Paul Connaughton Snr (Galway East, Fine Gael)
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Question 90: To ask the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources the public and private or corporate investment in the Digital Hub to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26543/06]

Noel Dempsey (Meath, Fianna Fail)
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Exchequer expenditure at the Digital Hub since 2000 is approximately €127 million to date. This includes approximately €76 million investment in property and infrastructure as well as approximately €51 million in operational costs.

The Digital Hub has been and will continue to be successfully developed as a digital industry cluster, as well as a regeneration of an historic community area in the heart of Dublin.

In October 2005, the Agency announced a competition to develop land in the Digital Hub. This land is to be developed as a mixture of residential, commercial and retail properties, in addition to public spaces. Private developers competed on the basis of bids of cash plus office space.

In November 2005, I announced the acceptance of tenders for two sites, with a combined area of almost 5.6 acres for approximately €118 million. In return for the land, the State will receive a combination of €72.4 million in cash and €45.7 million in high quality offices, which will accommodate digital enterprises as the Digital Hub grows. The break down of the tenders means that the Digital Hub will receive over 13,000 square metres (140,000 sq.ft.) of office space.

In relation to industry development in the cluster, about 50 companies, employing approximately 500 employees, are located in the Hub. These enterprises are involved in a range of activities including games software development, mobile technology, animation and TV production. As private companies, it would not be appropriate for the Minister to seek or publicise their investments in the Digital Hub.

Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 92: To ask the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources if his attention has been drawn to the frustration of the business sector in their efforts to obtain broadband services at various locations throughout the country; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26553/06]

Pádraic McCormack (Galway West, Fine Gael)
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Question 118: To ask the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources if his attention has been drawn to the numerous requests for provision of broadband from the domestic and the corporate market; his proposals to ensure the delivery of such services in the near future; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26586/06]

Noel Dempsey (Meath, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 92 and 118 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 independent Commission for Communications Regulation, ComReg. Part of the difficulty lies in the slow pace of Local Loop Unbundling (LLU). Promotion and regulation of Local Loop unbundling is the responsibility of ComReg under the Communications Regulation Act of 2002 and the transposed EU regulatory framework for Electronic Communications Networks and Services. ComReg has been in ongoing discussions with the industry on progressing LLU in recent months.

A principal reason for the slow roll-out of broadband services generally has been the lack of investment by the private sector in the necessary infrastructure to deliver broadband to all areas. The Government in partnership with the Local Authorities is addressing the broadband infrastructure deficit in the regions by building high-speed, open-access Metropolitan Area Networks (MANs) in 120 towns and cities nationwide. Phase One of this Programme has delivered fibre optic networks to 27 towns and cities throughout the country.

When designing the networks, the Local Authorities, in co-operation with the IDA, Enterprise Ireland and other relevant development agencies, take account of existing and proposed business parks and areas zoned for industrial development. The route of each MAN incorporates all these elements where economically and technically feasible. These networks are offering these towns opportunities to attract inward investment in advanced technology and knowledge based enterprises.

This Programme has been extended to over 90 towns in various locations nationwide. It is expected that these MANs will be completed during 2006 and 2007. These networks will contribute to balanced regional development and allow the private sector to offer world-class broadband services at competitive costs.

The creation of such open-access infrastructure is seen as an essential enabler of development, and is already offering opportunities for businesses both large and small to become and remain competitive through ICT. There are currently 14 service providers using the MANs, including Smart, Vodafone, Magnet, which have enabled broadband connectivity to thousands of end users.

My Department also offers funding assistance for smaller towns and rural communities through the County and Group Broadband Scheme. The scheme is technology-neutral, allowing the community to select the most suitable broadband delivery platform for the area. To date, over 150 projects have been approved for funding under this Programme.

My Department's website www.broadband.gov.ie gives full details of broadband availability in all areas, including ADSL, cable, fibre, satellite and fixed wireless. The website also lists prices of the various service levels on offer and contact details for each service provider.

Broadband subscriber numbers have increased hugely in the last year. The latest ComReg quarterly report states there are 322,500 broadband subscribers as of end-March 2006, which represents a year-on-year increase of 112%. This is equivalent to 8% of the population or 22% of households. While DSL dominates the Irish broadband market (74% market share), Fixed Wireless Access and Cable show continued high growth. ComReg have estimated that there are over 350,000 subscribers as of end-June 2006.