Jack Wall (Kildare South, Labour)
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Question 355: To ask the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources the number of towns in Kildare serviced with broadband; the cost to the Exchequer in regard to each serviced area; his plans with the service companies to accept further applications in Kildare; the position regarding such applications to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10073/06]

Jack Wall (Kildare South, Labour)
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Question 356: To ask the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources the mechanism used by his Department in determining areas, towns and villages to be serviced by broadband; the number of applications with his Department seeking such a service; the number in Kildare seeking such a service; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10074/06]

Jack Wall (Kildare South, Labour)
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Question 357: To ask the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources the contact his Department has had with Kildare County Council and Athy Town Council in regard to the position of broadband in the south Kildare area and Athy Town Council area; the results of such contacts; the reasons that, as of yet, broadband has not been supplied to the areas; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10075/06]

Jack Wall (Kildare South, Labour)
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Question 358: To ask the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources the mechanism used by his Department in regard to the constitution of the regional maps for the determination of areas for broadband; the reason that towns such as Newbridge and Naas in Kildare were included on the map and Athy was not; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10076/06]

Jack Wall (Kildare South, Labour)
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Question 362: To ask the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources the reason the Athy Town Council area has not been included on his Department's regional broadband map; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10132/06]

Jack Wall (Kildare South, Labour)
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Question 367: To ask the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources the reason his Department did not include Athy and Kilcullen on the listing and maps as having an Eircom DSL site; and if same is due to the fact that Athy has RAPID status and needs assistance to permit the town to compete for investment in support of employment creation. [10337/06]

Jack Wall (Kildare South, Labour)
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Question 368: To ask the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources the basis on which his Department decided that Athy, County Kildare, has sufficient broadband infrastructure to warrant omission from the broadband action plan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10338/06]

Jack Wall (Kildare South, Labour)
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Question 369: To ask the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources the reason for Athy's unique status in Kildare that warrants the town's omission from the broadband action plans and regional broadband programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10339/06]

Noel Dempsey (Meath, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 355 to 358, inclusive, 362 and 367 to 369, inclusive, together.

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, ComReg, 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 open access broadband networks, in association with the local and regional authorities, in the major towns and cities. These metropolitan area networks, MANs, will allow the private sector to offer world class broadband services at competitive costs.

In planning the next phase of the MANs programme, a review of the availability of DSL broadband in the regions showed more than 90 towns with a population of 1,500 and above that were not being offered a broadband option by the private sector, and these towns have been targeted for the provision of MANs under phase 2.

A number of regional towns, including Athy, already had DSL broadband on offer from the service providers, so priority was given to the provision of essential broadband infrastructure in those towns where none existed.

Twenty-seven MANs have been completed under phase one and are being managed by ENet, the management services entity. The second phase of the programme involves the building of MANs in more than 90 towns with a population of 1,500 and above that do not have a satisfactory broadband offering from the sector. Kildare is developing nine projects in respect of the following towns: Kildare, Newbridge, Rathangan, Sallins, Maynooth, Clane, Monasterevin, Kilcock and Prosperous. The network routes are being finalised prior to issuing the invitation to tender for detailed design. Construction on these projects is expected to commence in 2006. Athy is not part of the current roll-out but may be included in further phases subject to the necessary approvals and Exchequer funding being made available. Kildare County Council has submitted a strong case for a MAN to be built in Athy and this is being kept under review.

For rural communities and the hinterlands of larger towns 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. To date 12 schemes have been approved across Kildare county representing total capital investment of €396,750, making broadband available to 68 communities and 17,790 people. Full details of the scheme, including application procedures, are on the website www.gbs.gov.ie.

My Department's website, www.broadband.gov.ie, lists all service providers offering broadband services in all towns in Kildare and gives contact details for each company, together with prices for the various service levels on offer.