Jack Wall (Kildare South, Labour)
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Question 875: To ask the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources the position regarding the roll-out of broadband for all the remaining areas of Kildare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29385/06]

Emmet Stagg (Kildare North, Labour)
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Question 885: To ask the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources in view of the significant investment by the State in enabling the roll-out of broadband to towns in County Kildare at a cost of €13 million, the assurances he has received from Eircom in relation to the upgrading of local exchanges. [29973/06]

Noel Dempsey (Meath, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 875 and 885 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. The upgrading of telephone exchanges for the provision of broadband is an operational matter for Eircom, and I do not have any function in the matter. However, 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. 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. The Metropolitan Area Networks (MANs) will allow the private sector to offer world-class broadband services at competitive costs. Twenty-seven MANs have been completed under the first phase and are currently being managed by ENet, the Management Services Entity. The second phase extends the programme to over 90 towns with a population of 1,500 and above that do not have a satisfactory broadband offering from the sector. Kildare is developing eight MANs in respect of the following towns: Kildare, Newbridge, Rathangan, Sallins, Maynooth, Clane, Monasterevin, and Kilcock. The network routes are currently being developed prior to issuing the invitation to tender for detailed design. Construction of these projects is expected to commence in May 2007.

For rural communities and the hinterlands of larger towns, my Department offers funding under the county and group broadband scheme to enable them to become self-sufficient in broadband, in association with service providers. In Kildare, almost €88,000 in grant aid has been approved under the scheme to bring broadband to over 60 communities with a combined population of over 17,000. A joint industry/Government fund of €18 million has been established for the Broadband for Schools Programme to resource the provision of high speed broadband connectivity to all primary and post primary schools in the country by end Autumn 2006, at no cost to the schools themselves. 94% of schools have broadband installed to date; the aim is to complete the outstanding schools in the coming weeks. Despite these successes there are some parts of the country where the private sector will be unable to justify the commercial provision of broadband connectivity. I am examining options to address the delivery of broadband services to these areas and I hope to be in a position to bring proposals to Government shortly.