Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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822. To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the discussion his Department has had with Eircom on the company's recently announced rural broadband investment plans; the way he envisages that investment will tie in with the national broadband plan in terms of timing and implementation, given that areas now included by Eircom will fall outside the scope of the national plan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30360/15]

Alex White (Dublin South, Labour)
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Yesterday, I published for public consultation the Government's draft Intervention Strategy which sets out how we propose to ensure the provision of high-speed broadband to premises in the intervention area. This consultation runs until 14 September next. The draft Intervention Strategy and associated expert reports are now available on www.broadband.gov.ie. My Department continues to assess all new and existing industry investment commitments, including those recently announced by eircom, to ensure that they will deliver the services they promise. This is critically important as we get closer to the launch of the competitive tender phase of the National Broadband Plan.

Having assessed the latest industry investment plans, my Department will update the proposed intervention area in the autumn.