Trevor Sargent (Dublin North, Green Party)
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Question 149: To ask the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources the new metropolitan networks due to be constructed in 2006 and in 2007; and the contracted cost for the construction of each such local network. [38788/06]

Noel Dempsey (Meath, Fianna Fail)
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Details of the 90 Metropolitan Area Networks (MANs) to be constructed during 2006 and 2007 and contracted costs for the 26 MANs currently under construction are as follows.

Tommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Labour)
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Question 151: To ask the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources if he will report on the regular meetings that his Department is conducting with the broadband service providers; when he will bring proposals to Government on achieving 100% broadband enablement of the State; if he is considering including an upgrading of all telephone exchanges and fixing the problem of shared lines within these proposals; if the cost of this proposal may be up to €200 million; if such investment would ensure that the State receives a stake in the critical communications network; if he plans a tendering process along the lines of the contract that was awarded to BT in Northern Ireland; the role he envisages for e-net and the MANs in this proposal; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38853/06]

Noel Dempsey (Meath, Fianna Fail)
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I meet with industry and interested parties on a regular basis in pursuit of my objective to facilitate the widespread availability of competitively priced broadband in Ireland.

The provision of telecommunications services, including broadband, is a matter in the first instance for private sector companies operating in a fully liberalised market, regulated by the independent Commission for Communications Regulation, ComReg.

The role of Government is to implement regulatory and infrastructure policies to facilitate the provision of affordable, high quality telecommunications services, by competing private sector service providers.

However, it has been clear for some time that the private sector has failed to invest at the level necessary to keep pace with the demand for broadband. Direct funding has already been provided under the NDP 2000-2006 for the provision of backbone infrastructure and to upgrade local access infrastructure. 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) allow the private sector to offer world-class broadband services at competitive costs. The networks also offer towns opportunities to attract inward investment in advanced technology and knowledge based enterprises.

The Department also offered funding assistance for smaller towns and rural communities through the Group Broadband Scheme. The scheme is technology-neutral, allowing the community to select the most suitable broadband delivery platform for the area.

Despite private and public investment in broadband infrastructure there are still some parts of the country where the private sector will be unable to justify the commercial provision of broadband connectivity. Options to address these gaps in broadband coverage are currently being considered by a Steering Group comprising officials from my Department and representatives from Comreg. I expect to finalise proposals shortly.