Written Answers Nos. 451-466
451. Deputy Noel Grealish asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the amount of motor tax collected in counties Galway and Mayo; the amount of money retained, the amount returned to each county and how the remaining balance received from these counties was spent in 2014 and 2015; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1994/16]
View answerAll Motor Tax income accrues to the Local Government Fund. The Minister for Finance also pays an amount equivalent to the Local Property Tax that was collected in the particular year, from the Central Fund to the Local Government Fund. Local Property Tax (LPT) was introduced in 2013 to provide an alternative, stable and sustainable funding base for local authorities, providing greater levels of connection between local revenue raising and associated expenditure decisions. Given that local authorities vary significantly from one another in terms of size, population, public service demands, infrastructure and income sources, the Government decided that no local authority would receive less allocation from LPT in 2015 than they received from General Purpose Grants in 2014. Under the process known as equalisation, 80% of LPT is retained locally and the remaining 20% is re-distributed to provide top-up funding to certain local authority areas that have lower property tax bases due to the variance in property values across the State. Ultimately, all LPT proceeds are re-distributed to local authorities.
Based on its shortfall position when expected 2015 LPT receipts are compared to GPG Allocations 2014, Galway County Council and Mayo County Council were in receipt of equalisation funding in 2015. The table below shows the 2015 LPT allocations for Galway City, Galway County and Mayo County Councils.
|
- |
2015 LPT Retained Locally |
Equalisation Funding |
Total LPT Funding Provided in 2015 |
|
Galway City Council |
6,709,100 |
Nil |
6,709,100 |
|
Galway County Council |
11,973,614 |
532,767 |
12,506,381 |
|
Mayo County Council |
8,568,212 |
8,924,382 |
17,171,286 |
Apart from its role as a vehicle for distributing LPT proceeds, the other income accruing to the Local Government Fund, including the proceeds of Motor Tax, is used for a range of purposes, including to provide funding to the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport for onwards allocation in support of local authority roads and public transport infrastructure, and for supports for miscellaneous local authority related schemes such as rural group water schemes and shared services initiatives.
Gross motor tax receipts (including online receipts) for Galway City and County and Mayo in 2014 and 2015 were as follows:
|
- |
2014 € |
2015 € |
|
Galway City and County |
64,009,463 |
62,680,012 |
|
Mayo |
34,570,463 |
33,242,996 |
The overall allocation from my Department from the Local Government Fund to Galway City, Galway County and Mayo in 2014 and 2015 is set out in the table below.
|
- |
2014 € |
2015 € |
|
Galway City |
2,589,084.24 |
7,573,665.42 |
|
Galway County |
18,729,482.37 |
17,404,360.77 |
|
Mayo |
23,150,022.74 |
22,403,976.12 |
As the Local Government Fund also provides funding to the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport, the local authorities concerned will have received further funding from that Department for the support of local authority roads and public transport infrastructure in 2014 and 2015, details of which are a matter for my colleague, the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport.
452. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the number of households who have registered and have been paid the water conservation grant to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2069/16]
View answerCurrent levels of registration with Irish Water are a matter for the utility and one in which I have no function. Irish Water has established a dedicated team to deal with representations and queries from public representatives. They may be contacted via email at oireachtasmembers@water.ie or by telephone on 1890 578 578.
The legislative basis for the Water Conservation Grant scheme is set out in Section 5 of the Water Services Act 2014 and statutory regulations under the section, inter alia, provide for the general administrative procedures for the scheme.
Persons who registered with Irish Water, as required under Section 5(2)(a) of the Water Services Act 2014, on or before 30 June 2015, were eligible to receive the grant in 2015, in respect of their principal private residence only.
As at the 30 June 2015, a total of 1.308m households had registered with Irish Water and were therefore eligible to apply for the 2015 Water Conservation Grant. To date, 887,127 have applied for and have received the grant.
453. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government given the passing of the Dublin Docklands Development Authority (Dissolution) Act 2015, which provides for a 21-person forum of local stakeholders to preside over local matters in partnership with Dublin City Council, to detail the process and schedule by which the five local resident representatives will obtain their positions on the forum, given the response of the chief executive of Dublin City Council (details supplied) stating that a ministerial order is required to initiate the process; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2123/16]
View answerThe Docklands Oversight and Consultative Forum is being established under Part 5 of the Dublin Docklands Development Authority (Dissolution) Act 2015 and the associated schedule to the Act. Under the 1997 Act establishing the DDDA, input from interested parties in Docklands was previously channelled via the Docklands Council to the Authority, and the advice and feedback from that Council, which included representatives from community groups and business interests as well as from Government Departments, Agencies and semi-State bodies, was invaluable in formulating policy and strategies in the past.
In dissolving the Authority and transferring its functions to Dublin City Council, I am committed to ensuring that the voices of residents, business and other parties with an interest in the area will continue to be heard.
In devising the composition, role and functions of the new Forum, the consensus of the outgoing Docklands Council, the Board of the Authority and the City Council were sought. The definition, composition, role and functions of the Forum are detailed in Part 5 of the 2015 Act and the related Schedule. Under Section 39(4)(a) of the Act, the Community representatives must come from organisations that represent the interest of Communities and Residents within the Docklands area.
Under sections 5 and 6 of the Act, a day shall be appointed by Order to be the dissolution day and on that day, the Dublin Docklands Development Authority shall stand dissolved. The exact date of dissolution is currently under consideration.
Section 1(3) of the Act provides for the establishment of the Oversight and Consultative Forum by Dublin City Council and this provision will be commenced when I bring Part 5 of the Act into operation. It is my intention to do so on the dissolution date. The bodies to be invited to nominate persons for consideration for appointment to the Forum will be set out in Regulations, which will be made following the coming into operation of Part 5 and following consultation with Dublin City Council.
454. Deputy Barry Cowen asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the cost incurred by his Department in the Laois closed circuit television pilot project scheme, by year; his future plans for the project; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2132/16]
View answerMy Department has provided €50,000 towards the cost of a pilot rural CCTV initiative located in Laois. This is in addition to the €20,000 raised locally towards the overall cost of the project. CCTV cameras will be located in strategic positions in rural locations, with the aim of increasing public safety and deterring criminal or anti-social behaviour. The images from the cameras will be reviewed at the request of An Garda Síochána in the event of a crime or incident occurring. This will act not only as a deterrent but also assist with the possible prosecution of offenders through facilitating the detection and investigation of offences, as well as providing recorded evidence of occurrences of incidents and also facilitating quicker responses.
The initial pilot is to be located in Dunmore, Co. Laois, and will be managed by Dunmore Community Alert, in cooperation with the local community, An Garda Síochána and Laois County Council. My Department will review the operation of this pilot project later in 2016.
The Government is committed to tackling crime in both rural and urban communities and to ensuring that An Garda Síochána has the resources to deliver highly-mobile and responsive Garda patrols in all communities. The 2016 Budget allocation of €1.5 billion for An Garda Síochána includes over €67 million in additional funding, which will allow the recruitment of 600 new Gardaí on top of the 550 Gardaí recruited since this Government reopened the Garda College in September 2014. It will also provide additional funding for Garda Surveillance, special operations and targeted, intelligence-led policing. This additional recruitment and budget allocation builds on the current high level of investment in Garda vehicles. Taken together, this step-change in investment in policing will ensure that the Gardaí can be mobile, visible and responsive, on the roads and in the community.
455. Deputy Barry Cowen asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the number of social housing units provided in each of the years 2010 to 2015; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2134/16]
View answerInformation on social housing units constructed and acquired in respect of all local authorities and approved housing bodies and funded by direct capital investment by my Department, is published on my Department’s website at the following link: http://www.environ.ie/en/Publications/StatisticsandRegularPublications/HousingStatistics/FileDownLoad,15291,en.xls. Data up to Quarter 3 of 2015 are currently available, including a breakdown across the different categories of delivery for all local authorities. Data for the full 2015 calendar year will be available in the first months of 2016.
In addition to social housing units constructed and acquired by local authorities, my Department in recent years has placed a particular focus on returning vacant and boarded-up units to productive use. Between 2014 and 2015, approximately 5,000 social housing units have been returned to use with direct exchequer support to local authorities.
