Seymour Crawford (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 333: To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources when broadband will be available in an area (details supplied) in County Monaghan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16537/10]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin South, Green Party)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Broadband services are provided by private service providers over various platforms including DSL (i.e over telephone lines), fixed wireless, mobile, cable, satellite and fibre. I understand that broadband is available in the general area of Rockorry village, County Monaghan, from wireless service providers and therefore this area will not be addressed by the National Broadband Scheme (NBS).

It is important to clarify that, in designing the NBS, which was approved by the EU Commission, a balance had to be struck between reaching as many un-served areas as possible and minimising the impact of the scheme on businesses already providing broadband services in rural areas. EU State Aid and competition rules govern how states can intervene in areas where there are existing service providers. Accordingly, the NBS is prohibited from providing a service in served areas where to do so would give rise to an unacceptable level of market distortion. Details of telecommunications service providers operating in county Monaghan can be found at www.callcosts.ie on ComReg's website.

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 and granted State Aid approval for rural broadband initiatives. My Department is currently progressing the design and implementation of a scheme which would be available 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.