Michael Moynihan (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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71. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the status of the programme for Government commitment on broadband. [32477/17]

Niamh Smyth (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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80. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the status of the roll out of the national broadband plan. [41903/17]

Denis Naughten (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 71 and 80 together.

I have given a detailed outline on the current status of the procurement process in my responses to the priority questions on today's order paper.  The Deputies will be aware that this procurement process will select a bidder, or bidders, who will roll-out a new high speed broadband network to remote and rural areas not served by commercial operators. The successful bidder, or bidders, will build, maintain and operate this State intervention network for the next 25 years.

Last Tuesday, 26th September, 2017  was the closing date for bidders to submit their "Detailed Solutions" in the procurement process and I can confirm that my Department received submissions from two bidders.  These bidders were Eircom Limited and the Granahan McCourt, enet, SSE, John Laing Group plc consortium.  This is a significant and positive milestone in the process and the path to a digitally equal Ireland. The submissions received means that we are at the final stages of this procurement process.

My Department's specialist NBP team will now evaluate these two submissions over the coming weeks, with the expectation that very early in 2018 bidders will be invited to submit final tenders.

I am confident that the combination of existing commercial investment and the State intervention will make Ireland an exemplar in Europe and beyond, in terms of providing high speed services to all citizens regardless of where they live or work.

Seán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour)
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72. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the engagement he has held with his counterpart in the United Kingdom since June 2017 on the issue of cross-Border co-operation to ensure all island broadband capability. [41964/17]

Denis Naughten (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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There have been no meetings between officials from my Department and our Northern Ireland counterparts in relation to an all island broadband network. Achieving universal access to high speed broadband is a key target under the EU Digital Agenda for Europe which requires, inter alia, all Members States to publish National Broadband Plans to facilitate the achievement of high speed broadband access of at least 30Mbps  to all citizens.  The link to the Study on National Broadband Plans in the 28 EU-Member States is available at

The Irish Government committed to facilitating investment with policy and regulatory support and to funding a State intervention to provide high speed broadband to all premises in the State.

The 2012 National Broadband Plan ( NBP) published in August 2012 outlined the Government’s commitment to deliver high speed broadband to every citizen and business in Ireland, regardless of location. Delivery of High Speed Broadband is a specific priority under the Programme for Government and reflects European objectives.

Ireland’s telecommunications market has been liberalised since 1999 and has developed into a well-regulated market, supporting a multiplicity of commercial operators providing services over a  telecommunications network.The State is not a service provider and can only intervene, subject to EU competition rules, to ensure access to broadband services in areas where the competitive market has failed to deliver such services.