Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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86. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development the discussions he has had with the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment with regard to broadband provision in rural areas; the progress of the provision of a map of blackspots in mobile coverage undertaken by the mobile phone and broadband taskforce; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15471/19]

Seán Canney (Galway East, Independent)
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As Minister of State for Natural Resources, Community Affairs and Digital Development, I work across both the Department of Rural and Community Development and the Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment. I also chair the Mobile Phone and Broadband Taskforce, a cross-Government body co-ordinated by officials of the two Departments.

I am keenly aware of the importance of access to high-speed, high-quality broadband services in rural areas and I engage regularly with my Ministerial colleagues in both Departments on how we can collaboratively remove barriers to the rollout of telecommunications infrastructure.

With regard to mobile phone blackspots, in 2017, officials from my Department, the Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment and a small number of Local Authorities met to examine the potential for mapping mobile phone blackspots in Ireland.

On foot of these meetings, an invitation was issued in late 2017 to all Local Authorities to provide data on 5 or 6 prioritised local blackspots, with a view to examining the potential for mapping mobile phone blackspots in Ireland.  

The objective was not to compile a definitive list of blackspots across the country, but to identify areas of immediate priority for the purposes of testing an approach to the mapping of blackspots.   

While the exercise was informative, it was not comprehensive.  Of the thirty one Local Authorities, only seventeen returned data to feed into the exercise. 

ComReg has recently published a national map of outdoor mobile phone coverage for 2G, 3G and 4G services for a range of providers. This map, which is available on ComReg’s website, shows the quality and prevalence of mobile phone coverage right across the country for each provider.  It will prove to be a useful tool for consumers on the services available in their areas.

Aindrias Moynihan (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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87. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development the steps being taken between his Department and the Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment to speed up the roll-out of fibre broadband in rural areas; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15479/19]

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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94. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development the role of the regional telecommunications development unit in his Department with regard to the national broadband plan. [15470/19]

Seán Canney (Galway East, Independent)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 87 and 94 together.

The Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment has overall policy responsibility for the National Broadband Plan.  However, my Department, through the Unit responsible for regional telecommunications development, works closely with the Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment and with Local Authorities to help prepare rural communities for the roll out of high-speed broadband.  

The Unit also supports the work of the Mobile Phone and Broadband Taskforce, in conjunction with the Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment.  The Taskforce was established in 2016 to identify and overcome obstacles to mobile phone and broadband services.

The unit also supports the nationwide network of Local Authority Broadband Officers, who act as a single point of contact in each Local Authority for the public, telecoms operators and infrastructure providers regarding telecommunications issues.

To date, a number of significant actions have been delivered by members of the Taskforce, or on foot of engagement between Taskforce members and the telecommunications sector. These include:

- The establishment of almost 1,000 kilometres of cable ducting along our national roads and motorways, ensuring that the fibre-optic spine needed to push broadband services out to all of our citizens is possible.

- The development of Digital Strategies by each Local Authority, to ensure that high speed broadband can be maximised for economic and social benefit when installed.

- The identification of strategic Broadband Connection Points in each Local Authority area which can serve as priority connection points for the community when the National Broadband Plan is rolled out.

Quarterly progress reports on the work of the Mobile Phone and Broadband Taskforce are available on my Department’s website at .