, BLUE and AMBER. The areas marked BLUE represent those areas where commercial providers are either currently delivering or have plans to deliver high speed broadband services. The areas marked AMBER represent the target areas for the proposed State intervention.
Based on information provided by commercial operators 78% of the townlands of Kilcannon, 88%of the townland of Ballymurn Upper and 98% of the townland of Ballymurn Lower in Co Wexford will be covered by commercial operators. The remaining 22% of the townland of Kilcannon, 12%of the townland of Ballymurn Upper and 2% of the townland of Ballymurn Lower will be part of the State intervention. Members of the public can see whether their individual premise is in the BLUE or AMBER area by inserting their Eircode, and/or address, or scrolling through the map.
The intention is to build out the network in the AMBER area as quickly as possible. The procurement process is underway and it is proposed to engage with the winning bidder(s) in due course on the optimum rollout strategy, and on the sequencing of the network deployment to maximise efficiencies during network build, having regard to business and consumer needs, and to areas of particularly poor service and areas of strong demand. All these factors will need to be balanced against the most efficient network rollout and will be agreed during the procurement process.
Engagement with industry stakeholders as part of the pre-procurement consultations has indicated that the rollout in the Amber area could be achieved within 3-5 years of the contract award. In this context, the NBP proposes that through the combination of commercial investment and State intervention, 85% of all premises in Ireland (both commercial and intervention area) will have access to high speed broadband within two years of the contract award, with 100% of premises connected within 5 years.
]]>The Standing charge is a combination of the fixed charges associated with providing electricity network services (e.g. meter reading and network operations/maintenance) and a share of the supply costs in servicing customers’ electricity accounts. Standing charges vary from supplier to supplier and will be presented by the supplier under one of four classes of standing charges: Urban 24hr, Urban Nightsaver, Rural 24hr, Rural Nightsaver. Which class a customer falls under depends on meter type (whether 24hr or Nightsaver) and location, and for the latter, whether the urban or rural class applies depends on the location of the customer’s property.
]]>The Government’s National Broadband Plan (NBP) aims to ensure that every citizen and business, regardless of location, has access to a high quality, high speed broadband service. This is being achieved through a combination of commercial investments and a State led intervention in areas where commercial services will not be provided.
The commercial telecommunications sector has invested over €2 billion in network upgrades and enhanced services in the last four years, and is continuing to invest. These very significant investments represent a step change in the quality of broadband services available.
On 22 December 2015, I formally launched the procurement process for the State intervention to provide high quality, high speed broadband to all premises in Ireland that may not be served through commercial investment. The formal procurement process commenced with the publication of the Pre-qualification Questionnaire and Project Information Memorandum. Five responses were received from prospective bidders to this stage of the competitive procurement process by the deadline of 31 March. The responses are now being assessed in line with criteria set down by the Department with a view to selecting qualified provider(s) to proceed to the next stage of the procurement. This second stage in the process will be a formal Invitation to Participate in Dialogue (ITPD) to shortlisted bidders.
The 2020 Map is available at . The map shows Ireland with two colours, BLUE and AMBER. The areas marked BLUE represent those areas where commercial providers are either currently delivering or have plans to deliver high speed broadband services. The areas marked AMBER represent the target areas for the proposed State intervention. Members of the public can view whether their premises is in the BLUE or AMBER area by accessing the High Speed Broadband Map and entering their Eircode.
The Intervention Strategy sets out a detailed service specification including a requirement that the State-funded network must be capable of delivering high-quality, high speed broadband of at least 30Mbps download and 6Mbps upload. It must also be capable of catering for higher performance in the future so as to keep pace with consumer demand.
The intention is to build out the network in the AMBER area as quickly as possible. The Department will engage with the winning bidder(s) on the optimum rollout strategy, and on the sequencing of the network deployment to maximise efficiencies during network build, having regard to business and consumer needs, and to areas of particularly poor service and areas of strong demand. All these factors will need to be balanced against the most efficient network rollout and will be agreed during the procurement process.
Engagement with industry stakeholders as part of the pre-procurement consultations has indicated that the rollout in the Amber area could be achieved within 3-5 years of the contract award. In this context, the NBP proposes that through the combination of commercial investment and State intervention, 85% of all premises in Ireland (both commercial and intervention area) will have access to high speed broadband within two years of the contract award, with 100% of premises connected within 5 years.
The Department will have a robust governance procedure in place which ensures that the winning bidder(s) deliver their obligations under the contract to the required standards and within the required timeframes. In addition, the Department continues to monitor the rollout of network deployment plans in the commercial areas to ensure that services are delivered in line with commitments made by operators.
I am confident that through the combination of existing commercial investment and the State intervention, that all our citizens will have the same, if not better, access to high speed broadband services available internationally.
In the mobile telephony market, market operators are currently investing in the rollout of 4G networks. These are providing a substantial level of improvement in performance and capabilities over previous 3G and 2G technologies. These 4G networks use the same technology as the most modern mobile networks providing public access internationally.
