Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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213. To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the status of the broadband coverage in Ballymore, County Westmeath; the percentage of residents who have full coverage; and the number who have access to broadband and high speed broadband. [18019/15]

Alex White (Dublin South, Labour)
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The National Broadband Plan is delivering high speed broadband to every home and business in Ireland regardless of its location. This is being achieved through a partnership between Government and commercial telecommunications companies.

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. I understand that commercial high speed broadband service is already available to over 20,000 premises in Co Westmeath (45% of county premises). When commercial roll-out of high speed services in the county is complete by the end of next year, a further 6,500 premises in Westmeath (15% of county premises) will have access to such services.

The AMBER area on the map shows the target areas for the State intervention and includes Ballymore, Co Westmeath. All premises within the AMBER areas will be included in the State's intervention. The proposed State intervention will include some 17,814 premises in Westmeath (40% of the county's 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 challenges in Ireland.