Ruairi Ó Murchú (Louth, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

925. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development if the newly established Mobile Phone and Broadband Taskforce has plans to consider the efficient use of the infrastructure and assets based in the Knock metropolitan area network specifically and the possibility of connecting more customers; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9803/22]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The Mobile Phone and Broadband Taskforce was re-established on 15 December 2021 with a meeting co-chaired by myself and Minister of State Ossian Smyth TD, involving participation from all key State stakeholders, including ComReg and the Advertising Standards Authority for Ireland.

At the first meeting, Minister of State Smyth and I to set out our priorities for the coming period, which include improving mobile phone coverage and connectivity in rural areas, examining issues around planning permissions and licencing for, and sharing of, telecoms infrastructure, the use of public assets for telecoms purposes and improving the quality and availability of information for consumers of telecoms services and products.

The work of the Taskforce will include discussions on a number of issues that are already being examined at local authority level, such as maximising the efficiency of access to and occupancy of infrastructure to allow for more connections, reduced deployment timelines and costs and greater competition between providers. Both Minister of State Smyth and I are particularly keen to see existing assets and infrastructure leveraged to achieve this, not least in rural and isolated areas. 

On foot of the initial meeting in December, a series of bilateral discussions have occurred with both state bodies and with representatives of the telecommunications industry. These bilateral meetings, led by senior officials from the two departments, have raised and explored a number of important issues that will be considered by Minister of State Smyth and I in the context of formulating the next work programme of the Taskforce.

It is my intention that the Taskforce will meet again shortly to agree the specific actions which will make up its work plan.