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

98. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development the status of the work of the Broadband Mobile Phone Task Force, particularly the work being that is being carried out to provide alternatives for persons who have been waiting for a broadband connection for up to five years under the plan; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [53089/22]

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

The Mobile Phone and Broadband Taskforce was re-established in December 2021 with an inaugural meeting co-chaired by myself and Minister of State Ossian Smyth TD, involving participation from all key State stakeholders. In April 2022 we held a full meeting of the Taskforce with both State and Industry representatives. After this meeting the Terms of Reference and Work Programme for 2022-2023 were agreed and published on gov.ie.

The actions in the Work Programme relate to improving mobile phone coverage in rural areas, examining issues around planning permissions and licensing 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 Taskforce will meet biannually and will meet again in Quarter 4 of 2022. Each action holder will be required to a provide progress reports on the status of their actions and set out the next steps required to ensure their actions are achieved on schedule.

It should be noted that the Taskforce is not responsible for the delivery of the National Broadband Plan (NBP). However, the Taskforce is responsible for ensuring that, where barriers within the state’s control are identified, a clear assessment is made and that action is taken. This will benefit the roll out of the NBP and also support the deployment of high quality networks by other operators across the state providing fixed and mobile data and telephony services.

Separately to the work of Taskforce, Our Rural Future, Ireland’s Rural Development Policy 2021-2025, recognises the opportunity for rural rejuvenation that remote working presents and commits to establishing a comprehensive and integrated network of remote working hubs over the lifetime of the policy to 2025.

In furtherance of this commitment, my Department continues to focus on adding capacity across the country including via a range of schemes including the development of Public Broadband Connection Points (BCPs) as long-term, digitally-enabled community assets.

To date my Department has invested some €100m in the development of remote working facilities across a range of schemes. These schemes include the Connected Hubs Fund, the Rural Regeneration and Development Fund, the Town and Village Renewal Scheme and the new Building Acquisition Measures. One of the goals of these facilities and developments is to assist those living in areas that are waiting to receive a broadband connection in their homes as the NBP continues its rollout.