Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 398: To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the progress on the NewEra proposal; and when material will be provided to the Oireachtas to begin assessing the matter. [18315/11]

Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

The Programme for Government commits to the establishment of a New Economy and Recovery Authority (NewERA). I have been given special responsibility for the NewERA project. NewERA will be established as a dedicated entity to oversee investment as referred to below. It is proposed that streamlined and restructured semi-States will make significant additional investments, over and above current plans, over the next four years in "next generation" infrastructures in energy, broadband, forestry and water.

Proposals are being developed for the Government's consideration on the formal establishment of the NewERA. Intensive cross-Departmental engagement is under way on developing the optimum structure for the Authority. An initial presentation in the matter has been made to the Taoiseach and to Ministers, and urgent follow-up of work on the structure and scope of the entity is being processed.

I am committed to ensuring that speedy progress is made in establishing the NewERA Authority. As stated above, one of the key objectives of NewERA is the leveraging of additional investment and employment from streamlined and restructured Commercial State Bodies.

The Government has made clear its intention to ensure that State Companies play a full role in Ireland's economic recovery. The Energy State Companies are already engaged in significant programmes of infrastructure investment. We must ensure that all the investment programmes of the State Companies are cost effective, strategic and subject to rigorous shareholder scrutiny and, where appropriate regulatory oversight. NewERA will have a key role to play in this regard on behalf of the Government's shareholder interests in the State Companies.

NewERA also commits the Government to co-invest with the Private Sector in the rollout of high speed broadband throughout the country. The first meeting of the Next Generation Broadband Taskforce, attended by myself and Minister Rabbitte, and by all the CEOs of the leading telecommunications companies in Ireland was held on Monday 13th June last. This forum will intensively consider all elements that impact on the rollout of high speed broadband and will assist in informing the strategy to implement the NewERA commitment on broadband.

I am confident that concrete progress will emerge over the coming weeks, which will allow for the formal establishment shortly of a core NewERA structure with all the necessary expertise to progress the NewERA objectives and with the flexibility to develop and deepen the role over time.