Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 539: To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if the highest quality broadband and other telecommunication services are available to the health and financial services throughout the country; the way this compares with the quality of services available worldwide; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3835/10]

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 540: To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the degree to which high speed, high quality broadband services are available throughout the country; if he expects such a service to become comparable in every respect with the highest quality and service prevailing throughout the European Union or world trade areas; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3836/10]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin South, Green Party)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 539 and 540 together.

The provision of broadband services, including the provision of such services to the health and financial services sectors, is a matter for electronic communications service providers who operate in a fully liberated market, regulated by the Commission for Communications Regulation (ComReg).

Government policy pertaining to the electronic communications market in Ireland is set out in "Next Generation Broadband – Gateway to a Knowledge Ireland", which I published in June 2009. The policy paper was developed in accordance with various key principles, which are crucial to the development of the market including (i) competition, at platform and service levels, which drives innovation and investment (ii) investment certainty for service providers considering investing in network infrastructure, (iii) investment intervention by Government to bridge any digital divide in cases of market failure and to meet certain of the State's own communication needs, and (iv) appropriate regulation. The policy paper sets out the Government's position that investment in broadband infrastructure is primarily a matter for the private sector, facilitated, where appropriate and possible, by Government.

Existing policy has facilitated significant progress in broadband roll out and broadband quality over recent years. According to ComReg's Quarterly Report for Q3/2009, 68% of residential subscriptions in Ireland are in the 2 – 10 Mbps range. 72% of the non-residential subscriptions in Ireland are in the 2 – 10Mbps range. Only 21% of the non residential subscriptions and only 24% of the residential subscriptions are in the 1 – 2 Mbps range. Higher speeds, in some cases up to 50Mbps are also available to residential and SME customers in urban areas. For example, speeds of up to 24Mbps are available from DSL providers, 50Mbps products are available from fibre operators and 20Mbps products are available from cable operators.

I have no specific information on the quality of broadband services provided to the health and financial services sectors.