Ned O'Keeffe (Cork East, Fianna Fail)
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Question 129: To ask the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources when broadband will be introduced to Glenville, County Cork. [17508/05]

Noel Dempsey (Meath, Fianna Fail)
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The provision of telecommunications services, including broadband, is a matter in the first instance for the private sector companies operating in a fully liberalised market, regulated by the Commission for Communications Regulation, the independent regulator.

It has been clear for some time that the sector has failed to invest at the level necessary to keep pace with the demand for broadband, so my Department's regional broadband programme is addressing the infrastructure deficit by building high speed fibre based broadband networks, in association with the local and regional authorities, in the major towns and cities. These metropolitan area networks are open access fibre based trunk networks that allow the private sector to offer world class broadband services at competitive costs.

My Department's regional broadband programme is addressing the infrastructure deficit by building metropolitan area networks in all the regional towns of 1,500 population and above that do not have a satisfactory broadband service. For rural communities and smaller towns, such as Glenville, my Department offers funding under the county and group broadband scheme to enable these communities to become self sufficient in broadband, in association with the service providers. Full details of the scheme, including application procedures, are on the website www.gbs.gov.ie , and although the most recent call for proposals has closed, applications are still being accepted by my Department.

The regional co-ordinator for the county and group broadband scheme is Mr. Billy Sheehan, who may be contacted at the South West Regional Authority's offices at Inishmore, Ballincollig, telephone 021 487 6877.