Tommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Labour)
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Question 573: To ask the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources the position regarding the operations of the MANs infrastructure indicating the volumes of traffic and earnings on the network so far; if he will report on the MANs link at Gweedore, County Donegal and Kiltimagh, County Mayo. [25452/05]

Noel Dempsey (Meath, Fianna Fail)
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e-Net is the independent entity charged with managing, maintaining and operating the MANs on behalf of the State. e-Net was granted the 15 year contract in June 2004 further to a competitive public tender process. The company is based in Limerick. Information regarding traffic volumes and earnings on the networks are of a commercial nature and are a matter for e-Net. Similarly, any operational issues relating to particular MANs are the responsibility of e-Net.

Tommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Labour)
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Question 574: To ask the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources the position regarding the Government's current target for broadband take-up in 2005, 2006 and 2007; if, and the way in which the Government's broadband targets were downgraded for 2005 and 2006. [25453/05]

Noel Dempsey (Meath, Fianna Fail)
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In late 2004, I set a Government target of 400,000 broadband subscribers to be achieved by end-2006. Subsequently, broadband subscriber numbers have grown by 73%, in the nine months since I set that target, to reach almost 174,000 by the end of July 2005.

No downgrade of broadband targets has taken place. The target set in late 2004 represents a significant, but achievable challenge, which requires the broadband service providers in Ireland to quadruple their number of customers from a base of 100,000 customers when I set the target.