Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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Question 593: To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if his attention has been drawn to the fact that persons residing in County Wexford are unable to obtain a broadband service which will support a virtual private network or a voice over internet protocol; the time-frame for roll-out of a comprehensive broadband service for County Wexford; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18451/07]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin South, Green Party)
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The provision of telecommunications services, including broadband, is a matter for the companies operating in a fully liberalised market, regulated, where appropriate, by the independent Commission for Communications Regulation, ComReg. The role of the Government is to implement regulatory and infrastructure policies to facilitate the provision of high quality telecommunications services, by competing private sector service providers.

It continues to be a priority of the Government that there will be broadband coverage across the entire country. In that regard my Department has undertaken initiatives to address the gaps in broadband coverage. These include providing grant-aid under the recently concluded Group Broadband Scheme and investment in Metropolitan Area Networks (MANs) in over 120 towns and cities under the Regional Broadband Programme. Twenty-seven MANs have been completed under the first phase and are currently being managed by ENet, the Managed Services Entity. Wexford town received a 22 km MAN under the first phase of towns and cities to receive broadband infrastructure.

Despite Government investment in broadband in the regions through the Regional Broadband Programme, there are still some parts of the country where the private sector will be unable to justify the commercial provision of broadband connectivity. The procurement process for the Government's new National Broadband Scheme (NBS) was launched on 2 May 2007. This scheme will provide broadband services to the areas of Ireland that are currently unserved and ensure that every reasonable request for broadband in these unserved areas is met. The estimated timescale for the award of the NBS contract is December 2007, with rollout of the services due to begin as soon as possible thereafter, subject to agreement with the chosen Service Provider.