Written answers

Thursday, 7 February 2013

Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine

Rural Broadband Scheme

Photo of Éamon Ó CuívÉamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will provide the details of all draw down requests made by his Department to the EU, under the rural development programme 2007-2013 in respect of rural broadband schemes during the years 2011 and 2012; the expected draw down in 2013 and 2014; the amount allocated by his Department in conjunction with the Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources including matching funds from either Department for these four years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6505/13]

Photo of Simon CoveneySimon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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The Rural Broadband Scheme (RBS) was launched in 2011 in recognition of the fact that despite the widespread availability of broadband throughout Ireland, there still remained individual premises that were unable to receive a service. This Scheme was aimed at making a basic broadband service available to un-served premises in rural areas, not already covered by the National Broadband Scheme. An amount of €13,413,000 EAFRD funding was allocated to the scheme and this was matched by national funding of €4,471,000 by the Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources. As existing commercial internet service providers indicated their ability to provide services to almost all of the qualifying applicants under the Scheme there has been no need for any disbursement of public money and no related draw-down of EU funding was necessary for that scheme. The Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources has informed my Department that the EAFRD funding originally made available for this scheme may be re-allocated to other qualifying measures under the Rural Development Programme.

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