In addition to delivery of social housing through the above methods, local authorities avail of a range of flexible delivery options to meet housing needs within their areas. Under the Social Housing Current Expenditure Programme (SHCEP - previously referred to as the Social Housing Leasing Initiative) local authorities can enter into long term leases or rental arrangements for housing units and make them available for social housing. In addition, approved housing bodies can purchase, lease or construct housing units and make them available for social housing under the SHCEP. To the end of November 2015, over 6,700 housing units have been delivered under SHCEP since it began in 2009.
The Rental Accommodation Scheme (RAS) has been an important contributor to social housing supply in the period since its introduction in 2005. Details of the number of households transferred from rent supplement to RAS in the period 2010 to end November 2015 are set out in the table below.
The Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) is being rolled out incrementally to local authorities and is now available to all qualified households in 18 local authority areas with just over 6,300 households supported since the statutory pilot commenced in September 2014. Details of the number of tenancies supported by HAP since commencement are set out in the table below.
Number of households accommodated under RAS, SHCEP and HAP 2010 - 2015
|
- |
2010 |
2011 |
2012 |
2013 |
2014 |
2015 |
|
S HC EP |
866 |
1,193 |
1,205 |
899 |
1,022 |
1,084* |
|
HAP |
- |
- |
- |
- |
485 |
5,680 |
|
RAS |
4,258 |
4,234 |
3,571 |
2,875 |
2,173 |
1,644* |
* 2015 figures for RAS and SHCEP relate to output to end November 2015
456. Deputy Barry Cowen asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the total cost of the administration of the Building Energy Rating system for 2015. [2135/16]
View answerThe European Union (Energy Performance of Building) Regulations 2012 provide for the transposition in Ireland of Directive 2010/31/ EU on the Energy Performance of Buildings. This includes the requirement for assessing the energy performance of buildings before they are occupied, sold or leased in line with the Building Energy Rating (BER) Scheme administered by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI). The BER scheme is self-financing with costs being met from levies and charges collected by the SEAI in respect of BER-related activities. I understand from the SEAI that the total cost of the administration of the BER Scheme in 2015 was approximately €2.4m.
457. Deputy Peter Mathews asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will introduce pre-ballot day voting and foreign postal voting for those registered voters who have emigrated or are abroad on the day of voting in this Government's lifetime or in the lifetime of the 32nd Dáil, should he be elected to the same post; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2167/16]
View answerIn order to be able to vote at elections and referendums, a person's name must be entered in the register of electors for a constituency in the State in which the person ordinarily resides. Provision is made in the Electoral Act 1992 for persons to be deemed to be ordinarily resident if they intend to resume residence within eighteen months after giving it up. I have no current plans to amend this provision generally; however it may be subject to consideration in the analysis that I am undertaking of the issues that would arise in the extension of the franchise at Presidential elections to citizens resident outside the State. The Convention on the Constitution recommended in its Fifth Report that the Constitution be amended to give citizens resident outside the State the right to vote in Presidential elections. In considering a response to this recommendation the Government decided that it would be necessary to analyse the full range of issues that would arise in any significant extension of the franchise, before any decision could be made on the holding of a referendum. The Government acknowledges that such an extension of the franchise might be welcomed by many in the diaspora. However, it would be challenging to introduce and to manage and a range of issues arise for analysis in that context, including policy, legal and practical issues. I am undertaking the necessary analysis in co-operation with the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade and the Minister for Diaspora Affairs.
There is no provision in electoral law to allow for pre-ballot day voting other than in the context of postal voting or voting on islands. Postal voting is provided for in electoral law in respect of certain categories of person who are entered in the register of electors - whole-time members of the Defence Forces; members of An Garda Síochána; Irish diplomats serving abroad and their spouses or civil partners; electors living at home who are unable to vote because of a physical illness or a physical disability; electors whose occupation, service or employment makes it likely that they will be unable to vote in person at their local polling station on polling day and full-time students registered at their home who are living elsewhere while attending an educational institution in the State; certain election staff employed at the poll outside the constituency where they reside; and electors who because of the circumstances of their detention in prison pursuant to an order of a court are likely to be unable to go in person on polling day to vote.
While electoral law is subject to ongoing review, I have no proposals at present to introduce pre-ballot day voting or to extend existing arrangements for postal voting. In responding to the recommendation of the Convention on the Constitution in their fourth report, that there should be greater access to postal voting, the Government proposed that an Electoral Commission be tasked in due course with considering the issue and advising in detail on the electoral and operational implications, including costs, of implementing change in this area.
458. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the retirement requirements that exist for local authority workers, particularly in Water Services; if there is a uniform application of retirement ages in these services across local authorities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2178/16]
View answer459. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if local authority water services employees turning 65 years of age in 2016 are obliged to retire or if they have the option to stay working for an additional year; what local authorities provide this option; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2179/16]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 458 and 459 together.
Under current Local Government Superannuation Scheme rules, most employees appointed prior to 1 April 2004 must retire by the age of 65. There are no plans to extend this retirement age.
The minimum retirement age for employees appointed between 1 April 2004 and 31 December 2012 is 65 but they may work beyond that date. Employees appointed since 1 January 2013 are members of the Single Public Service Pension Scheme and for most members their minimum pension age is linked to the State Pension age.
460. Deputy Pat Rabbitte asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he is aware that up to 50% of housing applicants at particular locations are declining offers of housing; if he appreciates that careless tenanting policies and poor estate management are the principal causes of housing offers being rejected in certain areas; if he is aware that South Dublin County Council has withdrawn from any structured involvement by the local community in terms of tenanting and managing local authority estates; if he will require housing authorities to invite participation from respectable local community organisations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2207/16]
View answerOffers of social housing support are made by individual housing authorities in accordance with their allocation schemes and I, as Minister, am precluded by law from intervening in individual housing cases. I am aware of the level of refusals of offers of social housing across the local authority system and of the various reasons put forward for such refusals. I am concerned with the high levels of refusals reported in some local authority areas. However, I understand that South Dublin County Council has one of the lowest levels of refusals in the country. The Council reported 5% as the percentage of overall offers refused during the 12 month period to 30 September 2015. One of the key reasons identified for the low level of refusals in South Dublin County Council is the use of a Choice Based Letting (CBL) allocation system to allow social housing applicants to choose properties themselves from those available from the Council’s stock.
In order to address the refusals issue on a sectoral basis, I requested that every local authority immediately consider the introduction of a CBL allocation system. Local authority chief executives are currently considering the optimum approach to the introduction of CBL across the entire local authority system.
The management of local authority estates is a matter for each local authority in accordance with well established principles of good estate management and specific local circumstances that may prevail.
461. Deputy Barry Cowen asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government why the latest routine monthly updates (details supplied) of the homeless statistics for November and December 2015 have yet to be published on his Department's website; if he will provide these figures in a spreadsheet format; and what the protocol is within his Department for publishing these figures on a regular basis. [2212/16]
View answerMy Department has just concluded the compilation of details from housing authority reports for November 2015 and is in the process of collecting reports for December 2015. Homelessness has been a standing agenda item at meetings of the Cabinet Committee on Social Policy and Public Sector Reform since January 2015; the normal procedure within my Department is to publish the monthly figures on my Department’s website when they have been noted by the Cabinet Committee.
462. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he has considered legislation in relation to neighbouring overhanging trees which block light and cause structural damage and create danger in case of storms or high winds and where the neighbour is not agreeable to the overhang being cut back or removed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2249/16]
View answerPlanning legislation places no specific restrictions on the height of trees, nor does it make any particular provision for remedy from any other nuisance which may be caused by trees in an urban residential area. However there is currently a civil remedy available concerning branches or roots of neighbouring trees encroaching on a person’s property. The previous Minister of State for Housing and Planning wrote to the Minister for Justice in June 2012 to explore the possibility of providing a broader civil law remedy for parties affected by high trees and hedges on adjoining properties. In this regard, advice was sought on the possibility of legislative provision being made whereby a person substantially deprived of the enjoyment of their property, such as the deprivation of light caused by high trees on a neighbouring property, could apply to the Courts for an order, and that the Courts could make an order as they see fit, e.g. to cut the trees back to an appropriate height. The Minister for Justice responded in July 2012 suggesting that disputes of this nature between neighbours could perhaps be more appropriately dealt with through mediation – which is being increasingly used internationally as a tool for the resolution of civil disputes - rather than through the Courts. In this regard, I understand that the Minister for Justice is giving consideration to a Mediation Bill which would assist in speeding up the resolution of civil disputes of this nature, reduce legal costs and ameliorate the stress of contested court proceedings.