]]>On 22 December 2015, I formally launched the procurement process for the State intervention to provide high quality, high speed broadband to all premises in Ireland that may not be served through commercial investment. The formal procurement process commenced with the publication of the Pre-qualification Questionnaire and Project Information Memorandum. Five responses were received from prospective bidders to this stage of the competitive procurement process by the deadline of 31 March. The responses are now being assessed in line with criteria set down by the Department with a view to selecting qualified provider(s) to proceed to the next stage of the procurement. This second stage in the process will be a formal Invitation to Participate in Dialogue (ITPD) to shortlisted bidders.
The High Speed Broadband Map 2020, which is available at shows the extent of the State Intervention area. The areas marked BLUE represent those areas where commercial providers are either currently delivering or have plans to deliver high speed broadband services. The Map shows that 77% of premises in Kildare are in the BLUE area. The remaining 23% of premises in Kildare (20,536 premises), including the townlands of Narraghmore and Calverstown, are in the AMBER area and it is intended that these will be served through the State intervention. Consumers can see whether their individual premises is in the BLUE or AMBER area by entering their Eircode on the Map.
The intention is to build out the network in the AMBER area as quickly as possible. The procurement process is underway and it is proposed to engage with the winning bidder(s) in due course on the optimum rollout strategy, and on the sequencing of the network deployment to maximise efficiencies during network build, having regard to business and consumer needs, and to areas of particularly poor service and areas of strong demand. All these factors will need to be balanced against the most efficient network rollout and will be agreed during the procurement process.
The Department has engaged with a wide range of stakeholders and communities in developing the Intervention Strategy, conducting four formal consultations and over 100 meetings over the last 18 months in particular. Engagement with industry stakeholders as part of the pre-procurement consultations has indicated that the rollout in the Amber area could be achieved within 3-5 years of the contract award. In this context, the NBP proposes that through the combination of commercial investment and State intervention, 85% of all premises in Ireland (both commercial and intervention area) will have access to high speed broadband within two years of the contract award, with 100% of premises connected within 5 years.
]]>On 22 December 2015, I formally launched the procurement process for the State intervention to provide high quality, high speed broadband to all premises in Ireland that may not be served through commercial investment. The formal procurement process commenced with the publication of the Pre-qualification Questionnaire and Project Information Memorandum. Five responses were received from prospective bidders to this stage of the competitive procurement process by the deadline of 31 March. The responses are now being assessed in line with criteria set down by the Department with a view to selecting qualified provider(s) to proceed to the next stage of the procurement.This second stage in the process will be a formal Invitation to Participate in Dialogue (ITPD) to shortlisted bidders.
The High Speed Broadband Map 2020, which is available at shows the extent of the State Intervention area. The areas marked BLUE represent those areas where commercial providers are either currently delivering or have plans to deliver high speed broadband services. The Map shows that 77% of premises in Kildare are in the BLUE area. The remaining 23% of premises in Kildare (20,536 premises), including the townland of Kilmore, are in the AMBER area and it is intended that these will be served through the State intervention. Consumers can see whether their individual premises is in the BLUE or AMBER area by entering their Eircode on the Map.
The intention is to build out the network in the AMBER area as quickly as possible. The procurement process is underway and it is proposed to engage with the winning bidder(s) in due course on the optimum rollout strategy, and on the sequencing of the network deployment to maximise efficiencies during network build, having regard to business and consumer needs, and to areas of particularly poor service and areas of strong demand. All these factors will need to be balanced against the most efficient network rollout and will be agreed during the procurement process.
The Department has engaged with a wide range of stakeholders and communities in developing the Intervention Strategy, conducting four formal consultations and over 100 meetings over the last 18 months in particular. Engagement with industry stakeholders as part of the pre-procurement consultations has indicated that the rollout in the Amber area could be achieved within 3-5 years of the contract award. In this context, the NBP proposes that through the combination of commercial investment and State intervention, 85% of all premises in Ireland (both commercial and intervention area) will have access to high speed broadband within two years of the contract award, with 100% of premises connected within 5 years.
Local communities, and in particular, Local Authorities have an important role to play in facilitating the efficient rollout of infrastructure in their areas. The Department encourages Local Authorities to engage proactively with commercial operators, and the Department has also made several presentations to Local Authorities in relation to the National Broadband Plan., including Kildare County Council.
]]>The Government’s National Broadband Plan (NBP) 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.
The commercial telecommunications sector has invested over €2 billion in network upgrades and enhanced services in the last four years, and is continuing to invest. These very significant investments represent a step change in the quality of broadband services available.
The EU State Aid Guidelines for Broadband require Member States to thoroughly evaluate any commercial plans so as to ensure that State Aid is confined to those areas where commercial investment in high speed broadband services is unlikely to occur in the foreseeable future.
