Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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15. To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the extent to which deficiencies in terms of access to and quality of broadband have been identified at various locations throughout the country with a view to the taking of emergency initiatives to address the problem at an early date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3891/15]

Alex White (Dublin South, Labour)
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The National Broadband Plan aims to ensure that every citizen and business, regardless of location, has access to a high quality, high speed broadband service. This will be achieved through a combination of commercial investments and a State led intervention in areas where commercial services will not be provided.

The commercial telecommunications sector is currently investing approximately €2.5 billion in network upgrades. Approximately 1.6 million of the 2.3 million premises in Ireland are expected to have access to commercial high speed broadband services over the next two years. These very significant investments represent a step-change in the quality of broadband services available. However, not all parts of the country are benefitting from this very welcome investment, hence the requirement for a targetted public intervention to ensure those particular areas of the country also have access to modern high-quality broadband services.

The national high-speed coverage map published on the 24th November last shows clearly those areas of the country where public investment will be required. On the same day I also published a public consultation on the mapping process. This consultation will close on the 12th February next. The map can be accessed at . The areas on the map marked Blue will all have access to high speed broadband services of at least 30Mbps from the commercial sector by end of 2016. The areas marked Amber will require the intervention of the State.

The map allows all members of the public, be they business or residential, to see whether their premises or home will have access to commercial high speed broadband services by end 2016 or whether they will be included in the Government's proposed intervention. It also provides detailed information on over 50,000 townlands throughout the entire country.

It is anticipated that speeds of at least 30Mbps will be also delivered through the Government's intervention and the network will be designed to cater for future increased demand from consumers and business.

In tandem with the mapping consultation, intensive design and planning work is underway in my Department to produce a detailed intervention strategy. The strategy will address a range of issues in relation to the intervention including the optimum procurement model, ownership model for the infrastucture, intervention cost and likely market impact.

The next steps in this process will see a further public consultation on a detailed intervention strategy in mid-2015. The Intervention Strategy will be notified to the European Commission for State Aid clearance.

Following the public consultation, towards the end of this year a detailed procurement process will be undertaken in order to select a preferred bidder or bidders. It is expected that the physical build of this network will commence from 2016.

This complex and ambitious project is a key priority for Government. It aims to conclusively address current connectivity challenges in Ireland.