Tom Hayes (Tipperary South, Fine Gael)
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Question 7: To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources his views on the MANs programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28199/08]

Tommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Labour)
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Question 54: To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the costs and time-frame of the MANs project; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28020/08]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin South, Green Party)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 7 and 54 together.

The provision of telecommunications services, including broadband, is a matter, in the first instance, 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 primary 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.

Previously, where the market has failed to meet the demand for telecommunications and broadband services, the Government has intervened to address the market failure. Intervention initiatives have been undertaken through investment in international connectivity and regional backhaul, the construction of the open-access Metropolitan Area Networks (MANs), and part-funding rural broadband access networks under the Group Broadband Scheme (GBS). The market's failure to provide broadband services in unserved rural areas will be addressed by the forthcoming National Broadband Scheme.

The MANs Programme involves the construction of high-speed, open-access Metropolitan Area Networks (MANs) in towns and cities nationwide in partnership with local and regional authorities.

Phase 1 of the Metropolitan Area Networks (MANs) programme provided open access, high-speed broadband networks to 27 towns and cities throughout the country. The MANs were co-financed from the European Regional Development Fund. All 27 MANs from Phase 1 have been successfully handed over to eNet, whose role is to manage, maintain, market and operate the MANs on behalf of the State. The networks are offered to telecommunication service providers on a wholesale basis to allow them to provide services without the need to build their own networks in the various cities and towns. The cost of the Phase 1 MANs Programme was just over €84 million.

Phase 2 of the MANs programme is almost complete. The estimated cost of the Phase 2 MANs Programme, which will provide an additional 60 MANs covering 66 towns, is €90 million.

MANs Projects in 28 towns under Phase 2 were suspended, pending consideration of the findings of a Value for Money and Policy Review of the Phase 1 Programme and a Next Generation Broadband Policy Paper both of which were published last week.

Future investment decisions including any investment in MANs will be guided by the outcome of the consultation on Next Generation Broadband; the recommendations of the Value for Money and Policy Review and other analyses as appropriate.

Terence Flanagan (Dublin North East, Fine Gael)
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Question 8: To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the expenditure plans for 2009 under his recently unveiled consultation paper on next generation broadband; if these plans will be affected by budgetary constraints; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28191/08]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin South, Green Party)
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I launched a consultation paper on Next Generation Broadband on Thursday the 3rd of July 2008.

The Paper commits to a number of actions to be taken by Government to promote a better broadband network and to facilitate specific policy goals. Where these actions require Exchequer expenditure they will be funded from the National Development Plan (NDP) envelope of €435m for telecommunications, for the period 2007–2013. The actions potentially leading to expenditure on the Vote of my Department include; universal access to broadband, which will mainly be delivered through the National Broadband Scheme; broadband connectivity to second level schools and the cost of a Communications Research Programme in conjunction with ComReg and the ESRI.

I am not in a position to state precisely how much funding will be available for these actions in 2009. This will be decided in the context of the 2009 Estimates and Budget but I anticipate progress in the rollout of these and the other actions in 2009. In addition, I am satisfied that targeted investment in broadband is a priority area for Government and that the allocated funding over the period of the NDP will be forthcoming.