Timmy Dooley (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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670. To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the progress of the mobile phone and broadband taskforce; the number of times the group has met since its formation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3767/17]

Denis Naughten (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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The Programme for a Partnership Government gave a commitment to establish a Mobile Phone and Broadband Taskforce to identify immediate solutions to broadband/mobile phone coverage deficits and to investigate how better services could be provided to consumers prior to full build and roll out of the network planned under the National Broadband Plan State intervention (NBP).

The Taskforce, which I co-chaired with my colleague, Minister Humphreys, was established in July last year and published its report in December and is available on both our Departments' websites.  The report can be accessed in my Department  via  the following link: .

In producing this report, the Taskforce worked with Government Departments, Local Authorities, the Commission for Communications Regulation (ComReg), State Agencies, the telecoms industry and other key stakeholders. The membership of the group included:

- the Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment;

- the Department of Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural, and Gaeltacht Affairs;

- the Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government;

- the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport;

- the Office of Public Works;

- NewERA;

- Transport Infrastructure Ireland;

- Teagasc;

- Trinity College CTVR (Telecommunications Research Centre);

- The County and City Management Association (CCMA);

- Irish Rural Link;

- the Irish Country Women's Association;

- Businesses based in rural Ireland;

- the National Competition and Consumer Protection Commission; and

- an Independent Planning Adviser.

ComReg participated on the Taskforce as an observer in order to provide advice and guidance in its capacity as the independent regulator of the telecommunications market.

The Taskforce met on approximately twenty occasions with a number of helpful initiatives emerging in the areas of planning, local authority engagement, and consumer information and engagement.

The report of the Taskforce and an Implementation Programme on Mobile Phone and Broadband Access, identifies 19 of the 40 actions contained in the report as areas where immediate and direct action by Government Departments and State Agencies can ensure accelerated benefits to consumers.

The work of the Taskforce will also assist Local Authorities in preparing for the roll-out of the new NBP network once contract(s) are in place.

Arrangements are now in place to deliver the Year 1 actions identified in the Implementation Programme.