Liz McManus (Wicklow, Labour)
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Question 1425: To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if he will provide a detailed map showing the availability of broadband here; if he will highlight the types of broadband available; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36040/07]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin South, Green Party)
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The provision of telecommunications services, including broadband, is a matter for the private sector. Broadband service providers operate in a fully liberalised market, regulated, where appropriate, by the independent Commission for Communications Regulation, ComReg.

Details of broadband services available throughout the country are available on my Department's Broadband website www.broadband.gov.ie which shows DSL and Wireless broadband coverage available in any area.

In addition, as part of the Procurement Process for the National Broadband Scheme (NBS), a complex mapping exercise was undertaken to identify all areas where broadband services are and are not available. This map is available on my Department's main website www.dcenr.ie.

Joe McHugh (Donegal North East, Fine Gael)
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Question 1426: To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if he will expedite the upgrade of broadband infrastructure in County Donegal, in view of the fact that hundreds of households and businesses can not access broadband facilities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36049/07]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin South, Green Party)
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The provision of telecommunications services, including broadband, is a matter for the private sector. Broadband service providers operate in a fully liberalised market, regulated, where appropriate, by the independent Commission for Communications Regulation, ComReg.

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

The widespread provision of broadband services continues to be a priority for the Government. 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).

To date, under the MANs Programme, Donegal has received a total of nine MANs. The following towns can now offer high speed, open access fibre optic networks: Letterkenny, Gweedore, Ballyshannon, Buncranna, Bundoran, Cardonagh, Donegal Town, Ballybofey and Stranorlar.

Under the Group Broadband Scheme, grant aid was paid for the provision of broadband in North Central Donegal and around the areas of Ardara, Raphoe, Manorcunningham and Newtowncunningham.

There are still some parts of the country where the private sector will be unable to justify the commercial provision of broadband services. Accordingly, the procurement process for a National Broadband Scheme (NBS) is under way. The NBS will provide broadband services to areas that are currently unserved and will ensure that all reasonable requests for broadband in unserved areas, including unserved areas in Donegal, are met.

The first phase of the procurement process (Pre-Qualification Questionnaire (PQQ)) is now complete, and four candidates pre-qualified to enter the next phase of the procurement process. As my Department indicated on 2 September 2007, the four candidates were, in alphabetical order, BT Communications Ireland Ltd Consortium, Eircom Ltd, Hutchinson 3G Ireland Ltd and IFA/Motorola Consortium.

Following the withdrawal of the IFA/Motorola Consortium as a candidate the remaining three candidates have now commenced "Competitive Dialogue" with the Department and are developing their proposed solutions to meet the Department's requirements for the delivery of broadband to the unserved areas of the country. It is anticipated that a preferred bidder will be selected and appointed in June 2008.