Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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359. To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if he will identify all broadband blackspots in counties Longford and Westmeath. [20004/13]

Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)
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The State can only intervene in the broadband market to ensure access to broadband services in areas where the competitive market has failed to deliver such services. The National Broadband Scheme and the Rural Broadband Scheme (NBS & RBS) are examples of such market interventions to provide basic broadband services in areas of the country not served on a commercial basis.

Between a combination of this public financing and the significant private sector investment that continues to be made by the various commercial operators, all parts of the country now have access to at least a basic level of broadband service.

With such services now widely available across Ireland, the focus is on accelerating the roll out of high speed broadband services. The Government’s National Broadband Plan, which I published in August last, aims to radically change the broadband landscape in Ireland by ensuring that high speed services of at least 30Mbps are available to all of our citizens and businesses, well in advance of the EU’s target date of 2020, and that significantly higher speeds are available to as many homes and businesses as possible.

Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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360. To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if he has entered any negotiations with Eircom regarding a commercial agreement for the provision of high speed broadband for Irish citizens and businesses in rural areas. [20005/13]

Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)
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The Government’s National Broadband Plan, which I published in August last, aims to radically change the broadband landscape in Ireland by ensuring that high speed services of at least 30Mbps are available to all of our citizens and businesses, well in advance of the EU’s target date of 2020, and that significantly higher speeds are available to as many homes and businesses as possible.

During the preparation of the National Broadband Plan, the commercial market operators indicated that they expect to provide 70Mbps to 100Mbps services to 50% of the population by 2015. Since the publication of the Plan, investments by the commercial sector operators, including eircom, are underway in both fixed line and mobile high speed broadband services, particularly in urban and semi-urban areas.

The Government is also committed in the Plan to investing in areas where high speed services are not commercially viable and will not be provided by the market. In an important milestone towards delivery of this commitment in the Plan, my Department will appoint, in the next few days, a team of experts to assist it in the design, planning and procurement of the State-led investment. Intensive technical, financial and legal preparations including stakeholder engagement will be ongoing throughout 2013.

I do not expect the procurement phase of the project to commence until 2014. Accordingly, no negotiations have been undertaken with any service provider with regard to a commercial agreement for the provision of high speed broadband services for citizens and businesses in rural areas. This procurement process will be conducted in accordance with EU procurement rules and EU State Aid guidelines.

Through the implementation of the National Broadband Plan, we are committed to increasing the availability of next generation speeds significantly, with a view to ensuring that all citizens and businesses can participate fully in a digitally enabled society.