Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)
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681. To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if consideration will be given to, and if he will address the issues raised in, correspondence regarding lack of broadband coverage in an area (details supplied) in County Kildare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15649/15]

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 and enhanced services with approximately 1.6 million of the 2.3 million premises in Ireland 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.

Last November I published a national high speed coverage map for 2016. This map is available at . The map shows Ireland with two colours, BLUE and AMBER.

The areas marked BLUE represent those areas where commercial providers plan to deliver high speed broadband services by end 2016.

The AMBER area on the map shows the target areas for the State intervention and includes Cherryville Co Kildare. All premises within the AMBER areas will be included in the State's intervention.

Intensive design and planning work is underway in my Department to produce a detailed intervention strategy for the AMBER area. Following a public consultation process on the draft Intervention Strategy this summer, I hope to move to formal procurement phase towards the end of this year in order to select a preferred bidder or bidders.

I anticipate that the first homes and businesses will be connected in 2016 and connections will continue thereafter, with the intention of having all premises connected within a 5 year period.

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

Frank Feighan (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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682. To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources his plans to deal with the broadband problem in an area (details supplied) in County Roscommon; and when will it be rectified. [15663/15]

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 and enhanced services with approximately 1.6 million of the 2.3 million premises in Ireland 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.

Last November I published a national high speed coverage map for 2016. This map is available at . The areas marked BLUE represent those areas that will have access to commercial high speed broadband services by end 2016.

The AMBER areas show the target areas for the State intervention.

Based on information provided by commercial operators, 75% of Frenchpark Demesne will be covered by the commercial sector by the end of 2016 at the latest. The remaining 25% of Frenchpark Demesne will be part of the State intervention. Members of the public should consult the map to establish for themselves the precise location and status of their individual premises.

Intensive design and planning work is underway in my Department to produce a detailed intervention strategy for the AMBER area. Following a public consultation process on the draft Intervention Strategy this summer, I hope to move to formal procurement phase towards the end of this year in order to select a preferred bidder or bidders.

I anticipate that the first homes and businesses will be connected in 2016 and connections will continue thereafter, with the intention of having all premises connected within a 5 year period.

This complex and ambitious project is a key priority for Government and aims to conclusively address current broadband connectivity issues in mainly rural parts of the country.

Seán Kyne (Galway West, Fine Gael)
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683. To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if his Department has engaged with the ESB in terms of the organisation's expansion into broadband provision by way of the electricity network; the type and level of engagement; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15809/15]

Alex White (Dublin South, Labour)
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The National Broadband Plan aims to deliver high speed broadband to every premises in Ireland, putting us to the forefront internationally in terms of ubiquitous reliable broadband. This is being achieved through a partnership approach between the Government and the commercial telecommunications sector.A key element of the National Broadband Plan is the creation of a policy and regulatory environment that helps stimulate commercial investment. In 2014, the Oireachtas passed legislation introduced by my Department, which has enabled ESB to enter the telecommunications market using its extensive electricity distribution network. Following the enactment of the legilsation, the two shareholding Ministers - the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources and the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform - consented to ESB entering into a Joint Venture with Vodafone Ireland. The two companies have since announced plans to deliver fibre-to-the-home services to 500,000 homes and businesses in 50 towns across Ireland, with the possibility of a further expansion of this €450m investment programme.

This commercial development is bringing competition in the provision of high speed services to rural towns across Ireland. The commercial telecommunications sector is currently investing approximately €2.5 billion in network upgrades, and particularly in the provision of high speed broadband. In the space of just over two years, commercial operators have rolled out services to 1.1m of Ireland's 2.3m premises and within the next year and a half, 1.6m premises will be able to access these services. This represents 70% of the premises in Ireland.

Working closely with industry, last November I published a national high speed coverage map which provides detail of every premises that will have access to high speed broadband from commercial operators by the end of 2016. This map is available at . The areas marked BLUE represent the 70% of premises that will have access to commercial high speed broadband services by end 2016. The AMBER areas show the target areas for the State intervention.

Intensive design and planning work is underway in my Department to produce a detailed intervention strategy for the AMBER area. Following a public consultation process on the draft Intervention Strategy this summer, I hope to move to formal procurement phase towards the end of this year in order to select a preferred bidder or bidders.

In delivering this combination of commercial and State-led investment in high speed broadband, I and my Department are engaging intensively with all commercial operators, including ESB/Vodafone. Consultation in relation to the mapping exercise continues, and we have also met with operators who may be interested in the bidding process for the State-led intervention, including ESB/Vodafone. The Department has also visited two pilot high speed broadband projects, which include an eircom rural fibre-to-the-home pilot in Belcarra Co Mayo, and ESB / Vodafone fibre-to-the-home trial in Cavan town.

Details of our engagement with industry are provided in monthly updates on the Department's mapping website