Brian Hayes (Dublin South West, Fine Gael)
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Question 520: To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources when the country will have full access to broadband in all areas; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17625/09]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin South, Green Party)
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The widespread provision of broadband services continues to be a priority for the Government. In that regard my Department has undertaken a variety of initiatives to improve broadband coverage. These initiatives have helped to facilitate the development of the market to the point where over 62% of Irish households now have a broadband connection. Additionally, ComReg's quarterly report for Q4 2008, shows a trend of customers moving to higher speeds. 60% of those households have a connection in the speed category of 2mbps – 10mbps. Furthermore, at the end of Q1 2008, 83% of Irish SMEs had a broadband connection. Most of those SMEs, 68%, according to ComReg's report for Q4 2008, have a connection in the speed category of 2mbps – 10mbps.

There are still some parts of the country where the private sector cannot justify the commercial provision of broadband services. Accordingly, my Department has undertaken to implement the National Broadband Scheme (NBS) and has entered into a contract with "3", a Hutchison Whampoa company, for the delivery of the NBS. 3 will be required to provide services to all residences and businesses that are within the NBS area and who seek a service. Services will be available in the coming weeks in certain areas. The entire NBS area will be served by September 2010.

Brian Hayes (Dublin South West, Fine Gael)
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Question 521: To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the steps that have been taken to allow telecom operators access to fibre optic ducting in existing and new State projects. [17626/09]

Denis Naughten (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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Question 526: To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if he will publish a map of all fibre optic networks throughout the country; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18085/09]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin South, Green Party)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 521 and 526 together.

In July 2008 I published a consultation paper on Next Generation Broadband. One of the proposals in this paper is to establish a one-stop-shop to provide electronic communications service providers with flexible and open access to existing and future State ducting infrastructure to facilitate the provision of backhaul. The proposal for a one-stop-shop received a largely positive response in the consultation process. My officials have conducted work on identifying the supply of relevant State-owned infrastructure and are working with the relevant State agencies, mainly in the energy and transport sectors to examine how best their assets can be accessed and utilised.

A number of issues have been identified including commercial and legal issues, and operational issues such as ensuring safety when accessing infrastructure assets. My Department and the agencies are committed to working out how best such issues, which are complex, can be addressed and ensuring that the interests of the agencies and the telecommunications industry are balanced. Good progress is being made in this regard.

Telecoms operators and service providers are the potential customers of a one-stop-shop and my Department is now engaging with them on how best to progress the one-stop-shop initiative. The provision of information to them on the location of relevant State infrastructure will be an important element of this process. It is the intention to publish a map of the State-owned infrastructure available from the one-stop-shop in the near future as part of this process. Meanwhile, details of Metropolitan Area Networks (MANs) including maps, are available on my Department's website www.dcenr.ie. The publication of details of private sector fibre networks is a matter for the network owners.

Martin Ferris (Kerry North, Sinn Fein)
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Question 522: To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if a company (details supplied) has obtained and retained a statutory licence and inherited all associated rights, normally restricted to the State, to enter citizens' private property. [17800/09]

Martin Ferris (Kerry North, Sinn Fein)
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Question 523: To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if a company (details supplied) has the same statutory rights as it did when it was a public company; the way the State proposes to compensate individual property owners if the company exercises those rights contrary to the constitutional protections of property. [17826/09]

Martin Ferris (Kerry North, Sinn Fein)
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Question 524: To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if the State will compensate private individuals when a company (details supplied) have accessed land without permission of their owners. [17827/09]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin South, Green Party)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 522 to 524, inclusive, together.

The telecommunications industry in Ireland is fully liberalised. All electronic communications service providers, including eircom, are subject to an EU regulatory framework for electronic communications and services. The former monopoly privilege that was enjoyed by eircom prior to liberalisation no longer applies. Telecoms operators and service providers, including eircom, are authorised and regulated by ComReg, Ireland's independent regulator, in accordance with these EU laws. The issue of compensation for access to land is a matter between landowners and the telecoms companies.