463. Deputy Finian McGrath asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government to advise on a matter (details supplied) regarding tax relief for landlords; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2258/16]
View answerThe Finance Act 2015 provides for 100% tax relief in respect of mortgage interest payments on borrowings used by a landlord to fund the purchase, improvement or repair of a residential rental property . The tax relief is available where the property is let to an individual in receipt of rent supplement or housing assistance payment, or leased to a local authority for social housing. In order to avail of this relief, it is necessary for the landlord to submit an undertaking to the Private Residential Tenancies Board (PRTB) that they will let the premises under a qualifying lease for a continuous period of three years in the period from 1 January 2016 to 31 December 2019. The tax relief is also available to landlords for existing qualifying tenants already in place at 31 December 2015. In such cases, the undertaking to the PRTB must be made by 31 March 2016. In the case of new leases commencing on or after 1 January 2016, the undertaking must be made at the time the landlord is required to apply to register the tenancy with the Private Residential Tenancies Board.
Security of tenure under the Residential Tenancies Act is based on rolling four-year tenancy cycles. Where a tenant has been in occupation of a dwelling for a continuous period of 6 months and no notice of termination has been served in respect of that tenancy before the expiry of the period of 6 months, the tenancy is established for the remainder of the four year period. This is referred to in the Act as a ‘Part 4’ tenancy.
Landlords and tenants may not contract out of any of the provisions of Part 4 of the Residential Tenancies Act and no lease, tenancy agreement, contract or other agreement may operate to vary or modify the provisions of Part 4 of the Act. A Part 4 tenancy may only be terminated on specific grounds set out in section 34 of the Act including where, for example, the tenant has failed to comply with the obligations of the tenancy or the landlord intends to sell the dwelling within the next 3 months.
Notice periods for the termination of a tenancy by the landlord vary depending on the duration of the tenancy but periods of up to 224 days are provided for under the Act. Where there is a dispute regarding the appropriate period of notice to be given in respect of a tenancy or the validity of a notice of termination, or where the tenant does not comply with the notice of termination, the dispute may be referred to the Private Residential Tenancies Board for resolution.
464. Deputy Jim Daly asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the statutory body responsible for the maintenance of rivers here; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2310/16]
View answerResponsibility for the maintenance of our rivers and waterways is shared between a range of statutory bodies and local riparian landowners. Under the Arterial Drainage Acts 1945 and 1995, the Office of Public Works (OPW) has statutory responsibility for the maintenance of rivers on which it has executed works since the 1945 Act. These arterial drainage schemes had as their primary purpose the improvement of drainage on agricultural lands. This typically involved lowering or widening river beds to facilitate the drainage and discharge of neighbouring lands and drainage channels. While new arterial drainage schemes are no longer being undertaken, the OPW has a statutory duty to maintain the completed schemes in proper repair and in an effective condition. The annual maintenance programme typically involves some clearance of vegetation and removal of silt build-up on an average five-yearly cycle.
Additionally, Drainage Districts are areas where drainage schemes to improve land for agricultural purposes were constructed under the Arterial Drainage Acts from 1842 up to 1943. When a subsequent scheme covered the same ground as one of the earlier schemes, the previous Drainage District was abolished. Of the 293 schemes carried out, 170 remain and the statutory duty of maintenance for these schemes rests with the relevant Local Authorities.
Waterways Ireland, a North/South Implementation Body, manages, maintains, develops and promotes over 1000km of inland navigable waterways principally for recreational purposes. The waterways under the remit of the body are the Barrow Navigation, the Erne System, the Grand Canal, the Lower Bann, the Royal Canal, the Shannon-Erne Waterway and the Shannon Navigation.
The OPW is the responsible authority for coordinating the development and implementation of policy on the management of flood risk in Ireland. The Catchment Flood Risk Assessment and Management (CFRAM) Programme is its core strategy for addressing areas at potentially significant risk from flooding. The Programme is focussing on 300 Areas for Further Assessment (AFAs) identified as being at potentially significant risk of flooding and this is the principal vehicle for implementing the EU Floods Directive and national flood policy. Implementation of this Directive is being coordinated with the requirements of the EU Water Framework Directive.
