Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 114: To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the action he has taken directly or in conjunction with his EU colleagues to improve Ireland's standing in the field of information technology with particular reference to the immediate availability of high speed broadband and general state of the art communications technology here with particular reference to the critical requirements of industry, commerce, education and medicine; if his attention has been drawn to deficiencies in these areas at present; the degree to which Ireland has fallen behind its EU colleagues in this regard; if he will address the underlying cause or causes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10699/08]

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 latest OECD statistics show Ireland in first place in terms of per-capita subscriber growth over the year to end of June 2007, with Ireland adding 6.6 subscribers per 100 inhabitants during the past year, far ahead of the OECD average of 3.65 per 100 inhabitants.

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, investment in Metropolitan Area Networks (MANs) and the Broadband for Schools Programme. Although broadband is now widely available in Ireland there are still some parts of the country where the private sector will be unable to justify the commercial provision of broadband services. These areas are being addressed by the National Broadband Scheme (NBS) which will provide broadband services to areas that are currently unserved, and will ensure that all reasonable requests for broadband are met.

The first phase of the NBS procurement process (Pre-Qualification Questionnaire (PQQ)) is now complete, and four candidates pre-qualified to enter the next phase of the procurement process. 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 the Country. It is anticipated that a preferred bidder will be selected and appointed in June 2008, with roll out to commence as soon as possible thereafter.

My attention is now firmly fixed on next generation broadband networks. My Department has prepared a draft policy paper on Next Generation Broadband Networks which considers the optimum role for Government in facilitating the roll out of high speed broadband networks. Both in Europe and internationally, there are varying views about the optimum approach to next generation broadband roll-out and the technologies to be employed. This is a challenge for all concerned and Ireland is not lagging in tackling these challenges.