Billy Timmins (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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Question 382: To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the position regarding broadband for an area (details supplied) in County Wicklow; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34954/10]

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. ComReg's website www.callcosts.ie provides detailed information on the various private sector telecommunications products and services available on a county by county basis including County Wicklow. The Government does however, intervene in the market in instances of clear market failure, as in the case of the National Broadband Scheme (NBS). Details of all the areas to be covered by the NBS, including the current status of the NBS roll out, are available at www.three.ie/nbs.

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. That mapping exercise found that a number of existing broadband suppliers were already active in the area referred to in the Deputy's Question and consequently the locality was excluded from the Scheme in accordance with EU State Aid and competition rules. 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 non served rural premises outside of the National Broadband Scheme areas, including such premises in County Wicklow.

Willie Penrose (Longford-Westmeath, Labour)
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Question 383: To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the steps he will take to communicate with Eircom in regard to its proposal to introduce a minimum payment of €20 from its customers and request that it reverse this decision immediately; if he will intervene with a company (details supplied) and request a reversal of its decision to unilaterally transfer without consultation all its customers to electronic billing, which is a clear breach of the contractual arrangement prevailing; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35084/10]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin South, Green Party)
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The regulation of telecommunications operators, including regulatory issues surrounding bill collection and billing by operators, is the responsibility of the Commission for Communications Regulation (ComReg) in accordance with its functions under the Communications Regulation Act 2002.

Eircom has indicated to ComReg that it is in ongoing discussions with An Post on issues arising from the over-the-counter payment service available at post offices which resulted in Eircom introducing a minimum €20 payment for transactions using this service. Eircom has pointed out to ComReg that it continues to offer its customers facilities to pay bills by agreed instalments at levels below the minimum €20 payment imposed on over-the-counter service. The alternative payment options include An Post's Household Budget scheme, retail outlets nationwide which operate the Payzone, Paypoint or Postpoint schemes and payments by electronic means. Eircom has advised ComReg that it will notify these alternatives to its customers.

In the case of O2, the company which has commenced an on-line billing trial, this is also a matter for ComReg. I understand that ComReg advised O2 that it has serious reservations about the proposal to arbitrarily switch consumers to this new on-line billing service and discussions are ongoing. ComReg advises O2 customers that they are entitled to receive a paper bill as standard and that they may do so by simply contacting O2 on 1909 to request this service.