Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 18 June 2009
34 Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the steps he is taking to provide high speed broadband services in rural areas; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24034/09]
View answerIn order to provide broadband services to areas that are not currently served by broadband, my Department has entered into a contract with "3", a Hutchison Whampoa company, for the delivery of the National Broadband Scheme (NBS). 3 will be required to provide services to all residences and businesses that are within the NBS area and which seek a service.
3 is currently planning the construction and rollout of the infrastructure required for the provision of the service. Challenging roll out targets have been agreed with 3. Services were launched in a small number of rural areas at the end of April 2009 and the entire NBS area must be covered by September 2010.
35 Deputy Billy Timmins asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if the management contract is in place to manage phase II of the MANs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24110/09]
View answerThe procurement process for the engagement of a Management Services Entity (MSE) for Phase II Metropolitan Area Networks (MANs) is in the final stages of negotiations with e|Net, the preferred bidder. Value for money is a key consideration for the Department in the negotiations. Government approval will be necessary for the contract and, subject to this, I anticipate that the MSE will be in place in the very near future.
36 Deputy Liz McManus asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources when he will bring forward legislation to move the regulation of premium rate services from RegTel to ComReg; his views on whether mobile phone consumers need improved protection in this sector; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24049/09]
View answerA draft Bill entitled ‘Communications Regulation (Premium Rate Services) Bill 2009', which has the purpose of transferring the regulation of premium rate services to ComReg and providing for more effective regulation of the sector in the interest of consumer protection, has recently been circulated to all Government Departments for their observations. I expect to submit the draft Bill to Government for approval, to be published shortly and to have it enacted as soon as possible thereafter.
I believe that consumers need improved protection in relation to the provision of premium rate services particularly subscription services and the proposed Bill, when enacted, will provide improved protection for all users of such services and will enhance consumer confidence in the sector.
37 Deputy Kathleen Lynch asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the measures taken to tackle the growing digital divide across rural and urban areas; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24066/09]
View answerWhile the provision of broadband is a matter for the service providers, there are still some parts of the country where the private sector will be unable to justify the commercial provision of broadband services. In this regard, my Department has undertaken a variety of initiatives to address the gaps in broadband coverage including the Group Broadband Scheme, the Metropolitan Area Networks Programme and the National Broadband Scheme (NBS). These initiatives have been designed to bridge the digital divide, create greater equality in terms of social and economic inclusion and remove the disadvantage caused by a lack of broadband services.
The most recent initiative aimed at tackling the digital divide is the NBS. My Department has entered into a contract with "3", a Hutchison Whampoa company, for the delivery of the NBS. 3 will be required to provide services to all residences and businesses that are within the NBS area and who seek a service.
3 is currently planning the construction and rollout of the infrastructure required for the provision of the service. Challenging roll out targets have been agreed with 3. Services were launched in a small number of rural areas at the end of April 2009 and the entire NBS area must be covered by September 2010.
39 Deputy Joanna Tuffy asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources his view on reports that he has ruled out State involvement in Eircom; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24073/09]
View answerI can confirm that State ownership of eircom is not on my agenda. I am aware that the company is conducting a sales process at present and while I have no direct involvement in this, my view is that eircom remains of strategic importance to the telecoms sector in Ireland.
I am also of the view that the development of the telecommunications industry, particularly the evolution to high bandwidth services, requires the owner of eircom to have a long term strategic plan for the company which recognises the requirement for significant investment in infrastructure.
I can also state that I am happy to engage in dialogue with any potential owners of eircom with particular reference to clarifying the Government's policy in relation to the development of the telecommunications sector.
