Niamh Smyth (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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67. To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the status of the implementation of the mobile phone coverage audit; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13040/17]

Denis Naughten (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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I am critically aware of the frustration currently being experienced across Ireland, where mobile networks are not always delivering the services people expect. As the Deputy is aware, I specifically included in the Programme for Government a commitment to a Mobile Phone and Broadband Task Force. In July 2016, I established this Task Force together with Minister Humphreys to identify immediate solutions to broadband and mobile phone coverage deficits and investigate how better services could be provided to consumers prior to the full build and roll-out of the network planned under the National Broadband Plan State intervention.

The report of the Task Force was published in December and is available on both Departments' websites. Action 29 of this Report, to which the Deputy is referring, concerns the delivery of a composite national coverage map by the Commission for Communications Regulation (ComReg), in quarter 4 2018. Work to deliver this, and any other audit of mobile coverage, is a matter for ComReg in its capacity as the independent regulator of the telecommunications sector.

I am very keen to see progress on all the actions recommended by the Task Force. In order to maintain momentum, I, together with Minister Humphreys, have established an Implementation Group, which met for the first time on 8 March. This group will drive and monitor the implementation of the actions in the Task Force report, bringing together all key stakeholders identified in the Task Force report with responsibility for delivery of actions. This includes ComReg who attends both as an action owner and in an observer capacity in recognition of its statutory independence as Regulator.

The Implementation Group will formally report every 90 days on progress made on all actions to both myself and Minister Humphreys. I am expecting the first such quarterly report in April, following the end of this quarter.

I am very pleased with the level of cooperation of all action owners in this process, and look forward to seeing progress in the delivery of the actions set out in the Taskforce report.