The Department has had extensive engagement with operators to identify those areas where there are concrete plans to roll out high speed broadband on a commercial basis in line with EU Sate Aid Guidelines for broadband. In October 2015 the Department published the process used for assessing commercial high speed broadband investment plans. Plans received from commercial operators are assessed under technical, deployment and financial criteria, in line with the EU State Aid requirements. This resulted in the publication of the High Speed Broadband Map 2020 in December 2015. No additional commercial plans have been submitted since the 2020 map was launched in December 2015.
The Map shows, based on the plans of commercial operators, that there are some 1.6m premises in the BLUE area, representing 70% of the total premises in Ireland. The remaining 30%, which comprise some 757,000 premises are in the AMBER area and are expected to be served by the State Intervention. The Department is monitoring the commercial rollout plans of operators on an ongoing basis to ensure that all of the 1.6m premises will have access to High Speed Broadband of at least 30Mbps.
The Department has also published a process for managing the high speed broadband map which can be accessed at
.
]]>The table below sets out the State Board and the names of the individuals appointed, the date of appointment and indicates those who submitted Expressions of Interest or who were appointed under the revised arrangements. The following three boards had no appointments made to them during the period – the Digital Hub Development Agency (DHDA), Ordnance Survey of Ireland (OSI) and the Mining Board. Responsibility for the OSI was transferred to the Department of Justice and Equality from January this year.
Board | Name of appointee | Date of appointment | Region – Head Office |
---|---|---|---|
An Post | Ms Lorraine Tormey (Elected postmaster member) | 01/01/2016 (reappointed) | Dublin |
*Mr Dermot Divilly (Chairman designate) | 01/12/2015 | Dublin | |
RTE | Mr Padraig O’Ceidigh (on nomination of Joint Oireachtas Committee) | 17/02/2015 | Dublin |
Mr Shane Naughton (on nomination of Joint Oireachtas Committee) | 17/02/2015 | Dublin | |
Ms Fionnuala Sheehan (on nomination of Joint Oireachtas Committee) | 17/02/2015 | Dublin | |
*Ms Margaret Ward (on nomination of Joint Oireachtas Committee) | 17/02/2015 | Dublin | |
Broadcasting Authority of Ireland | Mr Séamus Martin | 17/02/2015 (reappointed) | Dublin |
Professor Maeve McDonagh (on the nomination of Joint Oireachtas Committee) | 17/02/2015 | Dublin | |
*Dr Rosemary Day (on the nomination of Joint Oireachtas Committee) | 17/02/2015 | Dublin | |
*Mr Denis Wolinski (on the nomination of Joint Oireachtas Committee) | 17/02/2015 | Dublin | |
Mr Seán Ó Mórdha (on the nomination of Joint Oireachtas Committee) | 17/02/2015 | Dublin | |
Bord na Móna | Mr Philip Casey (Elected employee member) | 01/01/2015 | Leinster |
Mr Kevin Healy (Elected employee member) | 01/01/2015 | Leinster | |
Mr Seamus Maguire (Elected employee member) | 01/01/2015 | Leinster | |
Mr Colm O’Gogain (Elected employee member) | 01/01/2015 | Leinster | |
Mr Mike Quinn (CEO, ex officio) | 02/01/2015 | Leinster | |
Ervia | Mr Sean Hogan | 20/01/2015 | Dublin |
Mr James Martin | 20/01/2015 (resigned 27/03/2015) | Dublin | |
Ms Celine Fitzgerald | 20/01/2015 | Dublin | |
Mr Peter Cross | 20/01/2015 | Dublin | |
EirGrid | **Mr Gerry Walsh | 22/07/2015 | Dublin |
**Mr Michael Hand | 22/07/2015 | Dublin | |
ESB | Ms Noreen Wright | 19/01/2016 with effect from 28/06/2016 (reappointment) | Dublin |
Mr Dave Byrne (Elected employee member) | 01/01/2015 | Dublin | |
Mr Sean Kelly (Elected employee member) | 01/01/2015 | Dublin | |
Mr Tony Merriman (Elected employee member) | 01/01/2015 | Dublin | |
Mr Peter O’Sullivan (Elected employee member) | 01/01/2015 | Dublin | |
**Ms Ellvena Graham (Chairperson) | 14/07/2015 | Dublin | |
**Mr Andrew Hastings | 14/07/2015 | Dublin | |
Irish National Petroleum Corporation (INPC) | Mr Aidan Donnelly (Chairperson) | 01/08/2015 (reappointed) | Dublin |
Mr Pat Meehan (CEO, ex officio) | 01/08/2015 (reappointed) | Dublin | |
Ms Una Dixon (DCENR Rep) | 01/01/2016 (reappointed for 9 months until 30/09/2016) | Dublin | |
National Oil Reserves Agency (NORA) | Mr Frank O’Flynn | 14/05/2015 | Dublin |
Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) | *Ms Julie O’Neill** (Chairperson) | 01/05/2015 (appointed as Chairperson) | Dublin |
Dr Brian Motherway (CEO, ex offico) | 01/05/2015 (reappointed) | Dublin | |
Mr. Brian Carroll (DCENR rep) | 06/05/2015 (reappointed) | Dublin | |
Ms Anne Connolly | 06/05/2015 (reappointed) | Dublin | |
