Written answers

Thursday, 22 April 2010

Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources

Telecommunications Services

5:00 pm

Photo of Charles FlanaganCharles Flanagan (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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Question 175: To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if his attention has been drawn to the lack of availability of broadband in the Slieve Bloom areas of counties Laois and Offaly and the failure by the service providers to facilitate the adequate access of service; if every effort will be made to facilitate the provision of a service in the Slieve Bloom areas in view of the fact that broadband is now a necessity for households and business in rural as well as urban areas; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16158/10]

Photo of Frank FeighanFrank Feighan (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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Question 176: To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the position regarding the provision of broadband in Gortleckra, Dromod, Barnacolla, Cloone, Newtowngore, Carrigallen, Carrick-on-Shannon in County Leitrim and Rooskey in County Roscommon. [16288/10]

Photo of John GormleyJohn Gormley (Dublin South East, Green Party)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 175 and 176 together.

The provision of broadband services is in the first instance a matter for private sector service providers operating in Ireland's fully liberalised telecommunications market. Broadband services are provided by private service providers over various platforms including DSL (i.e over the telephone lines), fixed wireless, mobile , cable, fibre and satellite.

Details of broadband services available in each county can be found on ComReg's website at www.callcosts.ie.

Additionally, under the terms of the National Broadband Scheme (NBS) "3", a Hutchinson Whampoa company, is required to provide broadband services to all residences and businesses that are within the NBS area and who seek a service. This will include parts of Counties Laois, Offaly, Leitrim, Roscommon and Donegal. Details of the areas to be covered by the NBS can be found on 3 Ireland's website, www.three.ie.

It continues to be a priority of the Government that there will be broadband coverage across the entire country. However, despite Government and private investment in broadband, I am aware that there continues to be a small percentage of premises throughout the country that will not be capable of receiving broadband services. This is primarily due to technical and other reasons (suitability of a telephone line, distance from an enabled exchange, no line of sight etc.).

The European Commission has set aside a portion of the European Economic Recovery Programme (EERP) funding for rural broadband initiatives. My Department is currently considering the design and implementation of a scheme which would use this funding to address the issue of basic broadband availability to un-served rural premises outside of the NBS areas. This work will include the identification of premises not capable of receiving broadband. It is hoped to commence this scheme in late 2010 and have it completed by 2012. As the scheme is only at the design stage, there is no application process at this juncture. Information in relation to acceptance of applications and the process of qualification under the scheme will be made available in due course when the scheme is launched.

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