Willie Penrose (Longford-Westmeath, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 62: To ask the Minister for Tourism, Culture and Sport the meetings she has had with other Departments to ensure that tourism businesses, particularly those in rural areas, have access to broadband facilities; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20694/10]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Since my appointment last March as Minister for Tourism, Culture and Sport I have not had the opportunity to personally meet with other Departments to specifically discuss access to broadband facilities. The matter has however, been raised on a number of occasions at official level since the publication of the Tourism Renewal Group's report in September 2009.

Government policy relating to the electronic communications market in Ireland is set out in "Next Generation Broadband – Gateway to a Knowledge Ireland", which was published by the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources in June 2009. The Government has undertaken a number of initiatives to bring broadband to those parts of the country where operators have been unable to offer services on a commercial basis and the roll out of the National Broadband Scheme is progressing.

I can assure the Deputy that the Department of Tourism, Culture and Sport is fully conscious of the importance of broadband connectivity to tourism businesses and will continue to highlight this to the Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources.