Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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278. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the steps he is taking to ensure speedy roll out of the national broadband plan to the offshore islands; the steps he will take in the meantime due to the delay with the roll out of the plan to ensure that businesses on the islands have adequate broadband at a competitive price; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44146/18]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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In April 2017 my Department published an updated High Speed Broadband Map which is available at www.broadband.gov.ie. This map shows the areas targeted by commercial operators to provide high speed broadband services and the areas that will be included in the State Intervention Area under the National Broadband Plan (NBP). Premises on our offshore islands which fall within the AMBER area will be served under the State led Intervention.One of the elements of the Intervention Strategy in relation to the NBP requires any intervention network to be built on a open access, wholesale basis. This is aimed at providing a competitive service of similar speed, quality and cost to those in more urban areas, and for this level of service to be available to premises in the State intervention area, including to homes and businesses on islands.

The procurement process to appoint a bidder for the State intervention network is now at the final stage, with evaluation ongoing of the final tender submission received on 18 September. The Taoiseach has asked Mr. Peter Smyth, the independent process auditor to the NBP procurement to review the process. Mr. Smyth will submit a recommendation report to both the Taoiseach and to me as Minister for Communications, Climate Action and I Environment. This review will take place in parallel to the evaluation being carried out by the Department’s procurement team on the final tender. 

For those premises currently awaiting access to high speed broadband, practical initiatives will continue to be addressed through the work of the Mobile Phone and Broadband Taskforce to address obstacles and improve connectivity in respect of existing and future mobile phone and broadband services.

Under this Taskforce, engagement between telecommunications operators and local authorities through the Broadband Officers is continuing to strengthen. These Broadband Officers are acting as single points of contact in local authorities for their communities.  The appointment of these officers is already reaping rewards in terms of ensuring a much greater degree of consistency in engagements.