Local flooding issues are a matter, in the first instance, for each Local Authority to investigate and address, and they may carry out flood mitigation works using their own resources. The OPW operates the Minor Flood Mitigation Works and Coastal Protection Scheme. The purpose of this scheme is to provide funding to Local Authorities to undertake minor flood mitigation works or studies to address localised flooding and coastal protection problems within their administrative areas. The scheme generally applies to relatively straightforward cases where a solution can be readily identified and achieved in a short time frame.
From a water quality perspective, the key EU directive is the EU Water Framework Directive which requires all member states to protect and improve water quality in all waters so that good ecological status is achieved by 2015 or, at the latest, by 2027. This objective is to be supported through implementation of successive river basin management plans (RBMPs). The RBMPs describe the measures planned to protect and improve Ireland’s water environment covering rivers, lakes, groundwater, transitional (estuaries) and coastal waters. The first plans were completed in 2010 covering the period to 2015; the second planning cycle for the period 2015-2021 is now underway but will not be completed until end-2017.
In June 2015, I published a consultation document on Significant Water Management Issues in Ireland. This document provided an overview of the current status of our waters and outlined the challenges ahead and sought views on what are considered to be the significant water management issues. The submissions received during this consultation are currently being examined and will be reflected in the development of the draft RBMPs.
465. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government under the Civil Service reform programme, the number of clerical officers who have been promoted to higher executive officer and the number of executive officers who have been promoted to assistant principal officer in his Department through internal competitions after the significant change in eligibility rules; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2575/16]
View answerMy Department has completed one round of internal competitions for various administrative grades since the change in rules governing eligibility. There have been no instances of Clerical Officers being promoted to Higher Executive Officer or Executive Officers being promoted to Assistant Principal Officer resulting from these competitions.
466. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the status of the roll-out of broadband in a town (details supplied) in County Mayo; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1876/16]
View answerThe Government’s National Broadband Plan (NBP) aims to ensure that every citizen and business, regardless of location, has access to a high quality, high speed broadband service. This will be achieved through a combination of commercial investments and a State led intervention in areas where commercial services will not be provided. The commercial telecommunications sector is currently investing approximately €2.5 billion in network upgrades and enhanced services. These very significant investments represent a step change in the quality of broadband services available.
On the 22 December 2015, I formally launched the procurement process for the State Intervention to provide high quality, high speed broadband to all premises in Ireland that may not be served through commercial investment. The formal procurement commenced with the publication of the Project Information Memorandum and the Pre-Qualification Questionnaire. In addition, my Department also published:
- the National Intervention Strategy – updated in December 2015, which takes account of responses to the public consultation which took place in July 2015 and subsequent expert analysis; and
- the High Speed Broadband Map 2020 which follows ongoing engagement with industry and public consultation.
The Intervention strategy sets out a detailed service specification including a requirement that the State-funded network must be capable of delivering high-quality, high speed broadband of at least 30mbps download and 6mbps upload. It must also be capable of catering for higher performance in the future so as to keep pace with consumer demand. It is therefore a matter for bidders to select the technology which will show how they propose to meet these contractual requirements.
The 2020 map is available at www.broadband.gov.ie. The map shows Ireland with two colours, BLUE and AMBER. The areas marked BLUE represent those areas where commercial providers are either currently delivering or have plans to deliver high speed broadband services by the end of 2016. The areas marked AMBER represent the target areas for the proposed State intervention. Members of the public can see whether their individual premise is in the BLUE or AMBER area by inserting their Eircode, and/ or address, or scrolling through the map.
Based on information provided by commercial operators, and the current high speed broadband map, 97% of the townland of Belmullet will be covered by the commercial sector this year, while the remaining 3% of the townland will be part of the State intervention.
The Government is determined to ensure that the network is built out as quickly as possible and engagement with industry stakeholders has indicated that this could be achieved within 3-5 years of the contract award.
In this context, the NBP proposes that through the combination of commercial investment and State intervention, 85% of addresses in Ireland will have access to high speed services by 2018, with all addresses passed by 2020.
More generally, I am informed by the commercial operators that next generation broadband services have been rolled out to over almost 18,000 premises to date in County Mayo with over 15,500 more expected to be serviced by commercial investment. Almost 51,000 remaining premises in County Mayo will be covered either by further commercial investment or the proposed State intervention.
