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Rural Development Programme Funding

Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 16 January 2013

Wednesday, 16 January 2013

Questions (591, 592, 593, 594, 595)

Éamon Ó Cuív

Question:

591. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the amount of funding drawn down from the EU under the rural development programme 2007-2013 in respect of the rural broadband scheme in the years 2011 and 2012; the matching funding provided by his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1094/13]

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Éamon Ó Cuív

Question:

592. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the total allocation by his Department under the rural development programme 2007-2013 to the rural broadband scheme; the amount of this funding from the EU and the amount from the Exchequer; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1095/13]

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Éamon Ó Cuív

Question:

593. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the number of connections made under the rural broadband programme in 2011 and 2012; the number projected from 1 January 2013 to the end of the programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1096/13]

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Éamon Ó Cuív

Question:

594. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the number of connections to date under the rural broadband scheme broken down according to the technology used such as fibre, wireless, satellite, fixed line and so on; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1097/13]

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Éamon Ó Cuív

Question:

595. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if he has carried out any evaluation of the rural broadband scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1098/13]

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Written answers

I propose to take Questions Nos. 591 to 595, inclusive, together.

The Rural Broadband Scheme (RBS) was launched last year in recognition of the fact that despite the widespread availability of broadband throughout Ireland, there still remained individual premises that were unable to receive broadband provision. This Scheme was aimed at making a basic broadband service available to un-served premises in rural areas, not already covered by the National Broadband Scheme.

An evaluation of the Scheme concluded that commercial service providers have been in a position to offer services to almost all applicants under the Scheme who agreed to engage with them.

The Application Phase of the RBS closed in July and approximately 3,700 applications qualified under the terms of the Scheme. The details of these applicants were passed to participating Internet Service Providers (ISPs) and they responded to DCENR indicating where they may be able to offer services. A total of 29 companies participated in this part of the Scheme and a total of 2011 applicants gave their consent to receive written offers of service from these ISPs.

The participating ISPs wrote to these 2011 applicants in April 2012 with offers of service and 509 applicants availed of these offers.

The ISPs participating in the Scheme were not required to provide information regarding the technology used to serve applicants and accordingly it is not possible to provide a breakdown of delivery platform for applicants served through the Scheme.

The data returned by the participating ISPs indicates that in the case of a total of 6 applicants, it was not possible to provide a service from any of the service providers who made offers. Two of these applicants have since obtained a service from a commercial operator.

In the remaining cases, my Department has been in contact with the applicants and is arranging a site visit to assess the locations in question.

As the ISPs participating in the Scheme indicated their ability to provide services to almost all of the qualifying applicants under the Scheme, and directly offered services to those who agreed to engage with them, there has been no need for any disbursement of public money for the provision of services on the Scheme and no related draw-down of EU funding. Under EU State Aids laws, public monies cannot be used to provide services where such services are already available from commercial providers.

My Department has informed the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine that the funding originally made available for this Scheme under the Rural Development Plan can now be redeployed for other rural development measures.

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