Mr Pat Gilroy | 06/05/2015 (reappointed) | Dublin | |
**Dr. Peter Brennan | 06/05/2015 | Dublin | |
**Dr. Lisa Ryan | 06/05/2015 | Dublin | |
**Mr Michael Wall | 06/05/2015 | Dublin | |
**Mr Paddy Phelan | 06/05/2015 | Dublin | |
TG4 | Mr Diarmuid Ó Ruiséal (staff representative) | 03/03/2015 | Connacht |
Ms Bríd Falconer (on nomination of Joint Oireachtas Committee) | 31/03/2015 | Connacht | |
Mr Francis C Reidy (on nomination of Joint Oireachtas Committee) | 29/09/2015 | Connacht | |
Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI) | *Mr Fintan Gorman | 01/07/2015 (appointed as chairperson) | Dublin |
*Dr Frances Lucy (on nomination of the Joint Oireachtas Committee) | 24/03/2015 | Dublin | |
Mr Sean Coady | 17/11/2015 (Staff nomination) | Dublin | |
*Mr Patrick Gibbons (on nomination of the Joint Oireachtas Committee) | 13/01/2016 | Dublin | |
Loughs Agency | Mr Alan McCulla | 13/12/2015 (reappointed) | Cross Border |
Mr Andrew Duncan | 13/12/2015 (reappointed) | Cross Border | |
Ms Phil Mahon | 13/12/2015 (reappointed) | Cross Border | |
Mr Michael McCormick | 13/12/2015 (reappointed) | Cross Border | |
Mr Seamus Rodgers | 13/12/2015 (reappointed) | Cross Border | |
Ms Theresa McLaverty | 13/12/2015 (reappointed) | Cross Border | |
Mr Winston Patterson | 13/12/2015 (reappointed) | Cross Border | |
Mr Mick Murphy | 13/12/2015 (reappointed) | Cross Border | |
Mr Laurence Ardbuckle | 13/12/2015 (reappointed) | Cross Border | |
Mr Donal Tipping | 13/12/2015 (reappointed) | Cross Border | |
Mr Joe Miller | 13/12/2015 (reappointed) | Cross Border | |
Mr Terry McWilliams | 13/12/2015 (reappointed) | Cross Border |
** Appointed under revised arrangements set out in November 2014 Guidelines on Appointments to State Boards
]]>Funding of €75m is also committed through the European Regional Development Fund which can be drawn down after Exchequer expenditure is first incurred.
On 22 December 2015, I formally launched a major Government procurement process for the State intervention to deliver a high quality high speed broadband infrastructure to over 750,000 premises in Ireland. The formal procurement process commenced with the publication of the Pre-qualification Questionnaire ('PQQ') and Project Information Memorandum. Five responses were received from prospective bidders to this stage of the competitive procurement process by the deadline of noon, 31 March 2016.
The five responses are now being assessed in line with the criteria set down by the Department with a view to short listed qualified bidders proceeding to the next stage of procurement.
The second stage in the procurement process will be a formal Invitation to Participate in Dialogue (ITPD) to shortlisted bidders. The third stage of the procurement process involves the issue of final tender documentation, which follows the ITPD process. Following the submission of final tenders by bidders, a winning bidder or bidders will be selected for the two lots / one lot as set out in the Intervention Strategy document. The Department will then enter into formal contract negotiations with the winning bidder(s).
The Department will engage with the winning bidder(s) on the optimum rollout strategy, and on the sequencing of the network deployment to maximise efficiencies during network build, having regard to business and consumer needs, and to areas of particularly poor service and areas of strong demand. All these factors will need to be balanced against the most efficient network rollout and will be agreed during the procurement process.
Engagement with industry stakeholders as part of the pre-procurement consultations has indicated that the rollout in the Amber area could be achieved within 3-5 years of the contract award. In this context, the NBP proposes that through the combination of commercial investment and State intervention, 85% of all premises in Ireland (both commercial and intervention area) will have access to high speed broadband within two years of the contract award, with 100% of premises connected within 5 years.
Because a competitive procurement process is currently in train, it would be neither advisable nor appropriate to speculate about the potential overall cost of the NBP at this stage. Ultimately, the outcome of the procurement process will determine the final cost of the intervention and will influence the amount of Exchequer funding that will be required for the NBP.
]]>The second stage in the procurement process will be a formal Invitation to Participate in Dialogue (ITPD) to those bidders who were shortlisted following the PQQ evaluations. It is anticipated that the second stage (ITPD) of the process will commence by the end of Q2 2016.
