James Bannon (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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Question 1440: To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources when broadband will be rolled out in Lisryan village on the outskirts of Granard, County Longford; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1267/08]

Seán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour)
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Question 1442: To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the timeframe for roll-out of the national broadband scheme; if it will take on the responsibilities previously adopted by the group broadband scheme, as administered by the South West Regional Authority; if it will ensure 100% penetration of broadband to a number of rural Cork east areas (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1304/08]

Billy Timmins (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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Question 1444: To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the position in relation to broadband for Shillelagh, County Wicklow; if same will be rolled out as a matter of urgency; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1328/08]

Frank Feighan (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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Question 1466: To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources when he envisages the provision of broadband to cover all of County Leitrim as it is of particular importance to rural areas to facilitate business and other interests; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2559/08]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin South, Green Party)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 1440, 1442, 1444 and 1466 together.

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). 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 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.

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.

Willie Penrose (Longford-Westmeath, Labour)
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Question 1441: To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if, in the context of the Government's new national broadband scheme, a service provider has been put in place as a result of the process initiated by his Department; the position in relation thereto; the amount of funding that has been allocated for the national broadband scheme by the Government and the ERDF in 2008; the estimated time it will take to complete the scheme; if minimum technical performance standards will apply to satellite or mobile broadband alternatives which might be considered as acceptable solutions within the scope of the scheme; and the standards in relation to same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1285/08]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin South, Green Party)
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The first phase of the procurement process (Pre-Qualification Questionnaire (PQQ)) for the National Broadband Scheme (NBS) 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. I do not propose to make public the funding allocated to the NBS as knowledge of the estimated cost could influence the negotiation process currently under way.

While the NBS is technology neutral, the technical standards to be provided by the winning Service Provider will be fully specified in the NBS contract. Currently it is envisaged that a minimum of 1Mbps download and 128kbps upload speed with a maximum of 48:1 contention ratio will be provided. Service Providers are also required to offer improved products in the future.

Seán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour)
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Question 1443: To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the process for assessment and application under the new national broadband scheme in view of the fact that the tender process for a provider is nearing completion; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1305/08]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin South, Green Party)
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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 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.

The process for assessing applications for a broadband service under the NBS will be a matter for the winning Service Provider.