Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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54. To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if and when high-quality, high-speed broadband will be provided in all urban and rural areas; if the frustrations experienced by the domestic, business and commercial sectors due to the lack of this provision, as compared with other jurisdictions, will be addressed; if he agrees this provision is a vital prerequisite to continued economic recovery; the areas which currently have the required quality and standard of broadband services and the timescale for its provision in the rest of the country; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44818/15]

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. 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.

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.

The map allows all members of the public, be they business or residential, to see whether their premises or home will have access to commercial high speed broadband services by end 2016 or whether they will be included in the Government's proposed intervention. The High Speed Map contains a breakdown of premises covered per townland.

It is anticipated that speeds of at least 30Mbps will be also delivered through the Government's intervention and the network will be designed to cater for future increased demand from consumers and business.

Consumers can also consult the websites of the various commercial operators to ascertain details of current and planned future deployment plans.

Over 40 responses were received following the publication of the NBP proposed Intervention Strategy in July last. Non-confidential versions of these submissions are being published and can be accessed at

Meanwhile, my Department continues to review the technical and financial detail relating to potential new commercial investment proposals.

I expect to proceed to formal procurement before the end of the year. The Government is determined to ensure that the network is built out as quickly as possible and engagement with industry stakeholders has indicated that this could be achieved within 3-5 years of the contract award.

In this context, the NBP proposes that through the combination of commercial investment and State intervention, 85% of addresses in Ireland will have access to high speed services by 2018 with an ambition of 100% coverage by end of 2020.

It is envisaged that access to high speed broadband coupled with the measures being introduced under the National Digital Strategy will maximise growth potential in rural areas by encouraging businesses to make better use of the internet so that they can reach wider markets, grow their business and create jobs.