Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 10: To ask the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources if he is satisfied with broadband availability throughout the country, with particular reference to the potential for meeting targets identified by him for 2005 and 2006, in view of the fact that the other European countries have a much more accelerated programme in respect of broadband provision; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19989/05]

Dan Neville (Limerick West, Fine Gael)
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Question 15: To ask the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources when he expects 100% broadband or other high speed telecommunications technology to be available throughout the country; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20045/05]

Seán Crowe (Dublin South West, Sinn Fein)
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Question 48: To ask the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources the way in which he reconciles his Department's commitment to promote the provision and development of competitive high quality and world class services in the communications sectors with the recent EU Commission report on broadband access, which ranks Ireland 19th out of 25 EU states for broadband penetration; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19967/05]

Seán Ryan (Dublin North, Labour)
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Question 51: To ask the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources the numbers of Irish businesses and households which had broadband connection on 1 January 2005 and 31 May 2005 or as close as possible to that date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19936/05]

Damien English (Meath, Fine Gael)
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Question 70: To ask the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources the reason broadband availability here is not keeping pace with similar developments in other jurisdictions in Europe; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20062/05]

Seán Ryan (Dublin North, Labour)
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Question 75: To ask the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources if he is disappointed to learn that Ireland has been passed out in broadband provision by most of the EU and that a wide range of countries in Asia, Africa and the Middle East have embarked on more ambitious roll-outs than Ireland in view of his repeated challenges to broadband providers, most recently at the National Broadband Conference in Galway, and his stated intention to intervene if necessary in the market on an operator neutral basis to promote competition and choice for consumers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19941/05]

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 172: To ask the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources if he is satisfied with broadband availability throughout the country, with particular reference to the potential for meeting targets identified by him for 2005 and 2006, in view of the fact that other European countries have a much more accelerated programme in respect of broadband provision; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20299/05]

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 213: To ask the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources when he expects 100% broadband or other high speed telecommunications technology to be available throughout the country; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20344/05]

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 218: To ask the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources the reason broadband availability here is not keeping pace with similar developments in other jurisdictions throughout Europe; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20351/05]

Noel Dempsey (Meath, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 10, 15, 48, 51, 70, 75, 172, 213 and 218 together.

The latest available broadband figures from Eurostat relate to 2004, and are now almost six months old. They show, however, that Ireland is placed 20th of 26 countries in respect of broadband connections for all enterprises. The figure in respect of large enterprises is 79%, placing Ireland in 16th place. Eurostat also reports that 92% of all Irish enterprises have access to the Internet, which is 9th in the table, while for large enterprises the figure for Internet access is 100%.

The level of Internet access for households is 40%, or 11th place in the table, and about 25% of these have a broadband connection. The number of broadband customers in Ireland is increasing rapidly, and is now over 160,000, which represents an increase of more than 400% over the January 2004 figure.

The provision of telecommunications, including broadband, is a matter in the first instance for the private sector companies operating in a fully liberalised market regulated by the independent Commission for Communications Regulation, ComReg. ComReg's register of authorised undertakings currently lists no less than 169 companies offering Internet access services in Ireland with a wide variety of service levels.

My Department's website, www.broadband.gov.ie, gives prices, service levels and contact details for each service provider offering a wide range of broadband products from 0.256 megabits per second to 56 megabits per second, using a range of delivery platforms such as DSL, fibre, fixed wireless, leased lines, cable and satellite. There are broadband technologies currently that can deliver broadband to any customer in Ireland.

The rate of broadband uptake is dependent on a combination of factors. These include access by the private sector service providers to suitable infrastructure, as well as competition between broadband service providers and demand conditions for broadband in the economy.

The Government is addressing the infrastructure deficit by building high-speed open access metropolitan area networks, MANs, in 120 towns and cities nationwide in association with the local and regional authorities, and offers funding assistance for smaller towns and rural communities to become self-sufficient in broadband through the county and group broadband scheme, which has already attracted 129 proposals covering over 500 communities.

The provision of broadband to all primary and post-primary schools in the country has now begun, and will be completed by the end of this year.

Full details of the regional broadband programme can be found on my Department's website, www.dcmnr.gov.ie.

The Government's broadband target is to be within the top half of EU countries by the end of 2007. I have set the industry a target of 500,000 broadband customers by the end of 2006, and I am confident that this can be achieved.