Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 17 January 2017
1485. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if he will provide information on the formation of a task force or oversight committee to monitor mobile phone coverage in rural Ireland; when this will come into operation; the persons and bodies that will comprise the membership of this task force; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41842/16]
View answerThe Programme for a Partnership Government gave a commitment to establish a Mobile Phone and Broadband Taskforce to identify immediate solutions to broadband/mobile phone coverage deficits and to investigate how better services could be provided to consumers prior to full build and rollout of the network planned under the National Broadband Plan State intervention (NBP). The Taskforce, which I co-chaired with my colleague, Minister Humphreys, was established in July last year and published its report in December.
In producing this report, the Taskforce worked with Government Departments, Local Authorities, the Commission for Communications Regulation (ComReg), State Agencies, the telecoms industry and other key stakeholders. The membership of the group included:
- the Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment;
- the Department of Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural, and Gaeltacht Affairs;
- the Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government;
- the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport;
- the Office of Public Works;
- NewERA;
- Transport Infrastructure Ireland;
- Teagasc;
- Trinity College CTVR (Telecommunications Research Centre);
- The County and City Management Association (CCMA);
- Irish Rural Link;
- the Irish Country Women's Association;
- Businesses based in rural Ireland;
- the National Competition and Consumer Protection Commission; and
- an Independent Planning Adviser.
ComReg participated on the Taskforce as an observer in order to provide advice and guidance in its capacity as the independent regulator of the telecommunications market.
The work of the Taskforce will also assist Local Authorities in preparing for the rollout of the new NBP network once contract(s) are in place.
The report has been published on both my and Minister's Humphrey's Departments' websites, together with the Implementation Programme on Mobile Phone and Broadband Access, which identifies 19 of the 40 actions contained in the Report of the Taskforce as areas where immediate and direct action by Government Departments and State Agencies can ensure accelerated benefits to consumers.
