Written answers

Tuesday, 28 February 2012

Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources

Telecommunications Services

8:00 pm

Photo of Peadar TóibínPeadar Tóibín (Meath West, Sinn Fein)
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Question 446: To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the steps being taken, and the timescale, to roll out broadband access to a location (details supplied) in County Meath. [10599/12]

Photo of Pat RabbittePat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)
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Ireland's telecommunications market has been liberalised since 1999 and thus the delivery of broadband services is a matter, in the first instance, for private sector commercial operators which are licensed and regulated by the independent regulator, the Commission for Communications Regulation (ComReg).

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. In the case of one such intervention, namely the National Broadband Scheme (NBS), services are available since October 2010 from the NBS service provider, 3, to persons with a fixed residence or fixed business in each of the 1,028 Electoral Divisions (ED) designated to be covered under the Scheme. The general area of Greetiagh, Bohermeen, County Meath encompasses two EDs; namely Ardbraccan ED (Ref: 167002) and Martry ED (Ref: 167060). Ardbraccan ED is in the NBS Coverage Area and Martry ED falls outside of the NBS Coverage Area.

The EU State Aid and competition rules govern how States can intervene in areas where existing service providers operate. 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 in 2008, found that broadband services were available in Martry ED and consequently the ED was excluded from the Scheme.

Should residents in the general area of Greetiagh Bohermeen, County Meath, wish to check if their premises is in in the NBS Coverage Area, they can do so by contacting 3 by telephone at 1800 944791 or by using the Coverage Check facitlity on 3's website at the following link: http://www.three.ie/contractstore/shop/flow/BroadbandCoverageCheck.aspx

The Rural Broadband Scheme (RBS) was launched last year in recognition of the fact that despite the widespread availability of broadband throughout Ireland, there still remained individual premises that were unable to receive broadband provision, due to technical difficulties such as line of sight issues. This Scheme, which is being rolled out this year, is aimed at making a basic broadband service available to those individual un-served premises in rural non-NBS areas who wish to avail of such services. The combination of private investment and State interventions means that Ireland will meet the EU Commission's "Digital Agenda for Europe" target of having a basic broadband service available to all areas by 2013.

The Government accepts that the widespread availability of high speed broadband is a key requirement in delivering future economic and social development. With basic broadband services now widely available across Ireland, the challenge is to accelerate the roll out of high speed services. The Next Generation Broadband Taskforce, which I convened last summer, has an important role to play in this regard. It comprises the CEOs of all of the major telecommunications companies operating in the Irish market, as well as CEOs of some other companies that provide broadband services. The Taskforce will conclude its deliberations shortly. I intend to consider the findings and recommendations of the report of the Taskforce as quickly as possible and to make a submission to Government in this regard. It is my objective to move quickly thereafter to put in place the optimal policy environment for the delivery of high speed broadband.

Photo of Gerald NashGerald Nash (Louth, Labour)
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Question 447: To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if his attention has been drawn to the excessive telephone costs involved for not-for-profit community-based organisations operating helpline services to vulnerable persons on a cross-Border basis; if he and his Northern Ireland counterpart have any plans to address the expense of making calls on this basis; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10663/12]

Photo of Pat RabbittePat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)
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The telephone costs charged to not-for-profit community-based organisations operating helpline services, including on a cross-border basis, is a commercial matter between service providers offering such services and telephony service providers.

Photo of Peadar TóibínPeadar Tóibín (Meath West, Sinn Fein)
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Question 448: To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the percentage of small and medium enterprises that have access to broadband internet. [10684/12]

Photo of Pat RabbittePat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)
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Specific statistics on broadband uptake by SMEs are not currently gathered. It is known however, that as of mid-2011 for Enterprises in Ireland (with 10 or more employees), 91% had a broadband connection (source: Central Statistics Office Information Society Statistics 2011). These statistics are based on a survey of e-commerce and ICT usage by enterprises that was conducted by the Central Statistics Office in the first half of 2011.

There is a mounting body of evidence illustrating the value to enterprises in general, and SMEs in particular, of getting on-line and taking advantage of the enormous commercial potential offered by the Internet, especially in the areas of online marketing and commerce.

Part of the work currently being undertaken by the Next Generation Broadband Taskforce includes examining ways of boosting Internet usage, particularly among the segments of Irish society that have been identified as being digitally disengaged. The SME sector is seen as an important focus and I expect that there will be recommendations emanating from the Task Force Report specifically focussing on the need to address this issue. I note also that there are a number of private sector initiatives currently being rolled out to assist small businesses in availing of the opportunities that the Internet presents.

I expect that the recommendations of the Task Force and experience of existing initiatives will help to inform policy on the roll out and take-up of broadband services to the benefit of society and economy generally.

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