Denis Naughten (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 1006, 1008 and 1009 together.

On 13 June, I published the first quarterly progress report on the work of the Mobile Phone and Broadband Task force, which is available on my Department's website. It shows that considerable progress has been made, particularly on implementation of actions identified for Q1 2017. I intend to publish the second quarterly report shortly.

27 of the 31 local authorities have adopted revised development contribution schemes in compliance with the 2013 guidelines, which exempt telecommunications infrastructure from development contributions.  A further local authority is due to adopt its revised scheme shortly.  Of the remaining three, one scheme will be reviewed this year, and the Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government are following up on the two other schemes with the relevant local authorities. The Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government will continue to engage with relevant Councils and monitor the reviews of schemes, recognising the role of the elected members in this matter.  

The updates provided by operators on network features and functionality enhancements have been integrated into the Q1 and Q 2 reports. As noted in the first quarterly progress report published in June, eir launched Wi-Fi calling in early 2017. Since launch, the company have extended the supported device range of products. In the last quarter there has been strong take-up of the service with customers successfully making 1 million Wi-Fi calls throughout Ireland. eir will continue to extend the device capability range over the next few months and are conscious of the positive experience enhancement for customers to make calls where never possible before. Operators will continue to report to the Taskforce Implementation Group on their ongoing work on introducing network features and functionality enhancements. The Implementation Group will continue to monitor the situation closely during the bilateral engagement with action owners in Quarter 3. 

Significant engagement has taken place with each of the mobile operators where they have presented the key issues preventing them from serving blackspots. Each operator has proposed a series of initiatives and recommendations to help reduce the impact of blackspots both in rural and urban locations. The recommendations include:

- Operator led solutions – introduction of new network functionality and features such as HD calling and Wi-Fi Calling;

- Community and local authority led initiatives – to assist in the identification of suitable site locations or existing infrastructure;

- Updating of the Exempted Development Regulations to allow new equipment be deployed on existing sites; and

- Reducing site rental costs for State owned sites to use particular sites to alleviate blackspots.

A number of these initiatives are already being implemented through actions underway via the Taskforce Implementation Group. In addition, the operators have shared a list of their top 5 blackspots in each county where assistance is needed to alleviate the issues. This has resulted in a blackspots pilot exercise which is a significantly positive project, with collaboration and information sharing taking place between stakeholders at an unprecedented level. Telecoms operators have committed to providing details of their network coverage to local authorities, my Department and the Department of Rural and Community Development in order to identify and ascertain solutions to specific blackspots areas. Both Departments will further refine recommendations to address the top 5 blackspots in specific counties and will review the effectiveness of the pilot exercise with a view to creating a formal blackspot engagement process with all local authorities.