Noel Harrington (Cork South West, Fine Gael)
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Question 361: To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if he will ensure that a person (details supplied) in County Cork will be provided with a broadband service under the new national broadband scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9435/11]

Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)
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The provision of broadband services is 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 telephone lines), fixed wireless, mobile, cable, fibre and satellite.

Issues relating to the quality of service provision are, in the first instance, a matter for the relevant service provider and the customer. The regulation of the electronic communications sector, including regulatory issues surrounding quality, is the responsibility of the Commission for Communications Regulation (ComReg).

In cases of market failure the Government will intervene, where it is appropriate and possible to do so. The National Broadband Scheme (NBS) represents such an intervention. 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.

The mapping exercise undertaken by my Department at the time of designing the NBS found that broadband services were available in the area referred to in the Deputy's Question and consequently the locality was excluded from the Scheme. Since the completion of the roll out of the NBS in October 2010, there is at least one service provider offering a broadband service in all areas of Ireland. Attention is now being focussed on isolated cases where broadband is not being delivered due to technical or line of sight reasons.

The Rural Broadband Scheme which I intend to launch shortly will address those individual unserved rural premises outside of the NBS areas. 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.