The third stage of the procurement process involves the issue of final tender documentation, which follows the ITPD process. Following the submission of final tenders by bidders, the Department will select a winning bidder or bidders for the two lots / one lot as set out in the Intervention Strategy document. The Department will then enter into formal contract negotiations with the winning bidder(s).
The technical, economic, legal and procurement aspects of the process are highly complex, and the Exchequer funding is significant. It is also governed by EU State Aid Guidelines and Irish procurement law. It therefore requires careful planning to ensure that the Intervention meets the standards that have been set for the programme. These standards follow very extensive stakeholder consultation and analysis by the Department. The contract will be for a 25 year term and aims to conclusively address broadband deficits in Ireland, and particularly rural Ireland.
The Department will engage with the winning bidder(s) on the optimum rollout strategy, and on the sequencing of the network deployment. The aim is to maximise efficiencies during network build, while also prioritising areas as appropriate. The Department is currently considering how the network deployment could be prioritised across the Intervention Area.
The ambition of the Department is to ensure the rollout of the network happens as quickly as possible. This must of course be balanced against the need for a robust procurement process and an outcome that can deliver effectively for citizens, so as to ensure that every premises in Ireland has access to services, and that no further interventions are required.
]]>On 22 December 2015, I formally launched the procurement process for the State intervention to provide high quality, high speed broadband to all premises in Ireland that may not be served through commercial investment. The formal procurement process commenced with the publication of the Pre-qualification Questionnaire and Project Information Memorandum. Five responses were received from prospective bidders to this stage of the competitive procurement process by the deadline of 31 March. The responses are now being assessed in line with criteria set down by the Department with a view to selecting qualified provider(s) to proceed to the next stage of the procurement. This second stage in process will be a formal Invitation to Participate in Dialogue (ITPD) to shortlisted bidders.
The High Speed Broadband Map 2020, which is available at shows the extent of the State Intervention area. The areas marked BLUE represent those areas where commercial providers are either currently delivering or have plans to deliver high speed broadband services. The areas market AMBER represent the target areas for the State intervention. Consumers can see whether their individual premises is in the BLUE or AMBER area by entering their Eircode on the Map.
The Map shows that there are currently over 750,000 premises in the AMBER area, representing 30% of the total of premises in Ireland. The remaining 70%, which comprise 1.6m premises are in the BLUE area and are expected to be served by commercial operators. The Department is monitoring the commercial rollout plans of operators to ensure that all of the 1.6m premises will have access to High Speed Broadband of at least 30 mbps.
The county breakdown for the National Broadband Plan Intervention is set out in the following table, with the percentage of premises to be covered by the Intervention and through commercial investment also listed.
County Name | Total Number of County Townlands | Number of Premises Covered by National Broadband Plan Intervention | % Premises within the NBP Intervention Area | % Premises within Commercial Operator’s Area |
---|---|---|---|---|
Carlow | 560 | 10,555 | 39% | 61% |
Cavan | 1,979 | 24,197 | 57% | 43% |
Clare | 2,225 | 34,501 | 51% | 49% |
Cork | 5,336 | 85,972 | 32% | 68% |
Donegal | 2,644 | 52,004 | 52% | 48% |
Dublin | 888 | 8,295 | 1% | 99% |
Galway | 4,086 | 62,540 | 47% | 53% |
Kerry | 2,679 | 51,180 | 57% | 43% |
Kildare | 1,210 | 20,536 | 23% | 77% |
Kilkenny | 1,576 | 22,455 | 47% | 53% |
Laois | 1,111 | 16,201 | 42% | 58% |
Leitrim | 1,486 | 13,326 | 60% | 40% |
Limerick | 1,923 | 33,963 | 35% | 65% |
Longford | 886 | 11,691 | 52% | 48% |
Louth | 678 | 15,129 | 25% | 75% |
Mayo | 3,215 | 50,831 | 60% | 40% |
Meath | 1,601 | 31,171 | 38% | 62% |
Monaghan | 1,849 | 19,551 | 58% | 42% |
Offaly | 1,144 | 17,130 | 47% | 53% |
Roscommon | 2,046 | 24,856 | 64% | 36% |
Sligo | 1,269 | 18,605 | 47% | 53% |
Tipperary | 3,167 | 41,207 | 49% | 51% |
Waterford | 1,572 | 17,897 | 29% | 71% |
Westmeath | 1,346 | 17,814 | 40% | 60% |
Wexford | 2,301 | 39,308 | 49% | 51% |
Wicklow | 1,359 | 16,574 | 26% | 74% |
Totals: | 50,136 | 757,489 | 32% | 68% |
On 22 December 2015, I formally launched the procurement process for the State intervention to provide high quality, high speed broadband to all premises in Ireland that may not be served through commercial investment. The formal procurement process commenced with the publication of the Pre-qualification Questionnaire and Project Information Memorandum. Five responses were received from prospective bidders to this stage of the competitive procurement process by the deadline of 31 March. The responses are now being assessed in line with criteria set down by the Department with a view to selecting qualified provider(s) to proceed to the next stage of the procurement. This second stage in the process will be a formal Invitation to Participate in Dialogue (ITPD) to shortlisted bidders.
