Denis Naughten (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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51. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development the date of the last meeting of the mobile phone and broadband task force; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2038/23]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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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 www.gov.ie.

A further meeting of the Taskforce took place on November 16^th2022. The purpose of the meeting was for action holders to provide a progress update on the status of each of their actions.

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.

On February 15^th2023 the Mobile Phone and Broadband Taskforce Annual Stakeholder Forum was held.

The focus of the Stakeholder Forum was on the human impact of the work of the Taskforce. The panel discussions focused on the impact of connectivity on balanced regional development and on innovation. The Forum was very informative and I look forward to holding similar events in future.

This iteration of the Taskforce will meet biannually and will meet again in Quarter 2 of 2023. Following on from the next meeting an Annual Report will be published and the Work Programme will be updated to reflect the progress made to date and to reflect any new challenges that have emerged.

I am pleased with the progress to date and with the willingness of all stakeholders to engage with the Taskforce, and I look forward to the continuing work of this important forum.