Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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86. To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if he will report on the work of the mobile telephone and broadband task force and the implementation of its action points; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29796/17]

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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89. To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the steps he has taken to ensure that good quality mobile communications are available here; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29473/17]

Brian Stanley (Laois, Sinn Fein)
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96. To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the timeframe in place to improve mobile telephone coverage here and in particular areas identified as blackspots for mobile telephone coverage. [29478/17]

Seán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour)
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104. To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if the mobile broadband task force plans to hold meetings with stakeholders outside Dublin. [29876/17]

Denis Naughten (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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I propose to take Questions Nos 86, 89, 96 and 104 together.

I am critically aware of the frustration currently being experienced across Ireland where telecommunications networks are not always delivering the services people expect. Recognising this challenge, I specifically included in the Programme for Government a commitment to a Mobile Phone and Broadband Task force. In July 2016, I established the 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.

In producing this report, the Task Force worked with Departments, local authorities, ComReg, State agencies, the telecoms industry and other key stakeholders. The report contains 40 actions, each with their own timeframe for delivery, that will alleviate some of the telecommunications deficits across Ireland and the implementation programme on mobile phone and broadband access identifies 19 of these actions as areas where immediate and direct action by Departments and State agencies can ensure accelerated benefits to consumers.

In order to maintain momentum created by the Task Force, I, together with Minister Humphreys, established an Implementation Group. This group is driving and monitoring the implementation of the actions, bringing together all key stakeholders identified in the Task Force report with responsibility for delivery. This group will be formally reporting every 90 days on progress made on all actions. On 13 June, I published the first such quarterly progress report, which is available on my Department's website at www.dccae.gov.ie/documents/Taskforce%20Q1%20Progress%20Report.pdf and which shows that considerable progress has been made, particularly in relation to the implementation of actions identified for Q1 2017.

In terms of addressing mobile coverage blackspots, my Department is working closely with the mobile operators and local authorities, in conjunction with the Department of Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, to address a number of key blackspots in every county. Mobile operators have already made significant progress with blackspots over the last few months and we have put in place a number of measures which will aid them further in addressing additional blackspots in the near term.

The work of the Task Force will also assist local authorities in preparing for the roll-out of the new NBP network once contracts are in place.

In addition, following regulations which I signed last year, ComReg recently announced the results of its auction for the 3.6GHz radio spectrum band, which means an 86% increase in spectrum capacity to meet the growing demand for mobile and wireless broadband services across rural and urban areas. The Regulator has awarded 15 year licences for the rights of use in this band which will provide a degree of stability and create future investment certainty. Spectrum was also awarded in lots covering 9 urban and rural regions across the country.

In my Department's Estimates for 2017, I have secured an €8 million provision for RTE to allow it to free up the 700 MHz spectrum band. ComReg in turn will make plans to allocate this spectrum to provide for significantly enhanced mobile coverage. The 700 MHz band is particularly suited to rural environments where the signal can travel long distances.

In terms of commercial investment, mobile operators have invested significantly in rolling out improved services, following ComReg's multi-band spectrum auction in 2012. At least one operator now has in excess of 90% 4G population coverage. However, as mobile services are a radio based technology, services can be affected by topography, quality of handsets and the capacity of the network, as well as by and proximity to mobile telephone antennas.

These initiatives should assist in enhancing the quality of mobile phone and data services across Ireland and particularly in rural Ireland.

A stakeholder forum is planned for October 2017, to be held outside of Dublin, to take stock of progress made in implementing the Taskforce actions and to enable discussion on all the issues impacting on the rollout of telecoms infrastructure.

In parallel, the National Broadband Plan aims to deliver high-speed services to every city, town, village and individual premises in Ireland, through private investment and a State intervention in areas where commercial investment plans have not been fully demonstrated.