Written answers

Tuesday, 28 June 2016

Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources

Broadband Service Provision

Photo of Shane CassellsShane Cassells (Meath West, Fianna Fail)
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498. To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if he will undertake to ensure broadband roll-out for Pluckstown and Hurdlestown, Athboy, County Meath under the national broadband plan, as the areas nearby are currently being rolled out with fibre broadband; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18198/16]

Photo of Shane CassellsShane Cassells (Meath West, Fianna Fail)
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499. To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources when broadband will be rolled-out in Fordstown, Navan, County Meath; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18199/16]

Photo of Denis NaughtenDenis Naughten (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 498 and 499 together.

The National Broadband Plan (NBP) aims to deliver high speed services to every city, town, village and individual premises in Ireland. The Programme for a Partnership Government commits to the delivery of the NBP as a matter of priority.  This is being achieved through private investment by commercial telecommunications companies and through a State intervention in areas where commercial investment is not forthcoming.

The High Speed Broadband Map, which is available at www.broadband.gov.ie shows the extent of the State Intervention area, which is the subject of procurement. The areas marked BLUE represent those areas where commercial providers are either currently delivering or have previously indicated plans to deliver high speed broadband services. The Department continues to monitor the commercial deployment plans in the BLUE area to ensure that those services are delivered.

The areas marked AMBER on the High Speed Broadband Map represent the target areas for the State Intervention and includes the townlands of Pluckstown, Hurdlestown and Fordstown, County Meath.

The map provides information on a county by county basis with a breakdown of coverage across the townlands in every county including County Meath.  Individuals can check whether their premises is in a BLUE or an AMBER area by scrolling through the map online or entering their Eircode. The Department also has a dedicated mailbox and anyone with a query in relation to the Map should email the Department, quoting their Eircode, to broadband@dcenr.gov.ie.  

Over 750,000 premises are the focus for  the procurement process, which formally commenced in December 2015 with the publication of the Pre-Qualification Questionnaire ( 'PQQ') and Project Information Memorandum. Five responses were received from prospective bidders to this stage of the competitive procurement process by the deadline of 31 March 2016. The second stage in the procurement process will be a formal invitation to Participate in Dialogue (ITPD) to qualifying bidders. I expect that my Department will move to this stage over the coming weeks.  The third stage of the procurement process involves the issue of final tender documentation which follows the dialogue process.  Following the submission of final tenders by bidders, a winning bidder(s) will be selected for the contract which will comprise one or two lots as set out in the NBP Intervention Strategy. The Department will then enter into formal contract negotiations with the winning bidder(s). It is expected that contract(s) will be awarded by June 2017.

As part of the competitive process, the Department will engage with winning bidder(s) on the best roll-out strategy, in order to target areas of particularly poor service, business needs and / or high demand. This will need to be balanced with the most efficient network roll-out plan. A prioritisation programme will be put in place in this regard, in consultation with the Minister for Regional Development, Rural Affairs, Arts and the Gaeltacht. A detailed rollout plan for the network will be published once contract(s) are in place.

The Programme for a Partnership Government commits also to measures to assist in the rollout of the network once a contract is awarded.  In this regard, Minister Humphreys is leading on the establishment of county or regional broadband taskforces, working with Local Authorities, Local Enterprise Offices, LEADER Groups and other relevant agencies to help accelerate the broadband network build in rural Ireland, once a contract(s) has been awarded.

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