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Broadband Service Provision

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 6 November 2018

Tuesday, 6 November 2018

Questions (816, 821)

Mary Butler

Question:

816. Deputy Mary Butler asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment when a number of residences (details supplied) will be connected under the fibre optic roll-out plan in County Waterford; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44732/18]

View answer

David Cullinane

Question:

821. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if his attention has been drawn to households on the L7031 in Stradbally, County Waterford, that have been excluded from the fibre optic roll-out scheme which is under contract from his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44903/18]

View answer

Written answers

I propose to take Questions Nos. 816 and 821 together.

The premises referred to by the Deputies are in an AMBER area on the High Speed Broadband Map, which is available on my Department's website at www.broadband.gov.ie. The AMBER areas represent the target areas for the proposed State led Intervention under the NBP and are the subject of an ongoing procurement process. 

The procurement process to appoint a bidder for the State intervention network is now at the final stage, with evaluation ongoing of the final tender submission received on 18 September. The Taoiseach has asked Mr Peter Smyth, the independent process auditor to the NBP procurement to review the process. Mr. Smyth will submit a report to the Taoiseach and to me as Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment. This review is taking place in parallel with the evaluation being carried out by the Department’s procurement team on the final tender.

The premises referenced in the Questions lie close to an ongoing private commercial roll out of high speed broadband.  eir’s rural investment in high speed broadband is an entirely commercial undertaking, and not part of the planned State Intervention network. Although the deployment is monitored under the terms of a Commitment Agreement signed between the company and my Department, it is not funded by the State and it is not planned or directed by my Department in any capacity.  

The selection of what premises are to be served under eir’s deployment is an internal and commercial decision for that company. My Department has no statutory authority or function to intervene in the company’s commercial decisions, nor in any decisions relating to the roll out and siting of infrastructure throughout Ireland by service providers operating in a liberalised market

For those premises currently awaiting access to high speed broadband, practical initiatives will continue to be addressed through the work of the Mobile Phone and Broadband Taskforce to address obstacles and improve connectivity in respect of existing and future mobile phone and broadband services.

Under this Taskforce, engagement between telecommunications operators and local authorities through the Broadband Officers is continuing to strengthen.  These Broadband Officers are acting as single points of contact in local authorities for their communities.  The appointment of these officers is already reaping rewards in terms of ensuring a much greater degree of consistency in engagements.

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