Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 207: To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources when broadband will be available in the area (details supplied) in County Mayo particularly as the village was identified in 2005 in the broadband rural scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8219/08]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin South, Green Party)
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The provision of broadband services is, in the first instance, 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.

A project was approved under the second phase of the Group Broadband Scheme (GBS) for Aghamore, Tooreen and Kilkelly in County Mayo, with Westnet as the proposed service provider. However, the service provider did not proceed with this project due to implementation difficulties.

The GBS has now been superseded by the National Broadband Scheme (NBS) and the procurement process for this scheme is now under way.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 of County Mayo 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. 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 my Department and are developing their proposed solutions to meet my Department's requirements for the delivery of broadband to the unserved areas of Mayo. It is anticipated that a preferred bidder will be selected and appointed in June 2008, with rollout to commence as soon as possible thereafter.