Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 1558: To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the reason the lower Achill area in County Mayo is not included in the national broadband scheme (details supplied). [32951/10]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin South, Green Party)
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The provision of broadband services is in the first instance a matter for private sector service providers. These services are provided over various platforms including DSL (i.e. over telephone lines), fixed wireless, mobile, cable, fibre and satellite.

In cases of market failure the Government will intervene, where it is appropriate and possible to do so. Such intervention is governed by very strict EU rules, one of which is that we must be technology neutral when seeking to procure solutions to service gaps. It is therefore solely a matter for service providers, even when acting on behalf of the State, to decide on what is the most appropriate technology platform to deploy.

In rolling out the National Broadband Scheme (NBS) service, 3 is using a mix of technologies to reach those seeking a service (wireless, repeater/external antenna and satellite). Prior to the commencement of the NBS a detailed mapping exercise was carried out to help determine those areas that would be included in the scheme and those which, by virtue of being already substantially served by existing broadband suppliers, could not be included.

EU State Aid and competition rules govern how states can intervene in areas where there are existing service providers operating. 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. That mapping exercise found that at least one existing broadband supplier was already active in the area referred to in the Deputy's Question and consequently the locality was excluded from the Scheme. Details of broadband services available in each county can be found on ComReg's website at www.callcosts.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. Using this funding, which will be augmented by an Exchequer contribution, I intend to formally launch a Rural Broadband Scheme before the end of this year. This scheme will aim to provide a basic broadband service to individual un-served rural premises outside of the NBS areas.