The High Speed Broadband Map 2020, which is available at shows the extent of the State Intervention area. The areas marked BLUE represent those areas where commercial providers are either currently delivering or have plans to deliver high speed broadband services. The Map shows that 77% of premises in Kildare are in the BLUE area. The remaining 23% of premises in Kildare (20,536 premises) are in the AMBER area and it is intended that these will be served through the State intervention. Consumers can see whether their individual premises is in the BLUE or AMBER area by entering their Eircode on the Map.
The intention is to build out the network in the AMBER area as quickly as possible. The procurement process is underway and it is proposed to engage with the winning bidder(s) in due course on the optimum rollout strategy, and on the sequencing of the network deployment to maximise efficiencies during network build, having regard to business and consumer needs, and to areas of particularly poor service and areas of strong demand. All these factors will need to be balanced against the most efficient network rollout and will be agreed during the procurement process.
The Department has engaged with a wide range of stakeholders and communities in developing the Intervention Strategy, conducting four formal consultations and over 100 meetings over the last 18 months in particular. Engagement with industry stakeholders as part of the pre-procurement consultations has indicated that the rollout in the Amber area could be achieved within 3-5 years of the contract award. In this context, the NBP proposes that through the combination of commercial investment and State intervention, 85% of all premises in Ireland (both commercial and intervention area) will have access to high speed broadband within two years of the contract award, with 100% of premises connected within five years.
Local communities, and in particular, Local Authorities have an important role to play in facilitating the efficient rollout of infrastructure in their areas. The Department encourages Local Authorities to engage proactively with commercial operators, and the Department has also made several presentations to Local Authorities in relation to the National Broadband Plan, including Kildare County Council.
]]>The Government’s National Broadband Plan (NBP) aims to ensure that every citizen and business, regardless of location, has access to a high quality, high speed broadband service. This is being achieved through a combination of commercial investments and a State led intervention in areas where commercial services will not be provided.
The commercial telecommunications sector has invested over €2 billion in network upgrades and enhanced services in the last four years, and is continuing to invest. These very significant investments represent a step change in the quality of broadband services available.
On 22 December 2015, I formally launched the procurement process for the State intervention to provide high quality, high speed broadband to all premises in Ireland that may not be served through commercial investment. The formal procurement process commenced with the publication of the Pre-qualification Questionnaire and Project Information Memorandum. Five responses were received from prospective bidders to this stage of the competitive procurement process by the deadline of 31 March. The responses are now being assessed in line with criteria set down by the Department with a view to selecting qualified provider(s) to proceed to the next stage of the procurement. This second stage in the process will be a formal Invitation to Participate in Dialogue (ITPD) to shortlisted bidders.
The High Speed Broadband Map 2020, which is available at shows the extent of the State Intervention area. The areas marked BLUE represent those areas where commercial providers are either currently delivering or have plans to deliver high speed broadband services. The area of Butlersbridge and Belturbet, Co. Cavan are in a BLUE area. Based on information provided by commercial operators, which may be subject to change, the roll out of high speed broadband services is planned for Butlersbridge in June 2016, and there are services already available in Belturbet town and from the Shercock exchange, with further upgrades expected in the next 3-6 months.The areas marked AMBER represent the target areas for the State Intervention. The Killinkere area is in the AMBER area and will be covered by the State Intervention. Consumers can see whether their individual premises is in the BLUE or AMBER area by entering their Eircode on the Map.
The County statistics for both Cavan and Monaghan are set out in the following table, which shows the percentage of premises that are expected to be covered by commercial investments, and the percentage that will be covered by the State Intervention.
County | Name | Townland | Premises currently expected to be covered by State intervention under NBP | Existing and Planned commercial High Speed Broadband |
---|---|---|---|---|
Cavan | County | 1,979 townlands | 24,197 premises to be covered by NBP - 39% | 61% |
Monaghan | County | 1,849 townlands | 19,551 premises to be covered by NBP - 58% | 42% |
The intention is to build out the network in the AMBER area as quickly as possible. The procurement process is underway and it is proposed to engage with the winning bidder(s) in due course on the optimum rollout strategy, and on the sequencing of the network deployment to maximise efficiencies during network build, having regard to business and consumer needs, and to areas of particularly poor service and areas of strong demand. All these factors will need to be balanced against the most efficient network rollout and will be agreed during the procurement process.
Engagement with industry stakeholders as part of the pre-procurement consultations has indicated that the rollout in the Amber area could be achieved within 3-5 years of the contract award. In this context, the NBP proposes that through the combination of commercial investment and State intervention, 85% of all premises in Ireland (both commercial and intervention area) will have access to high speed broadband within two years of the contract award, with 100% of premises connected within 5 years.
I welcome recent initiatives by Cavan County Council in particular to work with the Department and with telecommunications operators to facilitate the upgrade of services in the area. Local Authorities will continue to play a key role in the efficient rollout of infrastructure in their areas.
]]>On 22 December 2015, I formally launched the procurement process for the State intervention to provide high quality, high speed broadband to all premises in Ireland that may not be served through commercial investment. The formal procurement process commenced with the publication of the Pre-qualification Questionnaire and Project Information Memorandum. Five responses were received from prospective bidders to this stage of the competitive procurement process by the deadline of 31 March. The responses are now being assessed in line with criteria set down by the Department with a view to selecting qualified provider(s) to proceed to the next stage of the procurement. This second stage in the process will be a formal Invitation to Participate in Dialogue (ITPD) to shortlisted bidders.
The High Speed Broadband Map 2020, which is available at shows the extent of the State Intervention area. The areas marked BLUE represent those areas where commercial providers are either currently delivering or have plans to deliver high speed broadband services. Both areas referred to by the Deputy are BLUE areas. Based on information provided by commercial operators, which may be subject to change, services for Faughart, Mountpleasant, Dundalk are planned to be available within 6 to 12 months. and high speed broadband services are available in Hackballscross since January 2016. The areas marked AMBER represent the target areas for the proposed State intervention. Consumers can see whether their individual premises is in the BLUE or AMBER area by entering their Eircode on the Map.
The intention is to build out the network in the AMBER area as quickly as possible. The procurement process is underway and it is proposed to engage with the winning bidder(s) in due course on the optimum rollout strategy, and on the sequencing of the network deployment to maximise efficiencies during network build, having regard to business and consumer needs, and to areas of particularly poor service and areas of strong demand. All these factors will need to be balanced against the most efficient network rollout and will be agreed during the procurement process.
Engagement with industry stakeholders as part of the pre-procurement consultations has indicated that the rollout in the Amber area could be achieved within 3-5 years of the contract award. In this context, the NBP proposes that through the combination of commercial investment and State intervention, 85% of all premises in Ireland (both commercial and intervention area) will have access to high speed broadband within two years of the contract award, with 100% of premises connected within 5 years.
]]>The issue as it relates to bodies operating under the aegis of my Department is an operational matter for those bodies and one in which I have no function.
]]>In procuring any services, my Department always seeks to ensure value for money and to keep expenditure to the minimum necessary.
The information sought by the Deputy regarding the agencies under the aegis of my Department is an operational matter for each Agency. I will request the relevant bodies to reply directly to the Deputy with the information requested in respect of their organisation.
Statutory Instruments (S.I.) Signed |
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S.I. No. 115 of 2016 Control of Fishing for Salmon Order 2016. This S.I. authorises the issuing of commercial fishing licences by Inland Fisheries Ireland and prescribes the maximum number of commercial licences which may be issued. |
S.I. No. 109 of 2016 Petroleum (Exploration and Extraction) Safety Act, 2015 (Commencement) Order 2016.This S.I. commences the provisions of the Petroleum (Exploration and Extraction) Safety Act, 2015 which transposes Directive 2013/30/EU on safety of offshore oil and gas operations. |
Requests for Tenders (RFT) issued / Tenders Awarded / Contracts Entered into |
RFT issued on 18 March 2016 for the Provision of Consultancy services for an economic analysis of the Renewable Heat Incentive for Ireland. Closing date 15 April 2016. |
RFT issued on 16 March 2016 for the supply of specialist personnel to support the National Broadband Plan. Closing date 29 April 2016. |
RFT issued on 16 March 2016 for the Provision of Process Auditor Services in relation to the Procurement Process for the State-led intervention under the National Broadband Plan. Closing date 7 April 2016. |
Project Brief issued on 29 March 2016 for Insurance Advice required by the Department for the National Broadband Plan. Closing date 19 April 2016. |
Supplementary RFT issued on 30 March 2016 for the provision of Tax and VAT Advisory Services in relation to the National Broadband Plan procurement process. Closing date 19 April 2016. |
RFT issued on 25 March 2016 for Provision of LIDAR Data Acquisition and Pre-processing for GSI/Coillte work Programmes. Closing date is 9 May 2016. |
RFT issued on 8 March 2016 for Marine Survey Ship Hydrographic Mapping Services. Closing date is 18 April 2016. |
RFT issued for the Provision of Statutory Environmental Assessments for Geophysical and Offshore Drilling Operations. Contract entered into with Bec Consultants Ltd. |
Contract awarded to David Fox Associates Limited for Petroleum Engineering Support. |
RFT issued for Consultancy Services to monitor compliance of consent conditions for the operation of the Corrib gas pipeline. Closed recently and currently under evaluation. |
Mini call for Skippers and survey boat crew under an RFT issued in March 2014 Personnel Framework Agreement. Closed and call down list created on 9 March 2016. |
