Seán Fleming (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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Question 391: To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the district electoral divisions in County Laois that are not part of the national broadband scheme; the reason they are not part of the scheme; and the details of the broadband service available in each of these districts. [7537/09]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin South, Green Party)
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The objective of the National Broadband Scheme (NBS) is to provide access to affordable, scaleable broadband services to rural areas, many of which do not currently have any broadband service. The NBS will be rolled out on an electoral division (ED) basis and will address EDs that are without adequate broadband services. The following tables show the EDs in County Laois, which will be covered under the NBS and those which will not.

In designing the NBS scheme, which was approved by the EU Commission, my Department needed to strike a balance between reaching as many unserved areas as possible and minimising the impact of the scheme on businesses already providing broadband services in rural areas, thereby minimising market distortion in accordance with EU State Aid rules. Where an ED is completely unserved or partially covered by any broadband service provider it is included in the NBS. EDs that are substantially covered by an existing broadband service provider are deemed to be served and thereby excluded. Details of the availability of broadband services in the specific areas not covered by the NBS are available at www.broadband.gov.ie.