Michael Colreavy (Sligo-North Leitrim, Sinn Fein)
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18. To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if the €500 million promised in April 2014 for rural broadband will be forthcoming. [40390/14]

Alex White (Dublin South, Labour)
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The National Broadband Plan contains very clear commitments from Government to invest in areas of the country where high speed broadband services are not, or will not, be made available through commercial investment. We are close to finalising the comprehensive national mapping exercise which will culminate shortly in the publication of a national coverage map. This will enable all users, both business and domestic, to ascertain whether their individual premises are to be included in the proposed State intervention or whether they will receive high speed broadband from commercial operators. The map will be the subject of public consutlation.

The precise amount of the financial contribution required from the State will be informed by this mapping process as well as through detailed modelling, development of the intervention strategy, including the funding strategy, and ultimately through the formal procurement process.

Issues such as the ownership model decided upon, the duration of the contract, whether the competition is designed for one winner or a multiplicity of smaller contracts, the strategic value the bidder or bidders place on the contract will all impact on the final cost of this ambitious intervention plan.

Our focus in designing this procurement process will be to ensure value for money in any State expenditure and we need therefore to ensure that the tender issued is designed in such a way as to maximise all possible efficiencies and savings so as to keep costs as low as possible.

I can assure the Deputy that the Government is committed to making the necessary funding available as part of the design of the intervention strategy and to ensuring the delivery of high speed broadband to all parts of Ireland that will not be served by commercial operators.

I should also point out that considerable capital investment continues to be made from commercial operators with high-speed broadband services becoming available in more and more locations nationwide.