RFT issued on 5 February 2016 for Provision of Bulk Mail Services for Tellus. Contract was awarded to An Post. |
RFT issued on 19 January 2016 for ICT Technical Architect. No contract awarded. |
RFT issued on 15 February 2016 for Microsoft Visio Professional 2016. Contract awarded to Micromail. |
RFT issued on 11 March 2016 for Citrix NetScaler. Contract awarded to Datapac. |
RFT issued on 7 March 2016 for Microsoft licenses. Contract awarded to Micromail. |
RFT issued on 1 March 2016 for Security Certificates. Contract awarded to GeoTrust. |
RFT issued on 22 March 2016 for Sharepoint Administrator and C#.net Developer and this is currently being evaluated. |
A tender for the provision of Expert Services for Mine Inspections & Environmental Advice was awarded following a public procurement competition. The contract in relation to this tender has not yet been entered into. |
RFT issued and contract entered into with Norcontel for the provision of certain financial advice relating to the Metropolitan Area Networks (MANs). |
Contract awarded to Aurum Exploration Ltd for provision of a Bedrock Geologist for Land Mapping Unit. |
Contract awarded to Aurum Exploration Ltd for provision of Digital Mapping support for Land Mapping Unit. |
Contract entered into with the Commissioners of Public Works for the hosting of the National Energy Forum at Dublin Castle (Printworks) on 19 July 2016. |
Contract entered into with Ernst & Young for the provision of Head of Internal Audit Unit services. |
Contract entered into with Glenpatrick Water for Water Cooler Servicing. |
Contract entered into with Neopost for Franking Machine Servicing. |
Contract entered into with Mr Philip O’Reilly to provide certain Project Management Support Services relating to the postcodes project. |
Contract entered into with Clever Cat Design for the design and printing of the recently published Strategy to Combat Energy Poverty. |
Contract entered into with Europus for Irish translation of Strategy to Combat Energy Poverty document. |
Name of Board | Name of Member | Date of Appointment | Type of Appointment |
---|---|---|---|
An Post | Lorraine Tormey | 01/01/2016 | Re-appointment as Elected Postmaster Member |
ESB | Noreen Wright | 19/01/2016 with effect from 28/06/2016 | Re-appointment as Member |
Irish National Petroleum Corporation (INPC) | Úna Dixon | 01/01/2016 | Re-appointment as Departmental representative |
Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI) | Patrick Gibbons | 13/01/2016 | Appointment on the nomination of the Joint Oireachtas Committee |
There are no plans to take the Whitegate refinery into public ownership. However, the Government has acknowledged that the continued operation of the Whitegate refinery on a commercial basis is highly desirable from an energy security and economic perspective. Security of supply remains an important tenet of our energy policy.
]]>The commercial telecommunications sector has invested over €2 billion in network upgrades and enhanced services in the last four years, and is continuing to invest. These very significant investments represent a step change in the quality of broadband services available.
On 22 December 2015, I formally launched the procurement process for the State intervention to provide high quality, high speed broadband to all premises in Ireland that may not be served through commercial investment. The formal procurement process commenced with the publication of the Pre-qualification Questionnaire and Project Information Memorandum. Five responses were received from prospective bidders to this stage of the competitive procurement process by the deadline of 31 March. The responses are now being assessed in line with criteria set down by the Department with a view to selecting qualified provider(s) to proceed to the next stage of the procurement. This second stage in the process will be a formal Invitation to Participate in Dialogue (ITPD) to shortlisted bidders.
The High Speed Broadband Map 2020, which is available at shows the extent of the State Intervention area. The areas marked BLUE represent those areas where commercial providers are either currently delivering or have plans to deliver high speed broadband services. Ashmount, Silversprings, County Cork is in a BLUE area. Based on information provided by commercial operators, which may be subject to change, commercial roll-out of high speed broadband infrastructure is planned for this area in Q3 2016. The areas marked AMBER represent the target areas for the proposed State intervention. Consumers can see whether their individual premises is in the BLUE or AMBER area by entering their Eircode on the Map.
The intention is to build out the network in the AMBER area as quickly as possible. The procurement process is underway and it is proposed to engage with the winning bidder(s) in due course on the optimum rollout strategy, and on the sequencing of the network deployment to maximise efficiencies during network build, having regard to business and consumer needs, and to areas of particularly poor service and areas of strong demand. All these factors will need to be balanced against the most efficient network rollout and will be agreed during the procurement process.
Engagement with industry stakeholders as part of the pre-procurement consultations has indicated that the rollout in the Amber area could be achieved within 3-5 years of the contract award. In this context, the NBP proposes that through the combination of commercial investment and State intervention, 85% of all premises in Ireland (both commercial and intervention area) will have access to high speed broadband within two years of the contract award, with 100% of premises connected within 5 years.
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