Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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510. To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if he will clarify, in relation to the national broadband plan, if new private planned next generation access investments may be added to the map at any time between now and 31 December 2020; if further public consultations will be carried out, on foot of the consequent amendments to the map; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19584/15]

Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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511. To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if he is satisfied that the development of the regulatory framework to underpin the national broadband plan is making sufficient progress to allow him and potential bidders to meet the plan's procurement schedule of late 2015; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19585/15]

Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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512. To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the role he envisages for community co-funding in the access network of the national broadband plan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19586/15]

Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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513. To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources his plans to meet the requirements of the strategic environmental assessment and environmental impact assessment directives in relation to the national broadband plan; if any necessary reports or submissions under those assessments will be published, either with, or in advance of, the forthcoming public consultation on the plan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19587/15]

Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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514. To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources in relation to the invitation on his Department's website to potential bidders for the national broadband plan to contact his Department, if he will specify the deadline for such a contract; if bids will be disadvantaged by failure to contact his Department in advance of the issuing of a formal invitation to tender; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19588/15]

Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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515. To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if he is satisfied with the level of co-operation from industry in relation to information on infrastructure sharing; if the limited information database proposed by his Department is capable of lowering costs, as envisaged by section 3(4) (details supplied) of the State aid guidelines; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19589/15]

Alex White (Dublin South, Labour)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 510 to 515, inclusive, together.

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 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 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. All premises within the AMBER areas will be included in the State's intervention.

New private planned next generation access investments may be added to the national high-speed coverage map, once it is established that these plans are definitive and meet the relevant criteria required to be put on the map. i.e. that they will deliver high speed broadband service to end users. It is envisaged that the map will be updated on an ongoing basis from now until the award of a contract or contracts relating to the State intervention. How the map will develop beyond the contract award has yet to be determined.

Good progress is being made on all of the different elements of this complex project and we remain on track to publish the draft Intervention Strategy for public consultation in July. We are also on track to submit a State Aid Pre-Notification to DG Competition in June. Once the public consultation has been completed, I expect to move quickly into the formal procurement phase towards the end of the year.

As the draft Intervention Strategy is not yet fully finalised, I am not in a position at this time to comment in detail on whether the intervention will include any role for community co-funding in the access network. Based on my Department's on-going interaction with industry, it is clear that there is very significant interest in this project from several commercial operators so it is reasonable to expect a very competitive procurement process. The Intervention is also being designed on a wholesale basis with built-in assurances that it will be on a fully open access basis for all retail service providers who wish to use the new network to provide services to customers.

My Department is fully aware of the legal obligations in place under the relevant environmental impact assessment legislation and we are continuing to consider and address the application of this legislation to the State intervention.

There is no formal deadline in relation to contacting my Department as a potential bidder and bids will not be disadvantaged by not having contacted the Department in advance of the formal procurement process.

In relation to infrastructure sharing, last week my Department published a register of owners of infrastructure, as notified to us. The purpose of this register is to give potential bidders recourse to information on infrastructure which could be used as part of their bid. The register will remain open to any interested party should they wish to have their details included. Indeed, since publication, my Department has received further details for inclusion, and we will continue to engage with various organisations to ensure the maximum level of infrastructure re-use. The sharing of existing telecommunications infrastructure is considered a key enabler in reducing the overall cost of the project and in ensuring value for money to the State.

I expect the physical build of the network to begin in late 2016, and it will take between three and five years to fully complete – depending on the details of the bid or bids that we select.

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.