Michael Colreavy (Sligo-North Leitrim, Sinn Fein)
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612. To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if he will provide a guarantee for the extension of the fibre optic cable (details supplied) from Ballinaboy, County Roscommon to Belmullet, County Mayo. [5956/15]

Alex White (Dublin South, Labour)
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The State can only become active in the telecommunications market in cases of clear market failure. The provision of telecommunications services, including broadband and fibre optic backhaul cables are a matter, in the first instance, for the commercial players who operate in the Irish market.

The Government's intervention under the National Broadband Plan (NBP) aims to ensure that every citizen and business, regardless of location, has access to a high quality, high speed broadband service, including Erris and the West of Ireland. 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.

On the 24th November last, a public consultation on a national high speed coverage map 2016 was launched. This consultation will close on Thursday next, 12th February 2015. The map can be accessed at . The areas marked BLUE represent those areas that will have access to commercial high speed broadband services by end 2016 and includes Belmullet. I understand that at least one operator has committed to bringing high speed broadband of 30mbps to 100mbps to Belmullet by mid-2016. The AMBER areas show the target areas for the State intervention.

In tandem with the mapping consultation, intensive design and planning work is under way in my Department to produce a detailed intervention strategy. I intend to launch a further public consultation on the detailed intervention strategy in mid-2015.

In relation to the telecommunications duct which was installed adjacent to the Galway Mayo Gas Pipeline, my Department has commenced a procurement process for the appointment of a Management Services Entity to operate the Galway-Mayo Telecommunications Duct.

The question of whether the duct should be extended to Belmullet will be considered in light of the anticipated commercial developments in the area and the proposed State intervention under the National Broadband Plan.

The State's intervention under the National Broadband Plan aims to deliver speeds of at least 30Mbps through a network that will also be designed to cater for future increased demand from consumers and business. This means that every premises in Ireland, including those in Belmullet and surrounding areas, will have access to high speed broadband provided through commercial operators or through the State's intervention strategy.